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Göbekli Tepe, also written Göbeklitepe, is a Neolithic archaeological site in Southeastern Anatolia. It may be the world’s oldest temple complex.
Introduction to Göbekli Tepe
Göbekli Tepe was inhabited between 9500 BC and 8000 BC during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period. It was discovered in 1963 in a survey conducted by Halet Çambel (1916-2014) of Istanbul University and Prof. Robert John Braidwood (1907-2003) of the University of Chicago. They originally mistook the tops of stones for grave markers.
In October 1994, German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt (1953-2014) decided to reexamine the site because he believed there was something more to the stone. He purchased a house in Urfa and began excavations the following year, discovering huge T-shaped pillars up to 5 meters high. Originally, he believed the site was a sanctuary and had very few or no permanent inhabitants, but recent findings have unearthed the remains of homes, water supply installations, and thousands of domestic tools.
Archaeologists have not yet determined the definitive purpose of Göbekli Tepe. However, Schmidt’s remarkable discovery provided a look at what may be the origins of prehistoric religion. Many of the pillars are decorated with anthropomorphic figures and reliefs of wild animals, which may have either served to ward off evil spirits or represented a deeper religious purpose. It also opened the question of whether settling down gave rise to the advent of agriculture and religion or vice versa.
Göbekli Tepe was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2018. To date, only about 5% of the 20-acre site has been excavated. At least 20 large enclosures are believed to exist.
Getting to Göbekli Tepe
Göbekli Tepe is about 15 kilometers northeast of Urfa. If you don’t have your own transportation, public buses leave from the Şanlıurfa Museum hourly between 8:45am and 4:45pm. They return hourly between 10am and 6pm, giving you plenty of time to enjoy the site. One-way fares are 29.50₺ with an Urfakart or 36₺ with contactless payment (as of September 2024). Alternatively, you could hire a taxi to take you and wait, or you can join an organized tour.
Visiting Göbekli Tepe
Göbekli Tepe is open daily. Admission for foreigners is €20 (as of September 2024) and tickets are valid for Karahan Tepe. The visitor center features an overpriced gift shop, café, and restrooms. Check the official website for more info. Also, I highly recommend visiting the Şanlıurfa Museum before going to Göbekli Tepe. You’ll get a much better understanding of the site.
Exhibition Center
Before exploring the site, visitors pass through the Exhibition Center. It contains a timeline of history before and after the foundation of Göbekli Tepe, some artifacts, interactive exhibits, and a short film.
Shuttle Ride
The visitor center is about 1 kilometer from the actual archaeological site. Thankfully, free air-conditioned shuttles run between the two areas. There’s a shaded path to the shuttle stop. At the end of the path, you scan your tickets, pass through the turnstiles, and wait for the van.
The ride takes a few minutes to reach the archaeological site. At the top is another terribly overpriced gift shop, snack bar, and restrooms.
Building E
Building E sits at the beginning of the path to the main part of the site. It was one of the first sections excavated at Göbekli Tepe. It’s an oval structure cut directly into the bedrock with two large pits to the north. Archaeologists didn’t realize Building E was a monumental building until the discoveries of Buildings C and D.
The T-shaped pillars and stone walls are missing from Building E. All that remains is the smooth limestone floor and “the two carved pedestals that originally held two central T-shaped pillars of the building”.
Main Archaeological Site at Göbekli Tepe
A boardwalk leads to the main archaeological site at Göbekli Tepe. It’s covered by a saddle-shaped dome and contains four buildings in various stages of excavation.
Building A at Göbekli Tepe
Building A is on the southwest corner of the site. It measures 12 x 14 meters but the floor has not yet been reached by excavations. The building has an apse with a low stone bench on the northwest end. Inside are two T-shaped pillars with smaller pillars on the southwest and northeast sides.
Building C at Göbekli Tepe
Continuing counterclockwise around the path is Building C, which is one of the more impressive structures at Göbekli Tepe. It’s an oval-shaped building with a diameter of about 25 meters and the largest monumental building discovered so far. The outer wall was constructed during its oldest phase while the inner wall belongs to its youngest phase.
The inner wall features nine T-shaped pillars found in-situ, although there were probably more. In the center are two pedestals carved directly out of the limestone bedrock. They support a pair of T-shaped pillars.
Building D at Göbekli Tepe
At the north side of the site is Building D, which is the best-preserved building discovered so far. It’s oval-shaped and measures about 20 meters in diameter. Like Building C, it was built directly atop smoothed limestone bedrock.
In the center are two large T-shaped pillars supported by pedestals carved directly into the bedrock. Around the wall are at least 12 smaller T-shaped pillars. Archaeologists discovered lime plaster still stuck to the inner wall, implying the building was originally roofed.
Building B at Göbekli Tepe
The fourth and final building at the main archaeological site is Building B, which has not been fully excavated. It sits north of Building A and is circular in shape with a diameter of 12 meters. Building B features an artificial terrazzo floor with two T-shaped pillars standing in the center. There are nine small pillars embedded around the wall but that number will probably grow as excavations continue.
Building F
Along the path back to the shuttle stop is Building F. It’s oval in shape and measures 7.5 meters in diameter. It features an artificial terrazzo floor and has yet to be fully excavated. There are eight T-shaped pillars, but it’s expected more will be discovered when excavations resume.
Future of the Site
Walking back to the shuttle stop, I spotted a couple more excavation areas. One of them is covered by a shelter and the boardwalk leading to it was roped off. I imagine this section will open to the public in the near future and I hope to return and see it.
