Karakuş Tümülüsü

Southeastern Anatolia


This large burial mound was built in 36 BC. It's ringed by a handful of remaining columns. An eagle tops a column at the car park, a headless bull tops one on the east side and a faceless lion sits around the west side. Although the remnants are sparse – the limestone blocks were used by the Romans to build the Cendere Bridge – the views are excellent, stretching across surrounding barley fields to the cone-shaped mound atop Nemrut Dağı.

An inscription found here explains that the burial mound holds female relatives of King Mithridates II, successor to Antiochus I who created the Nemrut Dağı mound.

From Kahta, head north on highway D360 for around 6km, where a road forks left towards Sincik. Taking this left-hand fork, drive for another 1.2km until a second fork left leads 700m to the Karakuş Tümülüsü.


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Nearby Southeastern Anatolia attractions

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