Adıyaman is a province in Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey, set in the upper Euphrates basin between the Taurus foothills and the Mesopotamian plains. It is best known as the gateway to Mount Nemrut (Nemrut Dağı), the UNESCO-listed mountaintop sanctuary where colossal stone heads guard the 1st-century-BC tomb of King Antiochus I of Commagene. The province also holds Roman bridges, royal tumuli, and rock-cut ancient cities, alongside a distinctive cuisine that includes the local çiğ köfte and Adıyaman tava.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Adıyaman.
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1
Early Settlement at Samosata and Around the Euphrates
Mounds along the upper Euphrates, including the höyük at later Samosata (Samsat), show settlement from the Neolithic onward, anchoring one of the oldest inhabited regions of Anatolia
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2
Assyrian Annexation
Samosata and the Kummuh region of the upper Euphrates are incorporated into the Neo-Assyrian Empire, ending the local Iron Age principality descended from earlier Hittite states
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3
Kingdom of Commagene Established
After Seleucid power weakens, Commagene emerges as an independent Hellenistic kingdom with its capital at Samosata, blending Greek and Persian culture
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4
Reign of Antiochus I
King Antiochus I of Commagene builds the colossal tomb-sanctuary on Mount Nemrut, fusing Greek and Persian gods in a dynastic cult and claiming descent from both Alexander and Darius
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5
Roman Cendere Bridge Built
Under Emperor Septimius Severus, the Roman legion stationed at nearby Perre builds the mortarless Cendere (Severan) Bridge over the Chabinas stream, honouring the imperial family
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6
Commagene Absorbed by Rome
Emperor Vespasian annexes Commagene to the Roman province of Syria; Samosata becomes a legionary base and Perre a thriving Roman waystation
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7
Byzantine Christian Era
The region becomes part of the Christian Byzantine world, with Perre and Samosata as bishoprics; rock tombs and city walls of this period survive at Perre
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8
Seljuk and Turkmen Arrival
Following the Byzantine collapse after Manzikert in 1071, the region passes through Seljuk, Artuqid and other Turkmen and crusader-era hands as frontier territory
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9
Ottoman Conquest
Sultan Selim I incorporates the region into the Ottoman Empire after the Battle of Marj Dabiq; Hısn-ı Mansur, the town later renamed Adıyaman, develops as a provincial centre
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10
Mount Nemrut Inscribed by UNESCO
The Commagene tomb-sanctuary of Mount Nemrut is added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, recognising it as a unique fusion of Hellenistic and Persian funerary art
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11
Atatürk Dam Floods Samosata
The completion of the Atatürk Dam on the Euphrates submerges ancient Samosata, the former Commagene capital, and the modern town of Samsat is moved to higher ground
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12
Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes
Twin earthquakes devastate Adıyaman city, destroying the Ulu Cami and damaging the archaeology museum and old town; recovery and reconstruction continue, while Nemrut-area tourism resumes
Historical sites
Places where Adıyaman's past comes alive.
Mount Nemrut Tomb-Sanctuary (UNESCO)
The colossal 1st-century-BC tomb-sanctuary of King Antiochus I of Commagene, where a man-made tumulus is flanked by giant seated statues of Greek and Persian gods whose toppled heads now rest on the East and West Terraces. Inscribed by UNESCO in 1987, it is the defining monument of the Commagene Kingdom and Adıyaman's most famous site.
Where: Summit of Mount Nemrut, Karadut, Kahta district
Admission: Approx 400-420 TRY / €10; free under 18 and over 65; Museum Pass Türkiye valid
Arsameia on the Nymphaios (Eski Kale)
The summer royal residence of the Commagene kings, set on a hillside above Eski Kahta. Its centrepiece is a large rock relief of King Mithridates I shaking hands with the god Herakles, beside one of the longest surviving Greek inscriptions of antiquity and a deep rock-cut tunnel leading toward an underground cistern. Terraces and foundations of the palace complex spread across the slope.
Where: Eski Kahta village, Kahta district
Admission: Approx 60-90 TRY (approx $1.50-2.50); Museum Pass Türkiye valid
Cendere Bridge (Severan Bridge)
A Roman bridge built around 200 AD under Emperor Septimius Severus, crossing the Cendere stream in a single mortarless stone arch. Three of its original four Corinthian columns survive, dedicated to Severus, his wife Julia Domna and their sons; the fourth, honouring Geta, was removed after his murder and condemnation by his brother Caracalla. It is one of the oldest Roman bridges still in use.
Where: Between Kahta and Mount Nemrut, Kahta district
Admission: Free
Karakuş Tumulus
A Commagene burial mound raised around 30 BC by King Mithridates II for the royal women of his dynasty, including his mother Queen Isias. The 35-metre stone tumulus is encircled by columns once topped with statues, of which an eagle, a lion and a handshake relief survive. It is the first major Commagene monument met on the road from Kahta toward Nemrut.
Where: Kahta district, north of Kahta town
Admission: Free
Perre (Pirin) Ancient City
One of the five major cities of Commagene and later a key Roman waystation on the route to Melitene, Perre is famed for a necropolis of more than 200 rock-cut tombs carved into the hillside. A Roman fountain still flows at the site, alongside stretches of Byzantine city wall and the ancient street. It lies on the northern edge of modern Adıyaman.
Where: Pirin (Örenli) quarter, north of Adıyaman city
Admission: Approx 60-90 TRY (approx $1.50-2.50); Museum Pass Türkiye valid
Yeni Kale (Kahta Castle)
A clifftop fortress above the Kâhta gorge, largely Mamluk in its present form but raised over earlier Commagene and Roman defences guarding the road into the mountains. Towers, cisterns and a steep stairway cut toward the stream survive, commanding wide views over Eski Kahta and the route to Nemrut. Some sections are fenced for safety.
Where: Eski Kahta (Kocahisar) village, Kahta district
Admission: Approx 60-90 TRY (approx $1.50-2.50) when staffed, sometimes free
Samsat (Samosata) and the Samsat Mound
The Hittite-rooted city of Samosata grew into the capital of the Commagene Kingdom and later a Roman legionary base on the Euphrates. The ancient city was submerged in the early 1990s by the Atatürk Dam, and the modern town of Samsat was rebuilt on higher ground; the surviving höyük and lakeside setting evoke a history stretching back to the Neolithic.
Where: Samsat district, southeast of Adıyaman city
Admission: Free (open town and mound); finds displayed in Adıyaman Archaeology Museum
Adıyaman Archaeology Museum
The provincial museum holds Commagene statuary, mosaics and inscriptions together with material rescued from Samosata before the Atatürk Dam flooded the site. It stands in the city centre on Atatürk Boulevard. The building was affected by the February 2023 earthquakes, so visitors should confirm its current opening status before travelling.
Where: Adıyaman city centre
Admission: Approx 60-100 TRY (approx $1.50-2.50) when open; Museum Pass Türkiye valid
Adıyaman Ulu Cami (Great Mosque) Site
The Great Mosque was the principal Ottoman-era place of worship in central Adıyaman, on a site with much older religious roots dating back to the town's foundation as Hısn-ı Mansur. The building was destroyed in the February 2023 earthquakes and is part of the city's reconstruction, remaining a point of orientation and memory in the old centre.
Where: Adıyaman city centre
Admission: Free