Hanyeri Rock Monument

It is at the mountain pass 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 covering an area of roughly 3 meters wide and 2 meters high. It was first reported in 1939 by Ali Rıza Yalgın, then the director of Adana Museum.

The relief has three parts. In the left scene, which shows a bull and a mountain deity, the two-line Hieroglyphic Luwian inscription is read by David Hawkins as "King of the Mountain, Sharruma" and "Sword, the divine mountain." The latter presumably refers to the peak called Beydağı, by which the mountain pass is located. Hawkins also suggests that the bull and mountain god figures represent the Hittite god Sharruma and the divine Sword Mountain, respectively.

The male figure in the middle is similar to the one on the Hemite relief. His left hand is holding a bow that is hanging on his shoulder. His right hand is extended forward and holding a spear. He is wearing a short tunic, shoes with curved tips, and a round cap or helmet. The signs above the raised hand read “Prince Kuwalanamuwa.” The same name also appears at İmamkulu, which is located at the northern end of the same pass. On the right side, there is an antithetic inscription: "Prince Tarhuntami." It is argued that this inscription on the right may not be a part of the original relief. The relief probably dates to the 13th century BCE.

The rock monument remains unprotected right by the main road and prone to damage. By 2013 a large piece of the rock at the bottom section, which had been separated from the main block by a large crack that can be seen in the older photos, had fallen off. A smaller, triangle-shaped piece at the top right that had the tip of the spear and a couple of the hieroglyphic signs of the leftmost group is also gone.


Click on the pictures for larger images.