2,100-year-old Roman steles to go on exhibit in ancient city of Perre

An aesthetically repaired steles found in Türkiye will be on exhibit for tourists visiting the ancient city of Perre

The 2,100-year-old steles, which were transported by military helicopter from Mount Kimil down to the ancient city of Perre in Türkiye, shed new light on history, and boost tourism through it’s restoration and other conservation works.  

In 2021, a cult (sacred) area similar to that of Mount Nemrut belonging to the Commagene civilization and 2 steles, one of which was cut in half, were discovered on Mount Kimil in Adiyaman’s Gerger district. The 3.5-ton stele with a handshake scene of Apollo Mitras and King Antiochos and the other stele of 2.2 tons with inscriptions on both sides were brought to the ancient city of Perre in September 2023.

Margherita Facella from the University of Pisa and Charles Crowther from Oxford University, who received permission from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, studied the inscriptions on the steles. It is known that the inscription includes the laws and will of King Antiochos.

Gaziantep Restoration and Conservation Regional Laboratory Director Ayse Ebru Corbaci and her team joined the stele back together with use of special adhesives and the insertion of pins. The deep and capillary cracks were aesthetically filled with a hydraulic lime binding mortar. With this aesthetic filling, it is aimed to prevent rainwater from entering the steles.

After the work, which took 4 days, the steles were placed on pedestals in the northeast of the necropolis area of the ancient city of Perre which will be opened to local and foreign tourists during Museum Week.

Source: Newsroom