The head of Zeus-Oromasdes, on the west terrace. The double name of the god indicates his syncretic nature: Greek and Persian (Ahura Mazda is the Avestan name for a higher spirit of the Old Iranian religion).
The altitude - 2150 m for the top of the tumulus - gives environmental conditions (serious seasonal and daily temperature variations, freezing and thawing cycles, wind, snow accumulation and sun exposure) that have caused serious damage to the sculptures.
Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.
Sources: File 448: ‘Nemrut Dağı’ – World Heritage List, Unesco (see: whc.unesco.org) .
& Personal visits (1983, 1987, 1994).