YESEMEK
In Gaziantep, TURKEY
An archeological site
An open-air museum
The oldest and the largest
The oldest and largest sculpture workshop and quarry of Antique Front Asia has been in the tentative list of UNESCO’s world heritage sites since April 2002
This is a remarkable and very critical center of the ancient age for the Cultural Heritage Inventory of Anatolia,and is the Ancient Front Asia’s largest sculpture workshop.
Numbers of lions and sphinx statues, many godreliefs & over 300 sculptures as well as the orthostats made up of basalt were transported to modern days as rough copies at various manufacturing levels
Data and findings obtained from the archaeological studies conducted in 2019 show that Yesemek, which lies on the slopes of a mounteneous area that is rich in a type of high quality basalt called as dolerite, can be dated to the 13th century BC, the Hittite Imperial Period.
With recent excavations led by İlhan Temizsoy,At Yesemek Quarry today,It’s not difficult to confront with some other block samples that are ready to be shaped(according to the demands of the people who ordered them)and the number of statues and orthostates which have seen the light of the day are now over 300,and It’s a widely held view that even more of them have been patiently waiting underground to be uncovered in the site that has served as a outdoor museum since 2005
Local authorities have expedited the process to make significant progress toward attaining their goal which is to make the site qualified and suitable for inscription on the World Heritage List,
In an effort to raise awareness and emphasize the significance of Yesemek’s universal value,a couple of international symposiums have been held
(bear-man)
Besides,In 2020,A contract was signed between ICOMOS and Gaziantep Metropolitan Municipality within the scope of the qualification process for the nomination to the World Heritage List.
ICOMOS will provide consultancy and technical support during the nomination submission phase for inscription on the World Heritage List.
(a photo from the quarry above)
On account of the discoveries made in the course of excavations,It can be concluded that Firstly, the size of the block to be taken off the quarry was decided Secondly, deep grooves were formed around it in order to place trees inside. Thirdly, the required rock piece was detached from the main rock by breaking the rock as a result of the pressure thanks to the expansion caused by watering the trees inside Such rectangular blocks were sculptured utilizing peculiar tools to build the desired form
The Late Hittite Kingdom era shows the degree of advancement in terms of sculpture production (The methods used to convert one piece of block ranging from 500 kg to 15 tons into an art objects along with the complexity of delivering such blocks were critical determinants of the art and the technology of the time)
Furkan KERECİ
