1
00:00:03,133 --> 00:00:06,433
Narrator: high in the mountains
Of southeast turkey

2
00:00:06,533 --> 00:00:08,800
Stands a skyscraping monument,

3
00:00:10,433 --> 00:00:11,467
Mount nemrut.

4
00:00:12,933 --> 00:00:17,533
Gigantic decapitated sculptures
Surround a vast summit.

5
00:00:17,633 --> 00:00:21,400
Their size is really enormous.

6
00:00:21,500 --> 00:00:22,867
Narrator:
But what is the purpose of

7
00:00:22,967 --> 00:00:24,533
This bizarre mega structure?

8
00:00:26,233 --> 00:00:28,900
And why is it built at such
Dizzying heights?

9
00:00:30,333 --> 00:00:33,667
Now, investigators decode
Ancient inscriptions

10
00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,900
And hunt for clues to mount
Nemrut's destruction.

11
00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,467
We know that
The west terrace was

12
00:00:41,567 --> 00:00:45,167
In a complete state of
Demolishment.

13
00:00:45,267 --> 00:00:49,500
Narrator: they use innovative
Geophysical analysis

14
00:00:49,600 --> 00:00:51,733
To solve the mysteries of
The mountain.

15
00:00:53,100 --> 00:00:56,133
Nothing like this existed
Before this time.

16
00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:02,733
Narrator: to piece together
This ancient riddle,

17
00:01:02,833 --> 00:01:07,600
We blow apart gigantic
30-foot-tall statues

18
00:01:07,700 --> 00:01:09,467
And digitally excavate
A tomb that

19
00:01:09,567 --> 00:01:12,067
Has remained hidden
For millennia.

20
00:01:12,133 --> 00:01:15,833
We crack the mystery of
Long-lost gods

21
00:01:15,933 --> 00:01:18,867
And reconstruct the summit to
Its former glory

22
00:01:20,533 --> 00:01:24,233
To unearth the identity of
A mysterious mountain king.

23
00:01:24,333 --> 00:01:31,433
**

24
00:01:34,900 --> 00:01:37,800
Mount nemrut, turkey,

25
00:01:37,900 --> 00:01:40,833
A towering mountaintop
Grazing the skies.

26
00:01:42,300 --> 00:01:44,767
7,000 feet high,
Its summit

27
00:01:44,867 --> 00:01:47,700
Looms above the taurus
Mountain range.

28
00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:52,500
What is unusual about this
Monument is its location on

29
00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:57,600
Top of one of the highest
Mountains of this region.

30
00:01:57,700 --> 00:01:59,133
Narrator:
On the summit of mount nemrut

31
00:01:59,233 --> 00:02:03,667
Is an unusual monument,
The key to an ancient culture.

32
00:02:05,067 --> 00:02:07,067
Fragments of gigantic statues

33
00:02:07,133 --> 00:02:10,067
Are scattered across
The terraces, and the strangely

34
00:02:10,167 --> 00:02:13,300
Shaped mountain peak
Is covered in rubble.

35
00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,700
2,000 years ago, throned figures
Tower 30 feet tall,

36
00:02:19,067 --> 00:02:22,967
With mighty stone eagles and
Lions sitting by their side.

37
00:02:24,867 --> 00:02:25,967
At their feet,

38
00:02:26,067 --> 00:02:29,200
Carved reliefs leave clues
To the mountain's purpose.

39
00:02:32,133 --> 00:02:35,433
Over 7,000 foot above sea level,

40
00:02:35,533 --> 00:02:37,933
Covering over six acres,

41
00:02:38,067 --> 00:02:39,767
What is this unique site?

42
00:02:43,067 --> 00:02:45,633
Michael blomer has been
Working in this region

43
00:02:45,733 --> 00:02:47,067
For two decades.

44
00:02:49,100 --> 00:02:50,633
He wants to find out more

45
00:02:50,733 --> 00:02:53,800
About this enigmatic monument.

46
00:02:53,900 --> 00:02:58,333
Two terraces flank the summit,
Facing east and west.

47
00:03:01,167 --> 00:03:03,167
On the eastern terrace,

48
00:03:03,267 --> 00:03:05,833
There's an unusual wide
Step platform.

49
00:03:07,233 --> 00:03:10,367
Michael examines it for clues
To its purpose.

50
00:03:23,133 --> 00:03:26,200
Narrator: an altar is evidence
That this is a religious site.

51
00:03:28,067 --> 00:03:30,067
Could other parts of
The monument reveal

52
00:03:30,167 --> 00:03:33,333
More about the obscure
Religion worshipped here?

53
00:03:33,433 --> 00:03:37,600
A line of ruined statues
Stands on the terrace.

54
00:03:37,700 --> 00:03:39,333
Their heads lie on

55
00:03:39,433 --> 00:03:42,633
The ground below their
Decapitated stone bodies.

56
00:03:43,933 --> 00:03:46,733
Each head is as tall as
A human

57
00:03:46,833 --> 00:03:49,867
And is carved
In incredible detail.

58
00:03:49,967 --> 00:03:53,267
Michael: it's a male head
With a full beard.

59
00:03:53,367 --> 00:03:57,200
It's a paternal figure.

60
00:03:57,300 --> 00:03:59,400
The mouth is slightly opened.

61
00:03:59,500 --> 00:04:02,533
He's looking upwards,
And you see

62
00:04:02,633 --> 00:04:06,433
How his forehead
Is contracted.

63
00:04:08,233 --> 00:04:10,600
Narrator: michael thinks
The figures are meant to depict

64
00:04:10,700 --> 00:04:11,767
Specific people,

65
00:04:13,267 --> 00:04:14,367
But who?

66
00:04:16,067 --> 00:04:18,067
He heads 800 feet around

67
00:04:18,133 --> 00:04:20,467
The mountain's summit to
The western terrace.

68
00:04:21,533 --> 00:04:24,267
It's a mirror of the first,
But there's one

69
00:04:24,367 --> 00:04:26,167
Crucial difference.

70
00:04:26,267 --> 00:04:29,067
Hidden at the back
Of the west terrace,

71
00:04:29,167 --> 00:04:31,267
Michael discovers huge slabs.

72
00:04:32,933 --> 00:04:35,967
Long inscriptions are carved
Onto the stones in

73
00:04:36,067 --> 00:04:37,167
Ancient greek.

74
00:04:40,100 --> 00:04:42,833
As michael deciphers
The text, it reveals

75
00:04:42,933 --> 00:04:44,733
Something surprising.

76
00:04:44,833 --> 00:04:48,967
Each statue has not one,
But a combination of names.

77
00:05:00,467 --> 00:05:04,900
Narrator: zeus is a greek god,
But here, he is also

78
00:05:05,067 --> 00:05:08,067
Given an equivalent persian
Name from the ancient

79
00:05:08,167 --> 00:05:10,667
Zoroastrian religion.

80
00:05:10,767 --> 00:05:13,100
This pattern is repeated
With almost all

81
00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:16,267
The other statues
On the mountaintop.

