Gobeklitepe Daily Tour From Istanbul
The oldest known monumental architecture on earth. Circles of carved T-shaped limestone pillars near Şanlıurfa, raised around 9500 BC — roughly 6,000 years before Stonehenge and before agriculture, pottery or the wheel.
- At the gate
- £471.75
- Allow
- 1h 30m
- District
- Closed
- Open daily
Gu00f6beklitepe, in short
The oldest known monumental architecture on earth. Circles of carved T-shaped limestone pillars near u015eanlu0131urfa, raised around 9500 BC u2014 roughly 6,000 years before Stonehenge and before agriculture, pottery or the wheel.
It overturned the assumption that farming came first and temples followed. Here, monumental building appears to have come first.
What it costs
From u20ac555 separately, including flights. Included on the pass.
The day
Hotel pick-up around 03:30 to 04:30, a flight to u015eanlu0131urfa and a drive to the site, returning the same evening. It is a long way southeast u2014 this is not a trip you can drive in a day.
What you will see
The excavated enclosures are under a modern shelter, walked on raised walkways. The pillars carry carved foxes, boars, cranes, scorpions and snakes, and the largest stand over five metres. Less than a tenth of the site has been excavated.
Who it is for
This is a trip for people who care about archaeology. There is no architecture to admire in the conventional sense u2014 the significance is the date, and understanding that is most of the experience. Ask questions of the guide; they carry the day.
Frequently asked questions
- A complex of carved stone enclosures near u015eanlu0131urfa dating to roughly 9500 BC u2014 the oldest known monumental architecture anywhere.
- It predates farming, pottery and the wheel, which upended the long-held assumption that settled agriculture had to come before monumental building.
- By air. The tour flies to u015eanlu0131urfa and drives to the site, returning the same day.
- Less than ten per cent. Most of the site is still in the ground.