Although inspired by the ancient Epic of Gilgamesh and a 12,000-year-old temple, the latest work from a Turkish artist seems more like the dark fantasy of a horror film.

Ahmet Gunestekin's "Chamber of Immortality" is a fearsome piece of artwork crafted from thousands of metal skulls and horns, all made by hand. Gunestekin says his work draws on the Epic of Gilgamesh – the Sumerian king who tried in vain to find the secret of everlasting life, and on the closely related Biblical story of Noah, whose ark some believe landed on Mount Ararat, Turkey's highest peak.

The structure, which took 4.5 years and 1 million US dollars to create, is inspired by Gobeklitepe, a 12,000-year-old temple in Turkey that this year became a UNESCO World Heritage site.

"Chamber of Immortality" will travel to London, Berlin and New York after being exhibited in Contemporary Istanbul on September 20.