82
00:05:16,367 --> 00:05:20,400
The last god is artagnes,
A persian god,

83
00:05:20,500 --> 00:05:21,933
Who is, at the same time,

84
00:05:22,067 --> 00:05:25,067
Heracles and aries.

85
00:05:25,133 --> 00:05:27,667
Narrator: the names suggest
That these gods are

86
00:05:27,767 --> 00:05:30,333
Unlike any others in
The ancient world.

87
00:05:30,433 --> 00:05:33,200
They are both greek
And persian.

88
00:05:35,933 --> 00:05:37,933
Michael believes
This site is

89
00:05:38,067 --> 00:05:41,633
The origin of
A groundbreaking new religion.

90
00:05:41,733 --> 00:05:44,533
Who orders the construction
Of mount nemrut

91
00:05:44,633 --> 00:05:46,933
And begins
This religious cult?

92
00:05:48,433 --> 00:05:53,067
The statues hold
A clue -- among the gods,

93
00:05:53,167 --> 00:05:55,267
Michael finds
A mysterious figure,

94
00:05:55,367 --> 00:05:58,067
One without any
Divine features.

95
00:05:58,100 --> 00:06:00,100
This is the head of

96
00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:04,200
A young man --
It belongs to the statue

97
00:06:04,300 --> 00:06:09,867
At the very left sitting,
Placed next to the gods.

98
00:06:09,967 --> 00:06:12,067
Narrator: michael tracks down
The name of

99
00:06:12,133 --> 00:06:15,267
The man who sits alongside
The gods.

100
00:06:15,367 --> 00:06:17,467
This part of the inscription
Is not well preserved,

101
00:06:17,567 --> 00:06:20,467
But we can still decipher
The name.

102
00:06:20,567 --> 00:06:29,467
It's a-n-t-I-o-ch-o-s.

103
00:06:29,567 --> 00:06:31,933
Antiochos ["Antiochus"].

104
00:06:32,067 --> 00:06:34,233
Narrator:
Who is antiochus?

105
00:06:34,333 --> 00:06:37,733
Michael decodes more of
The inscription

106
00:06:37,833 --> 00:06:42,267
And reveals that antiochus
Describes himself as a god.

107
00:06:44,067 --> 00:06:46,700
But he's not a greek
Or a persian deity.

108
00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:49,700
Who is this
Mysterious character?

109
00:06:52,433 --> 00:06:55,233
Strewn at the feet of
The gigantic statues

110
00:06:56,833 --> 00:07:00,633
Is a series of intricately
Carved stone reliefs,

111
00:07:00,733 --> 00:07:02,800
Each 10 feet tall.

112
00:07:05,500 --> 00:07:08,600
They all show antiochus
Shaking hands

113
00:07:08,700 --> 00:07:11,400
With the gods
Whose statues sit above.

114
00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:16,767
Only the last relief
Is different.

115
00:07:16,867 --> 00:07:21,267
It shows a lion cloaked in
A constellation of 19 stars.

116
00:07:22,567 --> 00:07:26,333
A sky chart -- the oldest
Preserved horoscope in

117
00:07:26,433 --> 00:07:27,667
The world.

118
00:07:27,767 --> 00:07:31,267
Could these reliefs reveal
Who antiochus is

119
00:07:31,367 --> 00:07:34,400
And why he sits among the gods
At mount nemrut?

120
00:07:36,900 --> 00:07:39,567
The majestic reliefs
Once stood proud on

121
00:07:39,667 --> 00:07:41,700
The terraces, but today,

122
00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:46,067
They're so fragile, they must be
Protected behind lock and key.

123
00:07:47,533 --> 00:07:50,933
Michael has exclusive access
To examine the carvings.

124
00:07:53,133 --> 00:07:56,700
What can the sky chart reveal
About antiochus?

125
00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:01,300
The way these stars are
Arranged tell us

126
00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:06,267
That they represent
The constellation of the lion.

127
00:08:06,367 --> 00:08:10,667
So this constellation
Gives us a precise date,

128
00:08:10,767 --> 00:08:14,600
Which is the seventh
Of july, 62 b.C.

129
00:08:16,067 --> 00:08:18,500
Narrator: the enormous lion
Horoscope reveals

130
00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:20,933
The day of
Antiochus's coronation.

131
00:08:23,467 --> 00:08:26,067
He is the king of
The commagene kingdom.

132
00:08:28,733 --> 00:08:31,467
In the sixth century b.C.,

133
00:08:31,567 --> 00:08:34,867
The persian empire
Expands westward,

134
00:08:34,967 --> 00:08:36,667
Conquering eastern turkey.

135
00:08:40,067 --> 00:08:42,967
The persian king and his
Mighty army of highly

136
00:08:43,067 --> 00:08:46,400
Trained soldiers sweep through
The region around

137
00:08:46,500 --> 00:08:47,400
Mount nemrut.

138
00:08:51,233 --> 00:08:54,400
But 200 years later,
The greek leader,

139
00:08:54,500 --> 00:08:56,067
Alexander the great, appears

140
00:08:56,167 --> 00:08:59,467
On the scene and takes
The land from the persians.

141
00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:06,167
When alexander dies,
His empire is split among

142
00:09:06,267 --> 00:09:07,600
His generals.

143
00:09:07,700 --> 00:09:10,800
Commagene emerges as
An independent kingdom.

144
00:09:13,100 --> 00:09:17,167
Commagene stretches from the
Taurus mountains in the west

145
00:09:17,267 --> 00:09:20,167
To the euphrates river
In the east,

146
00:09:20,267 --> 00:09:22,833
Covering an area the size of
Puerto rico.

147
00:09:24,767 --> 00:09:29,367
When king antiochus becomes
Ruler of the commagene kingdom,

148
00:09:29,467 --> 00:09:33,867
He builds mount nemrut at its
Heart to glorify his new cult.

149
00:09:35,667 --> 00:09:38,067
But why does he choose to
Surround the summit

150
00:09:38,167 --> 00:09:39,833
With statues
That seem to honor

151
00:09:39,933 --> 00:09:42,200
The two former rulers
Of the region?

152
00:09:45,167 --> 00:09:47,867
On the west terrace of
Mountain nemrut,

153
00:09:47,967 --> 00:09:50,967
Michael finds two rows
Of stele,

154
00:09:51,067 --> 00:09:53,333
Large carved stone slabs.

155
00:09:53,433 --> 00:09:58,067
One set of stele depict
Figures in traditional

156
00:09:58,100 --> 00:10:00,067
Greek dress.

157
00:10:00,067 --> 00:10:03,233
This set of reliefs depict

158
00:10:07,067 --> 00:10:07,167
The maternal lineage
Of antiochus.

159
00:10:08,867 --> 00:10:08,967
Narrator:
On his mother's side,

160
00:10:12,900 --> 00:10:13,000
Antiochus traces his ancestry
Back to the legendary greek

161
00:10:15,667 --> 00:10:16,900
King, alexander the great.

162
00:10:19,933 --> 00:10:20,033
But not all the carvings
Look the same.

163
00:10:23,833 --> 00:10:23,933
Michael examines
The second row of stele.

