What is the History and Mysteries of Gobeklitepe? The Story of Gobeklitepe

Since Göbeklitepe is a region that closely concerns not only archeology but also the entire history of humanity, it has become the center of attention not only in Turkey but also in the world in recent years. The number of studies, books, documentaries and series projects on Göbeklitepe increases every passing day, and as a result, the number of people interested in this special area, which is extremely important for human history, increases. If you learn exactly what the importance of Göbeklitepe is and why it is important for human history, you can learn about this special place that still remains a mystery to people. Although the Egyptian Pyramids or Stonehenge are usually the first places that come to mind when it comes to the most important and mysterious places in the world, Göbeklitepe was built much earlier than them and stands out as the first settlement in human history as well as having the first temple. Built approximately 12-13 thousand years ago, Göbeklitepe offers its visitors an unforgettable historical journey while also showing how the first humans established a relationship with nature. In this respect, visiting Göbeklitepe in Turkey will not only provide you with unique historical information but will also increase your interest in history and human history.

What is Göbeklitepe?

In order to talk about the importance of the question of what Göbeklitepe is, it is necessary to first pay attention to the role it plays in human history. Human history is rewritten with every new discovery, and at the same time, it sheds light on the stages of human development. Seeing under what conditions humans emerged and what intellectual stages they realized is one of the most important questions that every living person should be curious about.

Göbeklitepe has an extremely important position in order to answer such questions and shed light on human history. The city where Göbeklitepe is located is an excavation site located within the borders of today's Şanlıurfa province, 18 kilometers east of the city center. With the discovery of Göbeklitepe, which is very easy to reach from the city center, the beginning of human history was rewritten.

The story of Göbeklitepe begins as the places where people first settled after the Last Glacial Period, called the Neolithic Period. According to today's excavations, this period is the best example of people abandoning their nomadic lifestyle. As it is known, in the early stages of human history, a nomadic lifestyle was lived due to both food and climate conditions. Due to the negativity of nomadic life and the many problems it caused, people began to settle down, and with their transition to settled down, they gained many characteristics that have continued to this day, such as agriculture, property, buildings, culture, and beliefs.

With the people settling down in the Göbeklitepe region, very important developments began to occur in terms of the history of civilization. There was a transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a production-based culture. This is the importance of Göbeklitepe, which was determined to be one of the first settlements, for human history. Göbeklitepe historically shows today's people how the first people who settled down lived, what their structures were, and what cultural characteristics they had.

How Was Göbeklitepe Discovered?

Archaeology is a branch of science that examines historical remains that have been hidden from view for various reasons. The main duty of archaeologists is to provide access to information that will enlighten human history. Information, especially about the early periods when there was no writing, is extremely limited. Because there is not enough evidence about how people lived in this period, problems may arise. In these cases, human history is prepared based on the available data. However, with the discovery of Göbeklitepe by archaeologists, new pages for human history have come to light.

The first research on Göbeklitepe was carried out in 1963 by Turkish and American archaeologists. However, due to the political conditions of the period, the research was not focused on much and sufficient field work was not done. Twenty years later, in 1983, Göbeklitepe was learned of when a shepherd grazing his animals in the field came across the columns. After the necessary procedures, Prof. Klaus Schmidt and his wife Çiğdem Köksal Schmidt were assigned to uncover the region. They worked under difficult conditions to uncover Göbeklitepe and ensured that human history was rewritten. Immediately after the excavation, the whole world became curious about the region and academic studies began about it.

Why is Göbeklitepe Important?

The importance of Göbeklitepe is that it has the oldest monumental structure in the world among today's findings. In addition to this monumental structure, it also stands out with its characteristics that show that it is one of the first settlements and that religious thought is developed. It was built in the 10,000s BC and gives the image of a highly developed civilization for its time. Because at the same time, the majority of the world was still living a nomadic lifestyle.

The historical narrative up to Göbeklitepe is that people did not need to live in groups in any way until this time period. They would generally come together only for hunting and then separate. Their basic food was the fruits and vegetables they came across in addition to hunting. However, they did not show any activity regarding production because there was no joint work for production.

However, with the emergence of Göbeklitepe as a settlement, it was seen that people started to live together as a group and in a fixed place in those periods, and it was determined that they had advanced in both house and monument construction. This situation has surprised many people who are interested in culture as well as scientists. Göbeklitepe, which explains that the people of the period called completely primitive were not as primitive as thought, also brought with them some occult beliefs.

What are the Göbeklitepe Mysteries?

Göbeklitepe is important not only for the history of humanity but also for the history of religions. The secret of the monumental structure called the Göbeklitepe mystery, which causes the curiosity of the people in this region, has not yet been fully solved.

