Yesemek

This most fascinating of ancient sites, a Hittite sculptors' workshop and stone quarry, is well worth visiting. It lies about 35km/22mi southeast of Islahiye on a road which, asphalted to begin with, runs east before forking southeast and continuing as a dirt road. The site itself spreads over the southeast slope of a little valley south of the village of Yesemek. Turkish archeologists in charge of the excavations have fenced off the site, setting up a small visitors' park. Although discovered by Luschan in 1890, detailed investigation only began in 1955, being continued in 1958-61. Stone figures can be seen in all different stages of completion, with motifs from the late second and early first millennium B.C. At that time the workshop appears to have been supplying all the leading Hittite centers with sphinxes, mountain gods, lions and relief plaques. The most interesting statue yet found is the so-called Bear Man, with a teddy bear-like head.