164
00:10:26,833 --> 00:10:26,933
The people depicted
In these reliefs look

165
00:10:28,267 --> 00:10:28,367
Markedly different.

166
00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:31,933
They are dressed
In persian garments.

167
00:10:32,033 --> 00:10:33,733
Narrator:
Michael thinks that antiochus

168
00:10:33,833 --> 00:10:35,500
Uses the persian figures to

169
00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:38,933
Claim he is also a descendant
Of darius the great,

170
00:10:39,033 --> 00:10:43,100
Who rules the persian empire
In its golden age.

171
00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:45,200
Antiochus wants to be seen as

172
00:10:45,300 --> 00:10:48,900
The heir of the two
Powerful empires.

173
00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,800
Mount nemrut helps
Antiochus assert his place

174
00:10:53,900 --> 00:10:55,833
On the political
World stage.

175
00:10:55,933 --> 00:10:59,800
He builds this imposing
Monument and solidifies

176
00:10:59,900 --> 00:11:01,967
His new cult,

177
00:11:02,067 --> 00:11:03,833
But is mount nemrut
More than

178
00:11:03,933 --> 00:11:06,067
A symbol of antiochus's might?

179
00:11:08,333 --> 00:11:11,467
What can the gigantic mound
At the center of mount nemrut

180
00:11:11,567 --> 00:11:14,067
Reveal about another
Hidden purpose for this

181
00:11:14,167 --> 00:11:15,467
Mountaintop monument?

182
00:11:18,733 --> 00:11:21,433
And how does the commagene
Workforce build it?

183
00:11:31,067 --> 00:11:32,500
Narrator:
At the heart of turkey's

184
00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:34,067
Taurus mountain range

185
00:11:35,900 --> 00:11:38,067
Lies the colossal
Mount nemrut.

186
00:11:39,467 --> 00:11:42,667
Here on its summit,
2,000 years ago,

187
00:11:42,767 --> 00:11:46,400
King antiochus builds a huge
Monument to tower over

188
00:11:46,500 --> 00:11:48,067
His kingdom.

189
00:11:48,100 --> 00:11:52,467
He erects an enormous statue
Of himself alongside

190
00:11:52,567 --> 00:11:56,567
New greek persian gods to
Establish his supremacy.

191
00:11:58,967 --> 00:12:02,067
But michael believes
These ruins hide clues that

192
00:12:02,167 --> 00:12:04,700
Suggest this mountaintop
Complex is built

193
00:12:04,800 --> 00:12:06,267
For another purpose.

194
00:12:08,367 --> 00:12:12,100
He scans the inscriptions
On the western terrace.

195
00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:15,367
This part of the inscription,
Antiochus says

196
00:12:15,467 --> 00:12:19,067
That this monument
Is his sacred tomb.

197
00:12:19,133 --> 00:12:21,933
He mentions
That it has been

198
00:12:22,067 --> 00:12:25,800
Built close to
The heavenly thrones.

199
00:12:26,867 --> 00:12:30,700
It's supposed to be
Indestructible, eternal.

200
00:12:30,800 --> 00:12:35,300
This monument is
The house of his body.

201
00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:36,567
Narrator:
If mount nemrut

202
00:12:36,667 --> 00:12:39,167
Is the tomb
Of the mountain king,

203
00:12:39,267 --> 00:12:40,533
Where is his body?

204
00:12:40,633 --> 00:12:43,700
The key may lie
Hidden inside the peak.

205
00:12:46,467 --> 00:12:50,067
It's a gigantic pile of rubble
Called a tumulus.

206
00:12:51,100 --> 00:12:56,467
Smaller stones at the top
Allow it to soar over 160 feet

207
00:12:56,567 --> 00:12:57,867
Into the sky,

208
00:12:57,967 --> 00:13:03,533
While huge boulders form
A solid base 500 feet wide.

209
00:13:03,633 --> 00:13:06,967
Some archaeologists believe
That hidden in this colossal

210
00:13:07,067 --> 00:13:11,067
Mound are the remains of
King antiochus himself.

211
00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:15,933
Is this man-made mountain
The king's final resting place?

212
00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,067
Michael is on
A mission to find out.

213
00:13:24,700 --> 00:13:27,367
He believes the rulers
In this part of the world

214
00:13:27,467 --> 00:13:31,600
Used tumuli the same way
The egyptians used pyramids.

215
00:13:40,900 --> 00:13:44,533
Narrator: 2,500 years earlier,
The egyptian pharaoh

216
00:13:44,633 --> 00:13:45,700
Khufu builds

217
00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:49,200
The great pyramid of giza as
His final resting place.

218
00:13:52,867 --> 00:13:56,233
He designs an intricate system
Of tunnels deep inside

219
00:13:56,333 --> 00:13:59,667
The pyramid that lead to
A secure funerary chamber.

220
00:14:04,633 --> 00:14:08,300
If, like the pharaohs,
Antiochus is buried within

221
00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:10,733
The skyscraping mound
At nemrut,

222
00:14:10,833 --> 00:14:13,500
What does his tomb look like?

223
00:14:13,600 --> 00:14:17,667
To find out,
Michael heads to sofraz,

224
00:14:17,767 --> 00:14:21,067
An open commagene
Burial site 50 miles from

225
00:14:21,167 --> 00:14:22,900
The mountain.

226
00:14:23,067 --> 00:14:27,400
Michael: this tumulus is much
Smaller than the royal tumuli of

227
00:14:27,500 --> 00:14:29,067
Mount nemrut, and it's also

228
00:14:29,133 --> 00:14:34,200
Constructed differently,
So it mainly consists of soil.

229
00:14:34,300 --> 00:14:38,200
Narrator: michael looks for
An entrance into the tumulus.

230
00:14:38,300 --> 00:14:41,200
Michael: originally, the
Entrance would have been hidden.

231
00:14:43,100 --> 00:14:44,800
Narrator:
On the southern slope,

232
00:14:44,900 --> 00:14:46,900
There is a deep
Vertical shaft.

233
00:14:48,333 --> 00:14:51,300
Michael heads underground
To explore the tomb.

234
00:14:58,467 --> 00:15:01,700
The walls are really very
Neatly carved.

235
00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:04,133
The surface is very smooth.

236
00:15:04,233 --> 00:15:08,067
I have to say this certainly
Is among the finest

237
00:15:08,167 --> 00:15:12,433
Pieces of masonry that we can
Find in commagene.

238
00:15:12,533 --> 00:15:15,067
Narrator:
It is likely that the tomb

239
00:15:15,100 --> 00:15:17,767
Within mount nemrut is
Equally refined.

240
00:15:19,067 --> 00:15:21,333
Finally, the narrow
Corridor opens

241
00:15:21,433 --> 00:15:23,533
Out into a huge vaulted room.

242
00:15:24,800 --> 00:15:27,400
This is the burial chamber,

243
00:15:27,500 --> 00:15:33,500
And inside the chamber we have
Two plain sarcophagi.

244
00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:35,600
Narrator:
Just like the tombs in egypt,

245
00:15:35,700 --> 00:15:40,400
The commagene rulers are
Buried in huge stone caskets.

