About Göbeklitepe
Near Şanlıurfa, Göbeklitepe transformed prehistoric research with monumental buildings erected by hunter-gatherer communities around twelve thousand years ago. T-shaped pillars bearing animal reliefs invite fresh questions about settled life, collective labour and ritual.
History
Its earliest monumental buildings date to Pre-Pottery Neolithic A, from around 9600 BCE onward. Two large central pillars and smaller surrounding stones are interpreted as stylised human figures; snakes, foxes, wild boar and birds appear in relief. Buildings were filled over time and new spaces constructed. Excavations led by Klaus Schmidt brought the site international recognition in the 1990s. Göbeklitepe entered the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018.
Highlights and principal structures
- T-shaped pillars
- Monumental buildings A, B, C and D
- Animal reliefs
- Central pairs of monoliths
- Rectangular Neolithic buildings
- Protective visitor shelter
Historical period
Neolithic