Göbeklitepe marks eighth UNESCO anniversary
ŞANLIURFA
Göbeklitepe, widely regarded as the world’s oldest known sanctuary and often described as the “zero point of history,” has welcomed 4,409,590 visitors since it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 1, 2018.
Located around 18 kilometers from the center of the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, near the rural neighborhood of Örencik, the archaeological site was first identified during a surface survey in 1963. Its significance became clearer in 1986 when a local farmer uncovered a statue while plowing his field.
Excavations, launched in 1995 with permission from the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, revealed monumental T-shaped limestone pillars dating back to the Neolithic period. Standing between 3 and 6 meters tall and weighing up to 60 tons, the pillars are decorated with carvings of wild animals.
