Göbeklitepe

The common feature of these structures is that 10-12 T-shaped obelisks are arranged in a round plan and between them are built with a stone wall. In the center of this structure, two higher obelisks are placed opposite each other. Human, hand and arm, various animal and abstract symbols are embossed or carved on most of these obelisks.

The motifs in question have been used too intensely to be an ornament from place to place. This composition is thought to express a story, a narrative or a message. Bull, wild boar, fox, snake, wild duck and vulture are the most common motifs in animal motifs.[5] It is described as a cult center, not a settlement. It is understood that the cult structures here were built by the last hunter groups who were close to agriculture and animal husbandry. In this case, it is claimed that the earliest use of the region dates back to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic Age, that is, at least 11,600 years ago.

The obelisks in question are interpreted as stylized human sculptures. In particular, the human hand and arm motifs found on the body of the D-shaped central obelisks dispel all doubts on this subject. Therefore, the concept of "obelisk" is used as an auxiliary concept that does not specify a function. Essentially, these "obelisks" are stylized sculptures that depict the human body in three dimensions.

However, it is not possible to date the oldest activities in Göbeklitepe; However, when these monumental structures are examined, it is thought that they have a history dating back to the Paleolithic Age, a few thousand years older, to the epipaleolithic. The use of Göbeklitepe as a cult center continued until 8000 BC and was abandoned after this date, for other or similar purposes. appears not to have been used.

All these and the monumental architecture unearthed in the excavations make Göbeklitepe a unique and special structure. In this context, it was included in the World Heritage tentative list by UNESCO in 2011 and entered the permanent list in 2018.