Göbekli Tepe

archaeology · ancient history · Neolithic

Massive stone temple. Göbekli Tepe contains huge circular structures with tall stone pillars, some as high as a five-story building, that are among the very oldest giant stone monuments ever built by humans.

Animal carvings. Many of the stone pillars are decorated with beautiful carvings of wild animals like foxes, boars, and snakes, which tell us what creatures lived in the area thousands of years ago.

Incredibly ancient. People built Göbekli Tepe around 9500 BCE, which was during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period, about 11,500 years ago, before people even invented pottery.

Sacred gathering place. Archaeologists believe Göbekli Tepe was a religious temple where ancient people gathered for ceremonies, even before they built permanent villages or started farming.

Puzzle pieces. The pillars also have carvings that look like clothing and human features, giving scientists clues about what ancient people believed and how they saw themselves in the world.