Yesemek Quarry and Sculpture Workshop, Ancient stone workshop in Islahiye, Turkey
Yesemek Quarry and Sculpture Workshop is an ancient stone working site filled with hundreds of partially finished sculptures carved from red basalt formations. The entire production area reveals where stone was extracted and shaped in place across a large open landscape.
The Austrian archaeologist Felix von Luschan discovered the site in 1890, leading to multiple research campaigns that continued into the 1990s. The workshop operated during the Hittite period and supplied architectural sculptures to centers of the empire.
The workshop produced sphinxes with female heads and lion bodies, which served as guardian figures placed at the entrances of Hittite cities, palaces, and temples.
The site sits on fairly level ground and can be explored on foot, with scattered stone blocks easy to spot throughout. Visitors should bring proper walking shoes and sun protection, as shade is limited across the open area.
Many sculptures at this location show different stages of completion, from barely started blocks to almost finished works. This variety allows visitors to grasp exactly how ancient production techniques and carving sequences worked.
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