Göbeklitepe
Göbeklitepe is one of the notable stops in Şanlıurfa, with a route-friendly location for your trip.
Quick facts
- Built
- 100th century BC
- Area
- 126 hectares
- Elevation
- 760 m
- Heritage status
- World Heritage Site
Facts from Wikidata, photos from Wikimedia Commons.
Did you know?
Why did Göbekli Tepe rewrite the history books?
Dated to around 11,500 years ago, the site is roughly 6,000 years older than Stonehenge and 7,000 years older than the Giza pyramids. The prior assumption was that monumental building required settled farming societies — yet these massive pillars were raised by hunter-gatherers.
What do the T-shaped pillars represent?
Some of the stones, weighing up to 16 tonnes, carry carved arms, hands and belts, which is why they are read as abstracted human figures. The meaning of the snakes, scorpions, foxes, boars and vultures carved on them is still debated.
How much of the site has been excavated?
Geophysical surveys show many more enclosures beneath the mound, and only a small part has been dug so far. The rest is deliberately left buried so it can be studied with better techniques in future.
Why go?
- Easy to add to your route
- Good photo stop
- Popular local highlight
