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Gezbeli Rock Monument
It is at the rocky location known as Gezbeli (Gezbel) about 800 meters north of the Hanyeri village, southeast of Erciyes mountain in the Kayseri province. The relief is carved on a rock wall about 4 meters above the ground level and it is about 2 meters wide. It was first reported by researcher Ali Rıza Yalgın who was the director of Adana Museum. The relief has three parts. On the left a bull is standing on two mountain gods, the first one being weathered quite a bit. Above the hand of the second mountain god is some hieroglyphs partially read as "King of Mountains, Sarumma". The middle figure by style is similar to Hemite relief. With his left hand the male figure is holding a bow that is hanging on his shoulder. His right hand is extended forward holding a spear. He is wearing a short tunic and shoes with curved tips and a round hat. In the hieroglyps above the raised hand we can read "Son of King.." and a name "Kuwalanamuwa" that is possibly a prince. Kohlmeyer reads the same name at Imamkulu. On the right side there is a symmetrical hieroglyph script but was not clearly read: "Son of King, (Tarhuntapiya)-mi". It is argued that this script on the right may not be a part of the original relief.
38°12'48.3 N - 36°00'53.8 E Google Earth location (exact) Click on pictures for a larger image.
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Image sources:
Horst Ehringhaus. Götter, Herrscher, Inschriften. 2005, Zabern. ISBN 3805334699.
Eberhard Rossner, Die hethitischen Felsreliefs in der Türkei. 1988, ISBN 3924390029, photo K.Domisch.
Kurt Bittel, Die Hethiter, Beck, München 1976, ISBN 3406030246.
Kay Kohlmeyer, "Felsbilder der hethitischen Großreichszeit", Acta Praehistorica et Archaeologica 15, 1983. ISBN 3896467123
Archäologischer Anzeiger, 1940.
Helmuth Th. Bossert, "Das hethitische Felsrelief bei Hanyeri (Gezbeli)", Orientalia NS (OrNS) 23, 1954, pages 129-147.