Visitors' Center

A view of the Visitors' Center at Yesemek.

The Hittite and Neo-Hittite Quarry and Sculpture Workshop at Yesemek, covers an area of about 25 acres. It is located about 35 miles southwest of Gaziantep, Turkey and is about 13 miles southeast of the Neo-Hittite site of Zincirli (ancient Samal).

Here the reddish/black basalt stone was quarried and then shaped into rough forms of lions, sphinxes, mountain gods, and other creatures. These were then shipped to places where they would be used to adorn temples, palaces, and other public structures. They were finished at the sites where they were on display.

It is the largest known stonemasonry workshop in the ancient Near East. Over 300 partially finished blocks are scattered over the site that today is an archaeological park.