246
00:15:40,500 --> 00:15:44,400
As king, it's likely antiochus's
Would have been ornate

247
00:15:45,700 --> 00:15:49,433
Antiochus would have been
Buried in a chamber like this,

248
00:15:49,533 --> 00:15:54,733
But probably much larger
And certainly more

249
00:15:54,833 --> 00:15:57,067
Lavishly decorated.

250
00:15:58,367 --> 00:16:00,367
Narrator:
Despite its beautiful masonry,

251
00:16:00,467 --> 00:16:03,767
The chamber itself is bare.

252
00:16:03,867 --> 00:16:05,733
Michael thinks that
The commagene would

253
00:16:05,833 --> 00:16:09,433
Have buried their dead with
Valuable grave goods.

254
00:16:09,533 --> 00:16:13,267
He hunts for evidence of what
Happens to the objects

255
00:16:13,367 --> 00:16:15,767
And finds two holes
In the ceiling.

256
00:16:18,133 --> 00:16:20,833
This is one of the two
Robber channels

257
00:16:20,933 --> 00:16:24,333
Through which the tomb
Raiders entered this

258
00:16:24,433 --> 00:16:25,433
Burial chamber.

259
00:16:28,067 --> 00:16:31,400
Narrator: the tumulus at sofraz
Has been robbed.

260
00:16:31,500 --> 00:16:34,600
Has the same thing happened to
Antiochus's tomb?

261
00:16:36,900 --> 00:16:40,800
Back at mount nemrut,
Michael hunts for evidence of

262
00:16:40,900 --> 00:16:42,567
A break-in.

263
00:16:42,667 --> 00:16:44,067
He finds that parts of

264
00:16:44,100 --> 00:16:46,533
The tumulus look like
They've been disturbed.

265
00:17:03,533 --> 00:17:05,067
Narrator:
Archaeologists believe

266
00:17:05,167 --> 00:17:06,933
That on top of mount nemrut,

267
00:17:07,067 --> 00:17:10,667
Antiochus's builders construct
A burial chamber,

268
00:17:10,767 --> 00:17:14,567
Place the king inside,
And seal the entrance.

269
00:17:15,733 --> 00:17:18,833
The massive tumulus on top
Protects it.

270
00:17:18,933 --> 00:17:21,233
If robbers try to tunnel to
The center,

271
00:17:21,333 --> 00:17:25,167
The loose rubble collapses,
Burying the intruders alive.

272
00:17:26,633 --> 00:17:29,433
Despite being a beacon
For grave robbers,

273
00:17:29,533 --> 00:17:33,567
No one has ever broken into
Antiochus's tumulus or seen

274
00:17:33,667 --> 00:17:36,233
The legendary tomb inside.

275
00:17:36,333 --> 00:17:39,700
It is a mystery still waiting
To be explored.

276
00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:42,567
How does antiochus find
The stone

277
00:17:42,667 --> 00:17:45,667
To build his impregnable
Burial mound?

278
00:17:45,767 --> 00:17:48,733
And how does he transport it
To the top of the mountain?

279
00:17:58,467 --> 00:18:00,967
Narrator: on a mountain range
In southeast turkey

280
00:18:01,067 --> 00:18:04,633
Two millennia ago,
King antiochus builds

281
00:18:04,733 --> 00:18:08,233
A soaring burial complex
7,000 feet high.

282
00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:12,600
Archaeologists believe that
At the center lies a lavish

283
00:18:12,700 --> 00:18:16,533
Tomb, hidden under a massive
Mound of stone and rubble.

284
00:18:17,700 --> 00:18:21,700
The monument is visible from
Across antiochus's kingdom,

285
00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:24,633
A seemingly impossible feat
Of engineering.

286
00:18:26,100 --> 00:18:28,167
The ancient builders
Make the site from

287
00:18:28,267 --> 00:18:30,800
The finest stone
Fit for a king.

288
00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,933
They build the immense
Altar and each of

289
00:18:35,067 --> 00:18:38,167
The five huge reliefs
From great slabs of

290
00:18:38,267 --> 00:18:40,767
Fine-grained sandstone.

291
00:18:40,867 --> 00:18:43,100
They carve the gigantic
Statues from

292
00:18:43,200 --> 00:18:46,500
Over 600 tons of
Pure white limestone,

293
00:18:48,967 --> 00:18:50,900
And they construct
The tumulus from

294
00:18:51,067 --> 00:18:55,200
140,000 cubic yards of
Limestone fragments.

295
00:18:56,967 --> 00:19:00,067
It takes a staggering
1,500 tons of stone

296
00:19:00,100 --> 00:19:01,333
To complete the site.

297
00:19:03,633 --> 00:19:07,367
Why does antiochus choose
This remote mountaintop,

298
00:19:07,467 --> 00:19:08,933
And how do his builders do it?

299
00:19:11,067 --> 00:19:14,800
Erhan akca wants to uncover
Where the ancient workers

300
00:19:14,900 --> 00:19:18,067
Find the material to build
On this barren mountaintop.

301
00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:22,633
He inspects the landscape
Surrounding the terraces.

302
00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:26,967
Just below
The western terrace,

303
00:19:27,067 --> 00:19:29,200
Erhan finds
Important evidence.

304
00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:42,333
Narrator:
Erhan measures the length of

305
00:19:42,433 --> 00:19:44,900
The straight lines that are
Cut into the rock.

306
00:19:52,167 --> 00:19:53,200
Narrator:
On the terrace,

307
00:19:53,300 --> 00:19:56,367
He compares this measurement
With a block used to

308
00:19:56,467 --> 00:19:59,100
Build one of the towering
Statues of the gods.

309
00:20:11,467 --> 00:20:15,367
Narrator: the quarry cut lines
And the stones match exactly.

310
00:20:15,467 --> 00:20:18,100
Erhan's investigations
Reveal that

311
00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:20,133
The commagene workers source

312
00:20:20,233 --> 00:20:22,500
Their materials from
The closest place

313
00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:24,100
To the terrace as possible.

314
00:20:25,833 --> 00:20:29,467
This clever plan means they
Can build faster and bigger.

315
00:20:32,333 --> 00:20:34,133
But the reliefs on
The terraces

316
00:20:34,233 --> 00:20:36,533
Of mount nemrut are made
Of sandstone,

317
00:20:37,867 --> 00:20:41,200
And there are no sandstone
Quarries close to the summit.

318
00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:45,700
To find out where
The sandstone originates,

319
00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:47,733
Erhan x-rays the carved

320
00:20:47,833 --> 00:20:50,233
Slabs to detect
Their chemical composition.

321
00:20:51,933 --> 00:20:55,500
The x-ray reveals a unique
Chemical fingerprint

322
00:20:55,600 --> 00:20:59,033
So the stone can be matched
With the quarry it comes from.

323
00:21:11,967 --> 00:21:13,900
Narrator: erhan hunts
For any signs of

324
00:21:14,067 --> 00:21:16,733
Quarrying in the landscape
North of mount nemrut.

