Kuşkayası Road Monument

Kuşkayası Road Monument

Located about 4km outside of Amasra in the Bartin Province, the Kuşkayası Road Monument is a Roman Imperial-era roadside monument. It is the only one of its kind in Turkey and was constructed by Gaius Julius Aquila, proconsul of Bithynia et Pontus, to pay tribute to Roman Emperor Tiberius Claudius Germanicus (AD 41-54).

Kuşkayası Road Monument

The monument features a 260cm (100in) statue of a headless human and an inscription written in both Latin and Greek. It is speculated that the figure represents either the Emperor or the Governor, and there was also a fountain included in the original structure. Although the monument has been destroyed, the statue is still visible at its present location.

The inscription, written in both Latin and Greek, commemorates Emperor Tiberius Claudius Germanicus, who was a perpetual priest of the deified Augustus. Gaius Julius Aquila, who had served twice as prefectus fabrum (an executive for construction projects) during the consulships of Aulus Gabinius Secundus and Titus Statilius Taurus, built a road and recreational area through mountains with his own funds.