Well, it’s been a very long driving day and a bit hair-raising at times!
Distance-wise it looked like we could easily make it to the top of Mount Nemrut today, hoping to see the sunset, stay overnight and then sunrise.
First stop was in the city of Malatya, where there’s a big Migros shop. We thought there would be more chance of getting some wine in a bigger store. It was hidden away, right at the back and it felt necessary to hide it under the groceries in our trolley too! 🤣
After battling our way out of the city, the trouble started once we turned off the main road and started to climb. We had about 90km to do and the hills went on forever. Every time we reached the top, we could see our route snaking up and down into the distance.
It would’ve been ok ish, but it had rained and in places there had been landslides. Add to this, diggers and bulldozers carving out bits of the cliff face to widen the road and it all gets a bit hectic. Rocks, mud and slurry everywhere in some places.
When we reached the little town of Sincik, it looked like they’d had a flood and all the locals seemed to look at us as if to say “Where on earth have you appeared from?”
Surprisingly, the block paved road up to the mountain carpark was probably the easiest bit of the drive, although diabolically steep in places – thought I might have to get out and push!
There was a carpark very near the top where the minibuses go and although not suitable for us to sleep in, it made it an easy walk to the summit. The slope was actually so steep we couldn’t stand up in the van to put coats on.
It has, actually, all been worth it though (I think 🤣)- this place is quite extraordinary! The mountain top is reputed to contain the tomb of King Antiochus, but it is the stone heads that surround it that people come to see.
We walked up to the western terrace on a well paved path (thank God!) and saw the brilliantly carved heads from 69-34BC and a weak, but pink sunset overlooking miles and miles of south east Türkiye.
Hope we’ve got the energy to be up at 5 in the morning…just looking for my woolly hat!
