Gobeklitepe & Urfa Tour

Early morning you will be picked up from your hotel in Istanbul, transfer to airport and flight to Urfa. On your arrival you will be met at the airport by our guide then driven to Gobeklitepe to enjoy your day in Gobeklitepe and Urfa.

Gobeklıtepe is the oldest religious site yet discovered anywhere. What makes Gobeklitepe unique in its class is the date it was built, which is roughly twelve thousand years ago, circa 10,000 BC. Archaeologically categorised as a site of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A Period (c. 9600–7300 BC) Gobeklitepe is a series of mainly circular and oval-shaped structures set on the top of a hill. Excavations began in 1995 by Prof. Klaus Schmidt with the help of the German Archaeological Institute. There is archaeological proof that these installations were not used for domestic use, but predominantly for ritual or religious purposes. Subsequently it became apparent that Gobeklitepe consists of not only one, but many of such stone age temples. Furthermore, both excavations and geo-magnetic results revealed that there are at least 20 installations, which in archaeological terms can be called a temple. Based on what has been unearthed so far, the pattern principle seems to be that there are two huge monumental pillars in the center of each installation, surrounded by enclosures and walls, featuring more pillars in those set-ups.

All pillars are T-shaped with heights changing from 3 to 6 meters. Archaeologists interpret those T-shapes as stylized human beings, mainly because of the depiction of human extremities that appear on some of the pillars. What also appears on these mystical rock statues, are carvings of animals as well as abstract symbols, sometimes picturing a combination of scenes. Foxes, snakes, wild boars, cranes, wild ducks are most common. Most of these were carved into the flat surfaces of these pillars. Then again, we also come across some three-dimensional sculptures, in shape of a predator depicting a lion, descending on the side of a T-pillar.

Each T-shaped pillar varies between 40 to 60 tonnes, leaving us scratching our heads as to how on earth they accomplished such a monumental feat. In a time when even simple hand tools were hard to come by, how did they get these stone blocks there, and how did they erect them? With no settlement or society to speak of, with farming still a far cry away, in a world of only roaming hunter-gatherers, the complexity and developed blueprints of these temples represents another enigma for archaeologists.

After visiting Gobeklitepe we continue to our day tour with the main sightseeing areas in Urfa city centre, we visit Abraham’s Cave and the surrounding Pools of Holy Carp, then we walk around the oriental covered bazaar. Lunch in a local restaurant which makes really delicious kebabs typical of the Urfa region. Enjoy a ‘’Mirra’’ (a sort of Turkish coffee).

Transfer to airport and flight to Istanbul. Transfer to your hotel in Istanbul or we can extend your holiday on to your next Turkey travel destination.