Historic · İslahiye, Gaziantep
Yesemek Open-Air Museum
The largest ancient stone quarry and sculpture workshop in the Near East.
- History
Image coming soon
The Yesemek Open-Air Museum lies about 22 km south-east of İslahiye, in Yesemek village. Opened as a stone quarry and sculpture workshop under the Hittite king Şuppiluliuma I (1375-1335 BC), it was used until the 8th century BC. More than three hundred carvings and statue blanks are displayed on site, showing every stage of production from cutting the stone to finishing the sculpture. The site was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List in 2012.