325
00:21:25,800 --> 00:21:27,867
Narrator:
He compares the sandstone here

326
00:21:27,967 --> 00:21:29,867
To the stone on
Mount nemrut.

327
00:21:40,667 --> 00:21:42,233
Narrator:
To confirm that this is where

328
00:21:42,333 --> 00:21:45,233
The stone from the carvings
Is quarried,

329
00:21:45,333 --> 00:21:47,067
Erhan x-rays the outcrop.

330
00:21:48,733 --> 00:21:51,900
Its chemical fingerprint is
An exact match to

331
00:21:52,067 --> 00:21:53,933
The rock on the summit
Of mount nemrut.

332
00:21:58,533 --> 00:22:02,067
Narrator: erhan thinks he knows
Why the commagene venture

333
00:22:02,167 --> 00:22:06,133
Farther away from the summit
In search of sandstone.

334
00:22:15,767 --> 00:22:17,833
Narrator:
Sandstone rarely fractures,

335
00:22:17,933 --> 00:22:19,900
Making it a perfect material

336
00:22:20,067 --> 00:22:21,800
For the reliefs on
The terraces.

337
00:22:23,867 --> 00:22:26,400
King antiochus wants
The intricate details

338
00:22:26,500 --> 00:22:29,467
Of his monument to survive
For millennia.

339
00:22:29,567 --> 00:22:33,367
The commagene builders
Scour the landscape to

340
00:22:33,467 --> 00:22:37,533
Find the best rock for
Their carvings and statues.

341
00:22:37,633 --> 00:22:40,767
But where does all the stone
For the crowning glory

342
00:22:40,867 --> 00:22:42,067
Of mount nemrut,

343
00:22:42,133 --> 00:22:45,267
The 160-foot-tall tumulus,
Come from?

344
00:22:48,100 --> 00:22:50,967
There aren't enough quarries
Around the mountain to produce

345
00:22:51,067 --> 00:22:52,933
The hundreds of tons
Of stone needed

346
00:22:53,067 --> 00:22:54,733
For the central burial mound.

347
00:22:57,933 --> 00:23:01,067
Erhan surveys the landscape
Surrounding mount nemrut.

348
00:23:02,800 --> 00:23:05,233
He notices
Something intriguing.

349
00:23:17,067 --> 00:23:18,267
Narrator:
The top of mount nemrut

350
00:23:18,367 --> 00:23:20,667
Is unusually flat.

351
00:23:20,767 --> 00:23:23,600
Erhan believes this is
Evidence that the ancient

352
00:23:23,700 --> 00:23:26,267
Builders embark on
An extraordinary feat

353
00:23:26,367 --> 00:23:29,467
Of engineering to modify
This mountain summit.

354
00:23:32,967 --> 00:23:36,867
The engineers first quarry
The mountain's craggy peak.

355
00:23:36,967 --> 00:23:39,833
They remove tons of
Limestone rock

356
00:23:39,933 --> 00:23:42,067
To flatten
And smooth the summit.

357
00:23:43,700 --> 00:23:45,333
They use the largest blocks of

358
00:23:45,433 --> 00:23:48,633
Limestone as the walls
Of the monument

359
00:23:48,733 --> 00:23:50,467
And the towering statues.

360
00:23:55,433 --> 00:23:57,633
Then,
On the flattened summit,

361
00:23:57,733 --> 00:24:01,600
They build the tomb and pile
Huge rubble blocks to form

362
00:24:01,700 --> 00:24:04,733
A masonry core 110 feet tall.

363
00:24:06,900 --> 00:24:11,100
They cover this core with
50 feet of limestone gravel,

364
00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:13,900
Remaking mount nemrut's
Summit in the name

365
00:24:14,067 --> 00:24:15,067
Of antiochus.

366
00:24:18,567 --> 00:24:21,067
The ingenious builders take
Advantage of

367
00:24:21,100 --> 00:24:23,633
All the resources of
The mountain,

368
00:24:23,733 --> 00:24:27,067
But one massive
Challenge remains --

369
00:24:27,167 --> 00:24:30,667
Assembling
The 30-foot-tall statues.

370
00:24:30,767 --> 00:24:34,367
How do the ancient engineers
Stack these stone giants?

371
00:24:36,367 --> 00:24:39,600
Can clues hidden inside
The statues reveal

372
00:24:39,700 --> 00:24:42,400
How the talented builders keep
Them from toppling?

373
00:24:45,467 --> 00:24:47,300
And why do later
Explorers find

374
00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:49,767
The giant stone heads
At the statues' feet?

375
00:24:59,500 --> 00:25:02,633
Narrator: mount nemrut, high in
The mountains of turkey.

376
00:25:04,067 --> 00:25:07,733
King antiochus builds this
Sprawling site as a cult center

377
00:25:07,833 --> 00:25:11,600
And tomb in the north of
The ancient commagene kingdom.

378
00:25:13,467 --> 00:25:16,333
Imposing statues flank
The central tumulus.

379
00:25:17,633 --> 00:25:21,067
How do the ambitious engineers
Build these giants?

380
00:25:23,333 --> 00:25:25,067
Michael: look at
All those blocks

381
00:25:25,133 --> 00:25:27,600
That tumbled down
From the statues.

382
00:25:27,700 --> 00:25:30,200
Their size is really enormous.

383
00:25:31,700 --> 00:25:33,067
Narrator:
The workers must assemble

384
00:25:33,133 --> 00:25:37,200
The heavy pieces of stone into
Statues of gods and the king,

385
00:25:37,300 --> 00:25:39,633
Each as tall as five men.

386
00:25:41,833 --> 00:25:44,767
It must have taken
Lots of efforts

387
00:25:44,867 --> 00:25:49,433
To lift those blocks
To create the statues.

388
00:25:51,900 --> 00:25:55,733
Narrator: seven layers of stone
Make up each statue.

389
00:25:55,833 --> 00:25:58,633
Each layer is over 3 feet thick

390
00:26:01,167 --> 00:26:04,300
With slabs that interlock like
A colossal puzzle.

391
00:26:05,467 --> 00:26:07,233
To make these giant figures,

392
00:26:07,333 --> 00:26:10,567
The ancient engineers roughly
Chisel each piece into shape

393
00:26:10,667 --> 00:26:11,633
On the ground.

394
00:26:12,967 --> 00:26:16,333
Then they carefully assemble
Them into towering stacks.

395
00:26:17,767 --> 00:26:20,667
Finally, they chisel
The fine features,

396
00:26:20,767 --> 00:26:25,100
Transforming the rock piles
Into gods and kings.

397
00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:28,267
But each piece weighs
Around two tons.

398
00:26:29,633 --> 00:26:31,633
How do
The ancient builders assemble

399
00:26:31,733 --> 00:26:33,300
These towering statues?

400
00:26:35,433 --> 00:26:39,600
Michael inspects the remains
Of the statues.

401
00:26:39,700 --> 00:26:43,633
Their damaged
Bodies could reveal more

402
00:26:43,733 --> 00:26:45,833
Ancient building secrets.

