My love of travel, history, and photography began by reading one publication, National Geographic. Growing up with a limited amount of money in a small town in Oklahoma didn’t provide many opportunities to travel. My parents pinched their pennies, which meant we couldn’t afford a lot of groceries, let alone a vacation that required a plane ticket. Even so, my adventurous spirit was satisfied because I would get lost within the pages of National Geographic at the local public library.
National Geographic has a travel magazine now, but I still get inspired to visit locations that are written about in their premier magazine. Not that long ago, while I perused the pages of Nat Geo, I became enthralled by a story about Göbekli Tepe.
Göbekli Tepe is in Southeastern Turkey, about 12 miles northeast of Şanliurfa and about 25 miles from the Syrian border. The ancient site was first discovered in the 1960s, but excavation began in 1994, when German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt believed something important lay buried beneath the giant dirt mounds.
Göbekli Tepe dates back over 11,00 years, making it older than the Great Pyramids of Egypt and Stonehenge. The discovery shook up the archaeological world by reshaping what we knew about hunter-gatherer societies. Instead of moving from one place to another, never to return, a society of ancient people carved giant stones and added symbols, which confuse archaeologists and historians to this day.
11,000 years ago, people living in Mesopotamia were hunter-gatherers. Where they lived depended on the seasons and where to find food. They hunted wild animals and gathered fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. They lived in small, unsettled communities. Yet the people at Göbekli Tepe organized to create a permanent structure.
The oldest part of the site dates back to 9600 BC. That puts Göbekli Tepe at the forefront of the Neolithic period. The T-shaped stones weigh between 10 to 55 tons. One can only imagine how people moved the stones into the area without the use of domesticated animals.
Animals and symbols are carved into the large stones, giving some insight into the purpose. The animals could tell a story or be the names of different tribes. The people who inhabited the area remain a mystery, as well as why they cared about the site or how they built it. A further mystery is that the site was not buried by nature, but by hand. The people who built Göbekli Tepe, for whatever reason, intended the area to be left alone for their return or for other reasons.
It is also believed Göbekli Tepe was used for communal activities because of the animal bones that were found at the site. Because of the direction the stones face, as well as the bones found, UNESCO interprets the findings that the monuments were used for social events and potential funerals. If the site was used for funerals, it would make some sense as to the T-shaped human stones.
The area continues to be excavated, and it is unknown how far Göbekli Tepe stretches. Other mounds can be seen from the site that may also be covered ruins. Although more ancient stones might be uncovered, it is doubtful we’ll ever understand exactly why Göbekli Tepe was created.
While I circled the site, a bird followed me around. I’m not sure why, because I had no food to offer and other visitors were also present. For whatever reason, the bird was curious about what I was doing. Curiosity drives my travel plans as well, and was what directed me towards Göbekli Tepe. Visiting the area was a highlight of my trip to Türkiye. As I hovered over the ancient site, the pages of National Geographic jumped out before my eyes. I love being where history happens, even though we don’t know who, what, or why. Experiencing the “where” provides me with an unmatchable joy that was first planted way back in the public library.
Göbekli Tepe means “pot-bellied hill.”
Dates: over 11,600 years.
Occupied: 9600-8200 BC
The closest airport is in Şanliurfa (11 miles away)
Elevation: 2,500 feet
Diameter of the mound: 985 feet
At least 20 monuments
Largest T-shaped stone: 18 feet.
Number of pillars identified: Over 200
I visited Göbleki Tepe with Gobekli Tours. If you are planning on visiting the area, I highly recommend booking with them.
Very interesting, Jason. Glad you got to experience this.
Thank you. It was an amazing thing to see in person.