Göbeklitepe, also known as "the zero point of human history" and "the birthplace of civilization," is the world's oldest and largest temple, with a 12,000-year history. Its discovery opened a new chapter in human history.

Göbeklitepe is 7,500 years older than the Egyptian pyramids and 7,000 years older than Stonehenge in England. Since 1995, excavations have revealed 20 temples at Göbeklitepe, but only 6 have been unearthed. Göbeklitepe, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2018, is one of the most important heritages of the world, not only of Turkey but also of the world, as the world's oldest archaeological discovery.

Göbeklitepe Interesting Facts

Interesting Facts of Göbeklitepe

Göbeklitepe, which consists of giant pillars and heavy stones stacked on top of each other, still holds its mysteries because there were no tools such as wheelbarrows at that time. It is thought that the power of many people and pack animals was used to transport the stones that make up the temple. The animal figure reliefs on the pillars are definitely ahead of their time. Göbeklitepe is an ancient structure that proves that people held systematic meetings even in the periods when they lived as hunter-gatherers, but its purpose is still not fully understood.

The T-shaped pillars, which are thought to represent people because of the presence of hands and fingers on them, are 6 meters high and weigh between 40 and 60 tons. However, how and by whom these stones were transported to the area in the conditions of that period is waiting to be solved as a Göbeklitepe mystery. In addition, it is a fact that quite advanced architectural techniques were used in its period.

According to the research, Göbeklitepe is not only the world's oldest place of worship, but it has also been determined that Göbeklitepe is the place where wheat cultivation was first done in history.

In the light of the research and examinations, fermentation signs have been detected on the grain samples found in Göbeklitepe. At the same time, equipment that we can accept as beer barrels have been found around the temple ruins. Scientists who developed theories on this evidence think that Göbeklitepe was also a pioneer in the production of early alcoholic beverages.

The floors of the Göbeklitepe temple are specifically designed to be liquid-tight. The purpose of such a floor is to support the idea that rituals were performed with liquid substances such as blood, alcohol, etc. in the oldest temple in history.

How to get to Göbeklitepe from Şanlıurfa?

Göbeklitepe is located near the village of Örencik, 15 kilometers northeast of Şanlıurfa in the Southeastern Anatolia region. Göbeklitepe, which is located at an altitude of approximately 750 meters above sea level, is a 1st degree archaeological site.

It can be reached by direct flights from Istanbul and Ankara.