403
00:26:45,933 --> 00:26:47,933
He peers inside the remains of

404
00:26:48,067 --> 00:26:51,500
The statue of zeus and spots
Something unusual.

405
00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:57,067
They constructed the statue
Around a hollow space

406
00:26:57,167 --> 00:27:00,067
That they later filled
With rubble.

407
00:27:02,867 --> 00:27:05,400
Narrator: the gigantic statues
Have large holes

408
00:27:05,500 --> 00:27:07,200
At their core.

409
00:27:07,300 --> 00:27:09,933
The holes are a clever
Design feature,

410
00:27:10,067 --> 00:27:11,633
Reducing the number of slabs

411
00:27:11,733 --> 00:27:14,400
The workers must haul up
The mountain,

412
00:27:14,500 --> 00:27:16,067
And a rubble center
Helps to

413
00:27:16,100 --> 00:27:18,567
Hold the interlocking stones
In place.

414
00:27:19,667 --> 00:27:21,733
But each individual block
Is still

415
00:27:21,833 --> 00:27:24,200
Too heavy
For any human to lift.

416
00:27:25,767 --> 00:27:29,400
How do antiochus's workers
Assemble the colossal slabs?

417
00:27:31,633 --> 00:27:33,600
Michael examines
A fallen stone.

418
00:27:36,133 --> 00:27:38,367
Michael: if you look closely,
You will discover

419
00:27:38,467 --> 00:27:42,733
That each block
Has at least two,

420
00:27:42,833 --> 00:27:48,133
But most of them actually four,
Little holes.

421
00:27:48,233 --> 00:27:53,633
Here you can see one --
Here on those blocks above.

422
00:27:53,733 --> 00:27:56,167
Narrator: he believes
That these small holes

423
00:27:56,267 --> 00:27:57,800
Are the key to understanding

424
00:27:57,900 --> 00:28:00,633
How antiochus builds
The statues.

425
00:28:00,733 --> 00:28:02,900
They were used for

426
00:28:03,067 --> 00:28:06,267
Lifting these blocks
With a crane.

427
00:28:08,933 --> 00:28:11,400
Narrator:
At the top of the mountain,

428
00:28:11,500 --> 00:28:14,533
The builders construct
A towering crane from wood

429
00:28:14,633 --> 00:28:15,600
And ropes.

430
00:28:19,867 --> 00:28:23,167
They attach a pair of hinged
Tongs from their hoist

431
00:28:24,467 --> 00:28:27,667
That slot into the holes in
The massive stone blocks.

432
00:28:30,533 --> 00:28:33,267
This way,
The masons can easily lift

433
00:28:33,367 --> 00:28:37,200
Two-ton blocks 30 feet
Off the ground

434
00:28:37,300 --> 00:28:40,067
And lower them carefully
Into position.

435
00:28:41,433 --> 00:28:44,433
Then they fill
The central core with rubble.

436
00:28:44,533 --> 00:28:47,267
This acts like
A central spine to

437
00:28:47,367 --> 00:28:50,467
Stabilize the colossal
30-foot-tall statues.

438
00:28:52,533 --> 00:28:56,667
Cranes like these are used
Across the ancient world.

439
00:28:56,767 --> 00:28:59,067
The greeks invent
The first prototype

440
00:28:59,133 --> 00:29:01,233
In the 6th century b.C.,

441
00:29:01,333 --> 00:29:04,200
And they use it to build
The parthenon.

442
00:29:04,300 --> 00:29:07,767
This engineering breakthrough
Paved the way for supersized

443
00:29:07,867 --> 00:29:08,967
Monuments that showcase

444
00:29:09,067 --> 00:29:12,233
The immense power of the rulers
Of the ancient world.

445
00:29:14,067 --> 00:29:17,500
The holes in the statues
Also give michael an insight

446
00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:20,700
Into how the commagene
Workforce is organized.

447
00:29:22,067 --> 00:29:26,367
We see this headband here,
The diadem of the king, with

448
00:29:26,467 --> 00:29:28,367
These thunderbolts,

449
00:29:28,467 --> 00:29:34,567
And we see that the hole has
Been carved in the temple

450
00:29:34,667 --> 00:29:38,567
And thereby destroying
The ornament.

451
00:29:38,667 --> 00:29:44,067
This tells us that the head
Was finished when it was

452
00:29:44,133 --> 00:29:46,200
Still standing on the ground,

453
00:29:46,300 --> 00:29:49,667
And then the head has been
Lifted and put on top of

454
00:29:49,767 --> 00:29:50,767
The statue.

455
00:29:53,133 --> 00:29:56,233
Narrator: engineering brilliance
Ensures these magnificent

456
00:29:56,333 --> 00:29:59,133
Stone structures tower over
The king's tomb.

457
00:30:00,733 --> 00:30:02,900
But if their engineering
Is solid,

458
00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:06,167
Why are the statues in such
A state of ruin today?

459
00:30:07,733 --> 00:30:11,767
What makes antiochus
And his gods lose their heads?

460
00:30:21,667 --> 00:30:23,167
Narrator: mount nemrut,

461
00:30:23,267 --> 00:30:26,900
A vast burial complex in
Southeast turkey.

462
00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:30,200
This is a site of ancient
Engineering splendor.

463
00:30:31,667 --> 00:30:34,900
2,000 years ago,
Master builders used

464
00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:36,233
Towering cranes

465
00:30:36,333 --> 00:30:40,200
And over 1,500 tons of stone to
Build this unique monument.

466
00:30:42,267 --> 00:30:44,000
Why is it in ruins today?

467
00:30:47,133 --> 00:30:51,233
When investigators rediscover
Nemrut in the 1880s,

468
00:30:51,333 --> 00:30:53,633
It is a devastated site.

469
00:30:53,733 --> 00:30:56,933
Rubble from the tumulus
Covers the terraces,

470
00:30:57,033 --> 00:31:00,200
Hiding clues
To the monument's purpose.

471
00:31:00,300 --> 00:31:02,433
The heads
Of the statues rolled

472
00:31:02,533 --> 00:31:05,400
Down the mountain
Are partly buried

473
00:31:05,500 --> 00:31:09,100
And are scarred with deep
Cracks and surface damage.

474
00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:12,300
Only one statue
Remains intact --

475
00:31:12,400 --> 00:31:16,100
The goddess commagene has
Escaped decapitation.

476
00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:19,367
But in the 1960s,
After holding fast for

477
00:31:19,467 --> 00:31:20,567
2,000 years,

478
00:31:20,667 --> 00:31:23,800
Her torso crumbles,
And her head topples.

479
00:31:25,067 --> 00:31:28,167
This shrine is designed
To last for eternity.

480
00:31:28,267 --> 00:31:30,800
How does it come to be
So utterly destroyed?

481
00:31:32,767 --> 00:31:34,067
Erhan investigates

482
00:31:34,133 --> 00:31:37,400
If the harsh climate on
Mount nemrut could be to blame.

483
00:31:38,867 --> 00:31:40,867
The mountain experiences
Hot summers

484
00:31:40,967 --> 00:31:44,867
Of 104 degrees fahrenheit
And cold winters,

485
00:31:44,967 --> 00:31:49,467
When temperatures plunge
To 14 degrees.

