Göbeklitepe

Discovering Göbeklitepe, the oldest known monumental structure in the world, turned upside down what we know so far about hunter-gatherers, our prehistoric ancestors. We knew them as groups of people who migrated from one place to another and stayed in the same place as long as they found animals to hunt and plants to gather, living in small communities.

They were socially organized; they were able to come together for a belief or a purpose, and they were able to erect Göbeklitepe’s T-shaped stone pillars with carved animal reliefs, which were made with magnificent workmanship and weighed up to 15 tons, and built a cult/gathering centre for themselves in a period when there were no mines, agriculture, engineering or even writing.

There are multiple round structures in Göbeklitepe, which are not used as a settlement area, but served only for ritual purposes. These structures, 6 of which have been unearthed until today, rise on T-shaped pillars up to 6 meters in height with similar shapes. Considering other structures that have not yet been unearthed but have been identified, it comes to mind that this region was the centre of belief in the Neolithic Age. In this sense, it can be regarded not only as the oldest, but also the largest religious centre for its age in the world.

Since there were no metal tools at that time, it is thought that all of the pillars that make up these structures were carved with polished stones which were harder, and certain animal shapes and figures were engraved on them, some of which were depicted three-dimensionally. These are the oldest sculptures in the world, and therefore the oldest artworks of humanity.

Göbeklitepe was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 2018 and became the 18th UNESCO World Culture Heritage Area of Türkiye. If you want to learn much more about this intriguing 12,000 years old history and feel the power of faith, then Göbeklitepe is waiting for you.