Göbekli Tepe, found in Şanlıurfa, in the southeastern part of Turkey, is where history got a new meaning. The monument has been classified by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site and has been confirmed to be the world’s oldest known temple. With an age that dates to more than 12,000 years old, Göbekli Tepe questions everything we ever knew before.
Discovery That Changed History
The excavation work for Göbekli Tepe was carried out in 1995 by German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt. The support from the German Archaeological Institute made this task possible. What the excavators discovered was beyond any imagination – circular stone constructions, towering T-shaped stone columns, and stone sculptures of various animals dated to more than 12,000 years ago. That predates agriculture. It predates pottery.
How Hunter-Gatherers Built the Impossible
The heaviest T-shaped obelisks found at Göbekli Tepe are more than 16 tons in weight. To carve out such massive structures, move them, and install them would take the effort of hundreds of men along with the food that could sustain them. However, there are no signs of any permanent settlement here. According to modern scholars, Göbekli Tepe was a seasonal congregation spot for people to celebrate their religious festivals.
A Theory of Civilization Reversed
For years, historians were taught that the sequence began with the emergence of agriculture, followed by a sedentary lifestyle and monumental structures. Göbekli Tepe reversed this chain of events. The construction of the monument was preceded neither by agriculture nor by a sedentary lifestyle but by a nomadic life. Some experts believe Göbekli Tepe could rewrite the history of all humanity.
A Long Journey to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List
However, before adding Göbekli Tepe on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list, a temporary listing occurred six years prior. It became official when the 42nd World Heritage Committee made its final decision to permanently include Göbekli Tepe on the list at its meetings in Manama, Bahrain. The permanent listing of Göbekli Tepe by Turkey was well celebrated within the archaeological world.
Why Being the First Oldest Monument Matters
Being the first oldest monument of its kind,Göbekli Tepe stands apart from every contemporary site on Earth. It represents the earliest and most monumental remains of settled life ever uncovered. For Anatolia and for world culture, this contribution carries immense weight. Dr. Karul Najm of Istanbul University, a member of the site’s Scientific Advisory Committee, called the listing both pleasing and long overdue.
The Excavations Continue Today
The observation of the site was done by the research group from Istanbul University and the University of Chicago for the first time in 1963. The excavations at Göbekli Tepe site has been carried out from 1995 to date by the German Archaeological Institute in Berlin and the Şanlıurfa Museum. New images, new pillars, and new information about its makers are revealed each year.
Visit Göbekli Tepe with All Private Tours
A visit to Göbekli Tepe can be much more than a short one. Thanks to All Private Tours, you will have the opportunity to meet a professional local guide who will give you all the information about the history behind those ancient stones. Add Şanlıurfa to your private Turkey tour along with other world-renowned locations like Cappadocia, Istanbul, and Ephesus.
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