Göbeklitepe, an archaeological wonder from Turkey’s southeastern city of Şanlıurfa, will attract more foreign visitors now with its inclusion on the European Route of Megalithic Culture, which brings together monuments of similar categories in European countries.
Crowned as the world's first temple, the prehistoric site of Göbeklitepe is the oldest temple site in human history and one of the most important discoveries for Neolithic research.
The famed ancient site was discovered in 1963 when researchers from Istanbul and Chicago universities were working at the site. In joint works at the site since 1995, the German Archaeological Institute and Şanlıurfa Museum found T-shaped obelisks from the Neolithic era towering 3 to 6 meters (10 to 20 feet) high and weighing 40-60 tons. During excavations, diverse 12,000-year-old artifacts such as human statuettes 65 centimeters (26 inches) high were also unearthed.
Göbeklitepe, which grows in reputation every year, was placed on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List in 2011 and was included on the World Heritage List at the 42nd World Heritage Committee meeting held in Bahrain on July 1, 2018. This title boosted the worldwide recognition of the site.
Mehmet Uncu, the manager of Şanlıurfa Tourism Development Inc. – which was established with the cooperation of the Şanlıurfa Governorship, Municipality and Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism, informed Anadolu Agency (AA) that they applied for the inclusion of Göbeklitepe for the European Route of Megalithic Culture two years ago under the coordination of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Uncu stated that the route, which was created based on the importance and characteristics of huge historical sites, provides an opportunity for better promotion of the spots.
Emphasizing that only Göbeklitepe is the route from Turkey, the manager continued: “Göbeklitepe was included in the European Route of Megalithic Culture, which was established in 2012. This route means more qualified and more foreign visitors for us. The route includes megalithic structures that attract many visitors around the world, such as the historical monument Stonehenge in Britain. Ten countries, including Germany, Spain, England, Denmark and Italy, are also included on this route, and Göbeklitepe was the first area to enter it from Turkey.”
With the participation of Turkey, the general assembly of the European Route of Megalithic Culture will be held in Germany on April 28. Twenty-five representatives from the participant countries will plan joint activities to be held in the upcoming years.
