Yesemek is the biggest “stone quarry and statue workshop” in the wold, it dates back to the second half of the second millenium B.C. when the region was under hittite domination. Hittite artisans worked there alongside with hurrian artists and craftsmen.

The magnificent statues produced in this workshop were used to decorate town gates, palaces and temples; thus revealing both the power and the beliefs of these ancient cities. In peace time, the workshop activities would rise; as they sharply decreased from 1200 b.c. onwards with the arrival of the “sea people” invasions . Again, during the late hittite period (from the 9 th cent. B.c. onwards), activities resumed a high pace, showing assyrian and aramean influences reflecting the political situation of that time.

Among the 300 statues exhibited in the museum, the majority embody gate lions. Sphinxes then come mountain gods (with caps), their arms folded over their chests. Among them, four carry the sun emblem. Others show half human figurs, war chariots.

The workshop was closed by the end of the 8 th cent. B.C. by the assyrians who brought the craftsmen to Assur. It then remained as it is today.

Stone block were first cut and removed then shaped using hammers, sledge hammers and stone pens to form them. The edges then the sides were shaped. To cut the rock face a lip or edge was cut into the rock, then dry wooden wedges were placed and covered with water. The resulting pressure by the swelling of the wood created cracks in the stone which could then be dealt with using sledge hammers. Thus seperating it from the mother stone. The block was then removed to the quarry nearly, on the slope, for working, shaping and cutting. First the required shape was drawn on the stone and shaping was started, later fine details were worked, the polishing was performed to achieve the finished product. Some of the last works still show signs of the sculptors work.these stoneworks of the ages are on display today in the yesemek open-air museum.

Yesemek was first discovered in 1890 by felix von luschan. A systematic research and excavation from 1957 to 1961 conducted by prof.Dr. Bahadır alkım. Yesemek arranged as Open Air Museum by in 1989-1991.