Gobeklitepe

Gobeklitepe is approximately 15 km from the center of Sanliurfa province. It is the oldest known cult group of the world located near the Orencik Village in the north east. The common feature of these constructions is the 10-12 obelisks in the form of a T, arranged on a round plan, with a stone wall. At the center of this structure two obelisks of higher height were placed mutually.

Most of these obelisks are depicted with human, hand and arm, various animals and abstract symbols, embossed or engraved. These motifs have been used intensely enough to be a decoration.

It is thought that this composition expresses a story, a narrative or a message. In animal motifs, bull, wild boar, fox, snakes, wild ducks and vultures are the most common motifs. It is defined as a settlement, not a cult center. It is understood that the cult structures there were constructed by the last hunting groups close to the transitional stage of production – agriculture and animal husbandry.

In other words, Gobeklitepe is an important cult center in terms of hunter-gatherer groups with a highly developed and deepened belief system in the periphery.

In this case it is suggested that the earliest use of the zone was based on the Evolution of the Aceramic Neolithic (PPN, Pre-Pottery Neolithic) to 9,600 – 7,300 BC, at least 11,600 years ago. However, it is not yet possible to date the oldest activities in Göbeklitepe, but considering this monumental structure, it is thought to be a history dating back to the Paleolithic Age, going back to several million years ago, epipaleolithic.

It is understood that the use of Göbekli Tepe as a cult center continued until around 8 thousand BC and was abandoned after these dates and was not used for other or similar purposes. All these and the monumental architecture discovered in the excavations make the

Gobeklitepe unique and special. In this context, UNESCO has been nominated for World Heritage on 15.04.2011. All these obelisks are interpreted as stylized human sculptures. The human hand and arm motifs, especially in the shape of the central obelisks of Structure D, remove any suspicion in this regard. Therefore, the term “obelisk” is used as an auxiliary concept that does not function. Essentially these “obelisks” are chiseled in a stylized style that depicts the human body in three dimensions.