The world’s oldest temple is not in Egypt, but in southern Türkiye

It existed 7,000 years before Stonehenge, 6,000 years before the megalithic temples of Malta and the Sumerians. 7,500 years before the Egyptian pyramids and 10,000 years before Rome. 17 kilometers east of the urban center of Sanliurfa (Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey) and is close to the border with Syria. archaeological site Which has given rise to new theories about the Neolithic period of Eurasia and has been recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

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This complex is called Gobeklitepe (in Turkish, “navel hill” or “pot-bellied mountain”) and is estimated to have been built Between 9600 and 8200 BC. Cwhich would mean that their 12,000 years old they crown him world’s first temple, It is composed of circular and rectangular megalithic monuments. These are divided into three levels, although the base layer has not yet been excavated. The upper area of ​​the hill is dotted with dozens of “T” shaped pillars, up to five and a half meters high, whose sandy appearance is due to the material from which they were made: Limestone Coming from the plateau itself, and sometimes basalt. A large collection of pottery was also found on the same mountain range. As a lithic point.

It is mid-April and the sun is shining, although none of the attendees pay much attention to it while they are hidden under the elliptical white roof that covers the site. It is not enough to lean over the railing and look around this place at once, for part of its compelling charm lies in Details that the monolith presents, “Look over there,” says tour guide Serdar Avicii, originally from Sanliurfa and who accompanies the group on the tour. His finger points to one of the strange symbols that appear to be embedded in Bas-reliefs on limestone formations, At first glance it looks like a fox, but it is not the only specimen that lives in Gobeklitepe. Crocodile, Dodo bird (or maybe vulture), snake, wild boar, lion, scorpion and many others. wild animal specimens They cross the stone pillars, trapped forever in the time line.

As a note, the climb to the archaeological site is done on a bus that runs on a dusty road for the greater comfort of visitors. That’s why it’s so surprising to think about it human coordination and dexterity What must have been required to extract the materials, carve monoliths weighing more than ten tons, and then transport them to the mound, even more so when there is no evidence of the existence of the technology at that time. “Not even a wheel,” The guide insists.

Temple or settlement?

Several hypotheses are being considered to explain its origin and function. Some of them suggest that Gobeklitepe may have been the creator of hunter-gatherer population Those who did not yet have pets. Precisely, during the Holocene, the area of ​​Upper Mesopotamia where Gobleketepe is located was covered with grasslands and small crops of almonds and pistachios. According to this approach, the site would actually be a sanctuary or place of pilgrimage, which raises new questions about the type of rituals celebrated, Who (or what) did this community worship? Or about whether the religion had any kind of hierarchical organization. The debate is still up in the air, and other professionals, on the contrary, defend that Gobeklitepe was a permanent settlement

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from hint to search

The original excavations of this sanctuary are attributed to German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt, who made a trip to the Turkish region in 1994 to explore the remains. His transfer was inspired by a report that another archaeologist from the University of Chicago had published during the sixties and in which he talked about it. Existence of a mound containing archaeological remains around Urfa, According to this text, there were no major attractions at this place, although the German expert and his team were guided by intuition And he himself reached there to investigate.

moment eureka This is when experts came to the conclusion that the mound must be the product of human activity, and not a natural formation. This conjecture helped us find that this archaeological site was buried under sand and she was wearing something Ten thousand years in oblivion. Whether by choice, soil erosion or other undetermined reasons, this complex has survived to this day in a privileged state of conservation. AVC explains, “It is possible that the population left the area to seek food elsewhere, although mystery far outweighs certainty.

a hidden demon

Similarly, to this day it is difficult to imagine the true horrors of Gobeklitepe. Only 5% of the total has been excavated, Thus, at least another 16 megalith circles may remain buried in the nine hectare area; Which can change our perspective of humanity, relationships with the spiritual world and grouping together into societies.

Karahantepe: Where anthropoids rule

The next stop on a path that involves following the path without knowing exactly who or what leads to it. An hour’s drive from Gobeklitepe Prehistoric site of Karahantepe (9,400 BC). As the guide explains, the name means “black hills.” On this occasion the Chief human representation Excavation work on the addition of the T-shaped pillars began in 2019 and has since brought to light hundreds of sculptures and limestone blocks.

Many of the excavated fragments and sculptures are on display here. Sanliurfa Archaeological Museum

, It is the second largest museum in Turkey, and is internationally renowned for its collection of Neolithic objects brought from various sites such as Gobeklitepe or Nevli Kori. is one of the most amazing man of urfa (9,000 BC). This creature with obsidian eyes, a broken nose and six feet tall has the title The world’s largest and oldest statue, Silently, it protects the exhibitions of pieces from the Chalcolithic period, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, the Hellenistic period, the Roman era, the Byzantine era and the Islamic era, displayed throughout the complex.

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