The megalithic structures located in the settlement, which are very striking, contain various animal symbols and abstract pictures. These pictures were made by relief or engraving.

Lions, vultures, foxes and snakes are among the figures frequently used on the columns. However, it is not understood exactly what some animal figures represent. In fact, a few figures even resemble dinosaurs. Since the columns are decorated with many pictures without leaving any gaps, it is widely accepted that they tell a continuous story. It is thought that the T-shaped columns represent people.

However, when looked at as a whole, it is understood that the columns and drawings were made in accordance with the beliefs of the people of that period. These types of columns and drawings made within the scope of animism or totemism are important in terms of encountering the first beliefs. As it is known, the Sumerians were the first society to systematically use belief in history. However, the Sumerians existed approximately five thousand years after Göbeklitepe. In this case, it becomes possible to understand how beliefs evolved in the intervening space. The residents of Göbeklitepe, who probably believed that everything in nature had a spirit and that they protected them, built the columns to ask for help from these spirits or to show gratitude. The ideas that developed during this magical period later turned into a systematic religious belief in the Sumerians. In this respect, Göbeklitepe is an important place that also contains a mystery for those interested in the history of religions. Another important claim for Göbeklitepe is known as the Sirius Claim. This view, which claims that Göbeklitepe was built by following the movements of celestial bodies, suggests that Göbeklitepe was built in order to detect the movements of celestial bodies and worship them. Although it is difficult to verify this view, there is not enough data to refute it. This situation also increases the mysteries of Göbeklitepe.

How to Get to Göbeklitepe?

If you are asking where Göbeklitepe is, it should not surprise you to know that it is in Turkey! You can join various Göbeklitepe tours to see this mysterious place or you can visit this unique region yourself. It is very easy to reach Göbeklitepe by personal vehicle. Other alternatives for transportation to Şanlıurfa Göbeklitepe are public transportation. You can reach Göbeklitepe quickly and easily with buses numbered 100 departing from the city center. Although bus times vary according to the seasons, in the summer months, departures are at 10:00 and 16:00 and return at 12:00 and 18:00.

Visiting Göbeklitepe

If you want to get information about Göbeklitepe and briefly learn the story of Göbeklitepe, you can quickly learn the most accurate information by visiting this unique region. Due to the works carried out in the past years, Göbeklitepe was not accepting visitors, but today it serves as the Göbeklitepe museum. It is open between 08.00 - 18.30 between 15 April and 2 October, and between 08.00 - 16.30 between 3 October and 14 April. If you want to know how old Göbeklitepe is or if you want to get information about Göbeklitepe, you can visit this special archaeological site and learn a lot about human history.will allow you to be. The entrance fee for Göbeklitepe has been determined as exactly 36 TL. Discounts are applied to students, retirees and various professional groups.

What is the Year of Göbeklitepe?

Due to its importance in terms of human history, Urfa Göbeklitepe was entitled to enter the UNESCI World Heritage List in 2018. In this way, its importance has been accepted by the whole world and it has been registered as an area worthy of protection. With its inclusion in the UNESCO list, Göbeklitepe has attracted visitors from all over the world and its importance has also increased in 2019 Göbeklitepe year. In 2019, various academic programs were organized for Göbeklitepe, books were published, a Göbeklitepe documentary was shot and similar promotional events were prepared. Thanks to this, interest in it has increased in recent years and is increasing day by day.

Surprising Information About Göbeklitepe

Göbeklitepe research results and has continued to surprise people since its discovery. The information that highlights this special region for humanity is as follows;

It is the first great temple in history. Although there are nearly 20 temples in the region, Göbeklitepe is a special region that stands out among them. A lot of effort was put into the construction of the temples and construction activities were carried out for years according to the possibilities of the period.

A large number of people worked in its construction. People who generally lived in separate groups came together around Göbeklitepe, and were especially in large groups during the construction. It was determined that not only human power was used in Göbeklitepe, but also many pack and mount animals were used, and the construction possibilities of the period were used at the highest level.

It is understood from the available data that wheat and barley, which require special cultivation, were first used in Göbeklitepe. It is understood from the available data that this plant, which is considered the ancestor of wheat, was first grown in Göbeklitepe.

The most striking among the Göbeklitepe figures is the three-dimensional lion figure. Although the other figures are two-dimensional, the lion figure, which was used with a special technique, can be seen from every region it is viewed from and reveals its magnificence. It also indicates that lions also lived in Anatolian geography at that time. In terms of the construction techniques used, it has been determined that blood, water and alcohol were also used in the construction of the region. This situation shows that those who adopted a settled life tried new techniques for their structures.