11 July, Kâhta
Kommagene Hotel 90TL (breakfast included) (negotiated down from 100TL)
We were awakened at 04:00 and in the motel-provided
mini-bus by 04:15 for the short but steep ride to Nemrut Daği’s summit. There,
with other awed tourists, we watched the sun rise over the mountains and light
up the statues on the east terrace. The statues were tumbled by earthquakes so
the 2m high heads sit detached from the bodies, staring out over Mesopotamia, faces
sand-damaged. We were anxious about getting back to Kâhta as there are limited transport
options, but Charl managed to persuade three men visiting Nemrut from Istanbul
to give us a lift from the visitor carpark to outside our Kâhta hotel! We are
growing more uneasy about our ability to cope with the heat and terrain.
Tomorrow we have to do 80km through hostile terrain and the forecast is for 42
degrees.
Nemrut Daği
Nemrut Daği
Nemrut Daği
Nemrut Daği
Nemrut Daği