486
00:31:49,567 --> 00:31:53,467
For half the year, the statues
At the peak sit covered in snow.

487
00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:57,733
To analyze the damage
This causes,

488
00:31:57,833 --> 00:32:00,967
Erhan examines
King antiochus's head.

489
00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:11,967
Narrator: when archaeologists
Discover mount nemrut,

490
00:32:12,067 --> 00:32:16,700
They find the head of antiochus
Partly buried in soil.

491
00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:20,100
This has a profound effect
On his facial features.

492
00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:44,700
Narrator: erhan believes
Constant exposure

493
00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:46,867
Over thousands of years

494
00:32:46,967 --> 00:32:49,500
Has a disastrous effect
On the statues.

495
00:32:52,500 --> 00:32:56,367
Water seeps into the tiny
Cracks in the surface.

496
00:32:56,467 --> 00:33:00,100
When the temperature drops,
The water freezes and expands,

497
00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:01,433
Widening the cracks.

498
00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:07,400
Now water can penetrate
Deeper into the stone

499
00:33:07,500 --> 00:33:09,900
And the freeze-thaw
Cycle repeats

500
00:33:10,067 --> 00:33:11,833
Until it shatters the rock.

501
00:33:14,967 --> 00:33:18,533
The cracks in the statues
Grow over millennia.

502
00:33:18,633 --> 00:33:21,400
The thinnest part of
The statues is the neck.

503
00:33:22,500 --> 00:33:24,833
It's a natural,
Weak spot for growing cracks

504
00:33:24,933 --> 00:33:26,833
To shear the rock.

505
00:33:26,933 --> 00:33:29,533
But the total collapse of
The statues

506
00:33:29,633 --> 00:33:32,700
Suggests there's more than
Just weathering at play.

507
00:33:35,167 --> 00:33:39,867
Yasemin didem aktas
Investigates this mystery.

508
00:33:39,967 --> 00:33:42,833
She hopes that by
Understanding past damage to

509
00:33:42,933 --> 00:33:44,567
The statues, she'll be able

510
00:33:44,667 --> 00:33:47,067
To better protect them
Against future harm.

511
00:33:48,167 --> 00:33:49,700
Weathering wouldn't be enough
To create

512
00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:52,167
The structural damage that
We are seeing on site.

513
00:33:52,267 --> 00:33:53,967
Narrator:
Yasemin believes there may be

514
00:33:54,067 --> 00:33:55,967
A bigger force to blame.

515
00:33:56,067 --> 00:33:59,700
She analyzes a geophysical map
Of turkey,

516
00:33:59,800 --> 00:34:02,167
Which highlights
The seismic fault lines

517
00:34:02,267 --> 00:34:03,633
Running across the country.

518
00:34:05,100 --> 00:34:08,500
Yasemin examines the area
Surrounding mount nemrut.

519
00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:12,067
Yasemin: here is mount nemrut --
Just it's north of

520
00:34:12,133 --> 00:34:14,700
The ataturk dam -- as you can
See, it's very, very close

521
00:34:14,800 --> 00:34:16,433
To the east anatolian
Fault line,

522
00:34:16,533 --> 00:34:19,067
Making it very vulnerable
To earthquakes.

523
00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:25,400
Narrator: mount nemrut sits
Three miles from the fault line,

524
00:34:26,800 --> 00:34:29,367
Between two colliding
Tectonic plates.

525
00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:36,067
As the two plates
Grind past each other,

526
00:34:36,167 --> 00:34:39,533
They trigger frequent
Earthquakes along the fault,

527
00:34:39,633 --> 00:34:41,667
Sending tremors through
Mount nemrut.

528
00:34:43,767 --> 00:34:46,633
Do earthquakes
Decapitate the statues?

529
00:34:49,267 --> 00:34:50,867
To solve the mystery,

530
00:34:50,967 --> 00:34:54,600
Yasemin develops a brand
New bespoke simulation using

531
00:34:54,700 --> 00:34:57,333
The measurements of a typical
Statue at mount nemrut.

532
00:34:58,867 --> 00:35:02,567
She models how
The three-foot blocks that

533
00:35:02,667 --> 00:35:07,600
Make up the gigantic figures
React to seismic activity.

534
00:35:07,700 --> 00:35:09,733
She starts with an earthquake
That measures

535
00:35:09,833 --> 00:35:13,067
A powerful 7.2
On the richter scale.

536
00:35:13,133 --> 00:35:14,833
Yasemin: the head moves around
A little bit,

537
00:35:14,933 --> 00:35:18,400
But we do not observe
A lot of openings

538
00:35:18,500 --> 00:35:20,433
In the remaining stone blocks.

539
00:35:23,067 --> 00:35:25,100
Narrator: the gigantic
Statues can survive

540
00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:27,400
A one-off earthquake,

541
00:35:27,500 --> 00:35:29,633
But yasemin wants to see
What intensity

542
00:35:29,733 --> 00:35:31,967
Of earthquake would cause
The heads to fall.

543
00:35:34,200 --> 00:35:37,667
She amplifies the force of
The earthquake by three,

544
00:35:37,767 --> 00:35:41,100
Simulating the effect of
Multiple successive tremors.

545
00:35:43,300 --> 00:35:46,933
We really started to see damage
That are pretty comparable to

546
00:35:47,067 --> 00:35:48,833
What we are observing
In the west terrace.

547
00:35:48,933 --> 00:35:52,067
The stone blocks are
Scattered all over the place,

548
00:35:52,133 --> 00:35:54,567
And it's pretty
Dramatic, really.

549
00:35:54,667 --> 00:35:56,833
Narrator:
Over the course of 2,000 years,

550
00:35:56,933 --> 00:36:00,333
Devastating earthquakes caused
The heads to topple off

551
00:36:00,433 --> 00:36:03,067
The statues and their bodies
To collapse.

552
00:36:06,133 --> 00:36:08,900
The king builds his tomb on
Mount nemrut so that

553
00:36:09,067 --> 00:36:12,833
His memory and religion will
Persist long after his death.

554
00:36:14,600 --> 00:36:17,567
But despite his efforts,
The statues collapse.

555
00:36:19,067 --> 00:36:21,600
What do mount nemrut's
Ruins reveal about

556
00:36:21,700 --> 00:36:23,100
Antiochus's legacy?

557
00:36:24,500 --> 00:36:27,367
Can evidence on a little-known
Third terrace

558
00:36:27,467 --> 00:36:31,133
Shed light on what happens
After his death?

559
00:36:38,867 --> 00:36:42,233
Narrator: on one of the tallest
Peaks in southeast turkey,

560
00:36:42,333 --> 00:36:44,867
King antiochus
Builds his temple tomb.

561
00:36:46,133 --> 00:36:49,700
His aim is to be seen
And remembered for eternity.

562
00:36:50,833 --> 00:36:54,467
How does antiochus try to
Ensure his legacy lives on?

563
00:36:56,667 --> 00:36:59,433
Michael decodes
The inscriptions on the gigantic

564
00:36:59,533 --> 00:37:01,600
Statues of the gods
At mount nemrut.

