Overview
On a hilltop near Şanlıurfa in southeastern Türkiye, people built large circular enclosures ringed by T-shaped limestone pillars, some over five metres tall and carved with foxes, boars, snakes and birds. The earliest date to around 9500 BCE.
Göbekli Tepe changed how archaeologists think about the past: it shows that hunter-gatherer communities could organise monumental building projects before farming was fully established.
Plan your visit
Getting there, best time & where to stay
Some links are affiliate links — they support our research at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked questions
How old is Göbekli Tepe?
The earliest monumental enclosures date to around 9500 BCE — more than 11,000 years ago.
Is Göbekli Tepe older than the pyramids?
Yes, by roughly 7,000 years. The Great Pyramid of Giza was built around 2560 BCE.