Kuşkayası Monument

The Kuşkayası Monument, meaning Bird's rock, is a roadside monument located just outside of Amasra, a town in Bartın Province, in the Black Sea Region of Turkey. The monument dates back to the Roman Imperial era and is situated in a heavily forested area south of the D.010 road, which connects Amasra to Bartın. The monument is approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) from Amasra and stands at an altitude of about 350 m (1,150 ft) above sea level. It overlooks a portion of the town and the Black Sea and can be accessed via a staircase from the road.

The Kuşkayası monument is a unique structure in Turkey, erected by Gaius Julius Aquila, the procurator of Bithynia et Pontus, in honor of Roman Emperor Tiberius Claudius Germanicus (AD 41–54). The monument features a statue of a human figure (now headless), the Roman eagle (also headless), and a bilingual inscription, all of which were carved into the mountain. The 260 cm (100 in) human figure may represent either the Emperor or the Governor. The original monument also included a fountain, which no longer exists.

The inscription, which is in Latin and Greek translations, allows for missing text in one language to be supplemented by the surviving text in the other. It reads:

"For the Augustan peace, in honor of Emperor Tiberius Claudius Germanicus, perpetual priest of the deified Augustus. Gaius Julius Aquila, twice prefectus fabrum with recommendations, in the consulships of Aulus Gabinius Secundus and Titus Statilius Taurus, penetrated the mountain and built the road and recreation ground with his own wealth."