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Türkiye has moved ahead with a five-year conservation program at Mount Nemrut, where specialists are using nanotechnology and lime-based mortars to strengthen the UNESCO-listed site's monumental stone statues without altering their original appearance.
Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy said the large-scale consolidation work, which began in 2025, is continuing according to a conservation roadmap developed for the ancient site, one of the most important sacred areas associated with the Commagene Kingdom.
Under the program, conservation teams are applying nanotechnology-based solutions to reinforce the statues, while cracks are being filled with lime-based mortars compatible with the stone. The treatment is designed to keep water from entering the stone and to strengthen its structural integrity without changing how the monuments look.
Ersoy said the interventions are intended to help the monuments withstand the effects of time and Mount Nemrut's difficult climate conditions while preserving their authenticity. He described the project as the first conservation effort of this scale to be carried out at the site.
Mount Nemrut was placed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1987 because of its historical and cultural significance. The current program was drawn up following earlier scientific research and assessments by archaeometry specialists, to protect the monumental sculptures from natural deterioration.
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The work is being carried out by experts from the Gaziantep Regional Restoration and Conservation Laboratory Directorate, with the first phase set to run for five years. Scientific analysis and modern conservation techniques are being brought together to preserve Mount Nemrut's monumental heritage for future generations while maintaining its original character.
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