15 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The Ground Zero of History: Göbeklitepe Site Targets 1M Visitors in 2021

Göbeklitepe, which is called “the zero point of human history” and “The place where civilization was born’’, is located takes near Örencik Neighborhood, 18 kilometers from Şanlıurfa city center.

Göbeklitepe was included in the UNESCO “World Heritage Tentative List” in 2011 and was included in the World Heritage List at the 42nd World Heritage Committee Meeting held in Bahrain on 1 July 2018.

The ancient site of Gobeklitepe in southeastern Turkey’s Sanliurfa province hopes to host at least 1 million visitors in 2021, according to the head of the excavation team.

Noting that last year passed with tight measures aimed to fight the novel coronavirus pandemic, Celal Uludag, director of the Sanliurfa Museum and head of excavation at the Gobeklitepe site, told Anadolu Agency they expect “a big increase” in the number of visitors in 2021.

“Following the vaccinations in our country, a large visitor density is expected in May and June. Hopefully, after this pandemic is over, our target is to host at least 1 million visitors. Of course, these numbers will continue to increase afterward,” he said.

He underlined that in 2019, Gobeklitepe hosted around half a million visitors — both domestic and foreign tourists, adding the high volume of tourists coming to visit the site continued until the beginning of 2020.

The ancient site of Gobeklitepe
The ancient site of Gobeklitepe

Uludag went on to say that the number of visitors dropped last year due to the closure of the archaeological site and the curfew restrictions taken as part of measures against COVID-19.

However, he said, despite this situation, 250,000 people visited Gobeklitepe in 2020.

He emphasized that visits to the site during the year have been arranged by taking the necessary precautions, noting that due to the open-air structure of the area, visitors were able to visit the site without forming crowds.

Uludag also said that this year’s excavations at the archaeological site will be mainly focused on restoration and conservation work to eliminate the negative effects on the site that may arise from adverse weather conditions.

The German Archaeological Institute and Sanliurfa Museum have done joint work at the site since 1995 and have found T-shaped obelisks from the Neolithic era measuring 3-6 meters (10-20 feet) high and weighing 40-60 tons.

During the excavations, 12,000-year-old diverse artifacts like human statues with a height of 65 centimeters (26 inches) were also discovered.

Cover Photo: Eşber Ayaydın/AA

Related Articles

7.5 Million Annual Elephant Skulls Fossil Were Found in Turkey “Choerolophodon Pentelic”

17 March 2021

17 March 2021

A complete skull fossil from 7.5 million years ago was discovered on the bank of the Yamula Dam in the...

The 20-million-year-old fossil of a sea creature in the ancient city of Tyana may have been used as a means of payment

22 October 2021

22 October 2021

During the ongoing excavations in the ancient city of Tyana in the Kemerhisar district of Niğde, a 20-million-year-old fossil thought...

30 Graves Found in the Basilica-Planned Ancient City

4 April 2021

4 April 2021

Kibyra ancient city is situated south of Turkey, located in the town Gölhisar in the southwestern part of Burdur Province,...

In western Turkey, inscriptions and 2,500-year-old sculptures were found

11 July 2021

11 July 2021

Two 2,500-year-old marble statues and an inscription have been found during excavations at the ancient city of Euromos, in Turkey’s...

A First in Türkiye: ‘Pilgrim Dimitrakis’ Inscribed Skull Found in Sinop

1 August 2024

1 August 2024

A male skull with the Greek inscription “Pilgrim Dimitrakis” was found during archaeological excavations at Balatlar Church in Sinop, on...

The ancient city of Karkamış “House of the Seal” brings a different perspective to the Hittite-Assyrian relations with its important finds

6 May 2022

6 May 2022

Historical artifacts discovered during excavations by Turkish and Italian teams in the ancient city of Karkamış (Carchemish) in southern Gaziantep...

13th-Century skeletons Unearthed in Annaea Mound

8 May 2021

8 May 2021

At the historical Kadıkalesi archaeological site in Turkey’s western Aydin province’s Kuşadası district, a total of five skeletons thought to...

Three-room Urartian tomb with liquid offering area (libation) found in eastern Turkey

18 January 2023

18 January 2023

A three-room Urartian tomb with a rock-cut libation (liquid offering area) to offer gifts to the gods was unearthed in...

During the demolition work, a 2,500-year-old bull heads alto relievo was discovered in Sinop

20 April 2022

20 April 2022

During the demolition work of the buildings in front of the historical city walls for the City Square National Garden...

9,500-Year-Old Public Building with Red Floor Unearthed at Çayönü Tepesi, Türkiye

7 September 2025

7 September 2025

Archaeologists have unearthed a 9,500-year-old public building with a striking red-painted floor at Çayönü Tepesi, one of the world’s most...

The Jinn of Girnavaz Mound

6 February 2021

6 February 2021

Girnavaz mound is in the north of Nusaybin district of Mardin province and Nusaybin 4 km is away. It is...

Persian-era plaster walls were discovered during excavations at Zeyve Höyük in central Turkey

2 August 2022

2 August 2022

This year’s excavations at Porsuk-Zeyve Höyük (Zeyve Mound) near the Porsuk village of the Ulukışla district of Niğde, located in...

New Insights From Researchers About The World’s Longest Aqueduct

11 May 2021

11 May 2021

The Roman Empire’s aqueducts are magnificent specimens of the art of architecture. Although centuries have passed since these aqueducts were...

Getting to Know Matar Kubilea

8 February 2021

8 February 2021

Hittite state’s, With its collapse in 1200-1190 BC, Anatolia entered a period of drift from holistic to dispersal. (The Hittite...

2000-year-old passage found after Latrina at Smyrna Theater

28 January 2022

28 January 2022

Archaeologists discovered a 2,000-year-old passage that was 26 meters long and constructed in an “L” form in the theater part...