2000-years-old Hercules Rock Relief is being Vandalized

The 2000-year-old Hercules Rock Relief, located in Deliktaş, approximately 2.5 kilometers northeast of the Iznik district center of Bursa, is being vandalized. The historical artifact is in danger of being destroyed.

The Heracles relief located at the Deliktaş site in İznik is a significant archaeological find dating back to the Roman period. This relief depicts the legendary hero Heracles (Hercules in Roman mythology) in one of his iconic feats, often interpreted as his struggle against the Nemean Lion, which was one of his Twelve Labors.

The relief is carved into the rock face and showcases Heracles in a dynamic pose, emphasizing his strength and heroic attributes. This site is of historical and cultural importance, shedding light on the ancient city of İznik (Nicaea) and its ties to classical mythology.

The relief of Hercules, which is thought to have been made by stone workers working in the region during the Roman period, was irreversibly damaged by unidentified person or persons.

 Allegedly, the scepter in the right hand of the statue, which is believed to represent power, disappeared. In the past years, the face of the same relief was targeted and its beard was chipped and destroyed.

It was believed that statues and reliefs protected people from evil in those times.

It is thought that the relief was vandalized in search of treasure. Citizens want the authorities to take security measures in the region to prevent further damage to the relief of Hercules.

According to the special report of İHA News agency; The old quarry site, where the Hercules relief is located, turned into a swamp with the olive mill wastewater sludge poured before.

Hercules, known in Greek mythology as Heracles, is a legendary hero and demigod in ancient Greek religion and mythology. He is the son of Zeus, the king of the gods, and Alcmene, a mortal woman. Hercules is famous for his incredible strength and numerous adventures, including the completion of the Twelve Labors, which were tasks assigned to him as punishment for killing his wife and children in a fit of madness induced by Hera, Zeus’s wife, and Hercules’s stepmother.