Athena relief of Sömek

The Athena relief of Sömek is an ancient rock carving in Turkey's Mersin province, located roughly two kilometers north of the village of Sömek in the Silifke district. It sits near the valley of the Limonlu river — known in antiquity as the Lamos — which once formed the boundary between Rough Cilicia (Kilikia Tracheia) to the west and Plain Cilicia (Kilikia Pedias) to the east, a geopolitically significant frontier for centuries. The relief depicts the Greek goddess Athena and stands as a rare surviving trace of ancient religious practice in this remote river landscape. Little has been formally documented about its precise date or current condition; reaching it requires a short hike through the Limonlu valley.