565
00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:07,467
He talks about the religious
Festivals in his honor,

566
00:37:07,567 --> 00:37:12,633
But also to honor the gods
Assembled here and all gods.

567
00:37:13,967 --> 00:37:16,233
Narrator: these instructions
Tell worshippers how

568
00:37:16,333 --> 00:37:19,400
To practice antiochus's
New religion.

569
00:37:19,500 --> 00:37:22,633
They list the days to
Celebrate in his honor.

570
00:37:22,733 --> 00:37:26,400
Antiochus's birthday
And the day of his coronation

571
00:37:26,500 --> 00:37:27,900
Get a special mention.

572
00:37:29,267 --> 00:37:32,167
Michael: from the inscription,
We also know what kinds of

573
00:37:32,267 --> 00:37:35,533
Activities were expected to
Take place.

574
00:37:35,633 --> 00:37:39,467
So, like, sacrifices,
Music was played by

575
00:37:39,567 --> 00:37:43,233
Musicians, and also
The people who attended,

576
00:37:43,333 --> 00:37:45,500
They could expect to be fed.

577
00:37:48,333 --> 00:37:50,367
Narrator: do the commagene
People follow

578
00:37:50,467 --> 00:37:52,100
Antiochus's instructions?

579
00:37:53,567 --> 00:37:55,633
On the hunt for clues,

580
00:37:55,733 --> 00:37:57,767
Michael heads to
A strange third

581
00:37:57,867 --> 00:37:59,567
Terrace on the edge of
The mountain.

582
00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:03,933
This terrace is
A poor imitation

583
00:38:04,067 --> 00:38:05,433
Of the others at
Mount nemrut.

584
00:38:07,067 --> 00:38:08,133
It's much smaller.

585
00:38:09,467 --> 00:38:13,067
Instead of gigantic statues
And a limestone platform,

586
00:38:13,167 --> 00:38:16,100
It only has rough sculptures
And uneven ground.

587
00:38:17,667 --> 00:38:21,067
We see this long row of
Sandstone slabs,

588
00:38:21,167 --> 00:38:24,967
Which were supposed
To be reliefs.

589
00:38:25,067 --> 00:38:28,067
However, as you can clearly
See, they have never

590
00:38:28,100 --> 00:38:30,267
Been finished.

591
00:38:30,367 --> 00:38:32,200
Narrator: michael thinks
That this is because

592
00:38:32,300 --> 00:38:35,300
The king dies before
The construction is complete.

593
00:38:36,800 --> 00:38:38,867
He was buried immediately,

594
00:38:38,967 --> 00:38:40,367
And building is abandoned.

595
00:38:42,067 --> 00:38:45,300
Do the people of commagene
Ever return to the mountain?

596
00:38:47,133 --> 00:38:52,233
If people perform sacrifices,
You have residue.

597
00:38:52,333 --> 00:38:55,300
If they come here for feasting,
For drinking,

598
00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:59,900
You would see pottery
Or other kinds of material

599
00:39:00,067 --> 00:39:01,200
Left behind.

600
00:39:01,300 --> 00:39:07,533
But, in fact, no archaeological
Traces of actual use

601
00:39:07,633 --> 00:39:09,200
Have been discovered.

602
00:39:13,067 --> 00:39:14,733
Narrator:
Why do the commagene people

603
00:39:14,833 --> 00:39:18,100
Abandoned antiochus's
Eternal site of worship?

604
00:39:19,900 --> 00:39:23,667
At another burial mound
15 miles from mount nemrut,

605
00:39:23,767 --> 00:39:25,967
Michael hunts for clues.

606
00:39:26,067 --> 00:39:29,067
Here, antiochus's son
And successor,

607
00:39:29,100 --> 00:39:32,367
Mithridates, builds
A tumulus for his mother,

608
00:39:32,467 --> 00:39:33,833
Sisters, and niece.

609
00:39:35,167 --> 00:39:37,833
Michael examines a relief
At the burial site.

610
00:39:40,133 --> 00:39:43,900
Michael:
There certainly is a link to

611
00:39:44,067 --> 00:39:47,267
The tomb of antiochus
On mount nemrut,

612
00:39:47,367 --> 00:39:50,567
But there is also a very
Significant difference.

613
00:39:50,667 --> 00:39:55,133
Here, we have two human beings
Shaking hands,

614
00:39:55,233 --> 00:39:57,967
While on mount nemrut,

615
00:39:58,067 --> 00:40:02,867
Antiochus was
Shaking hands with the gods.

616
00:40:02,967 --> 00:40:06,433
Narrator: mithridates is shaking
Hands with his sister,

617
00:40:06,533 --> 00:40:08,467
But unlike his father
At nemrut,

618
00:40:08,567 --> 00:40:10,500
He is not depicted like a god.

619
00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:15,433
After antiochus,
The king is simply a king.

620
00:40:16,800 --> 00:40:19,633
He's not divine or equal
To the gods.

621
00:40:20,900 --> 00:40:23,500
And antiochus's religion,
Which he tries to

622
00:40:23,600 --> 00:40:26,467
Immortalize with his enormous
Statues on mount nemrut,

623
00:40:26,567 --> 00:40:28,033
Also fades.

624
00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:33,133
The commagene people
Disown his new gods

625
00:40:33,233 --> 00:40:35,967
And instead continue to
Practice their old

626
00:40:36,067 --> 00:40:37,100
Local beliefs.

627
00:40:38,700 --> 00:40:39,867
Michael: after his death,

628
00:40:39,967 --> 00:40:45,233
There are no monuments for
The gods that we see here

629
00:40:45,333 --> 00:40:50,200
On nemrut, so this really
Dies out after his death.

630
00:40:51,967 --> 00:40:54,367
Narrator: but the magnificent
Monument on mount nemrut

631
00:40:54,467 --> 00:40:57,800
Ensures antiochus is never
Entirely forgotten.

632
00:40:59,267 --> 00:41:01,933
Michael:
The king created something

633
00:41:02,067 --> 00:41:04,833
Extraordinary, a monument
That still today

634
00:41:04,933 --> 00:41:06,367
Stupefies people.

635
00:41:07,933 --> 00:41:11,333
King antiochus builds
A sprawling burial complex

636
00:41:11,433 --> 00:41:13,067
On top of
Mount nemrut.

637
00:41:14,333 --> 00:41:18,100
He erects massive sculptures
Of radical new gods

638
00:41:18,200 --> 00:41:21,933
And places himself alongside
Them as their equal.

639
00:41:23,433 --> 00:41:28,133
Antiochus's body is laid to
Rest under a rubble colossus,

640
00:41:28,233 --> 00:41:30,900
Where it still
Lies undisturbed

641
00:41:31,067 --> 00:41:32,233
In his mountain tomb.

642
00:41:32,333 --> 00:41:36,167
**

643
00:41:36,267 --> 00:41:46,100
**

644
00:41:46,200 --> 00:41:56,100
**

645
00:41:56,200 --> 00:42:02,700
**