The ancient site of Göbeklitepe, described as the "zero point of history," has hosted 2.55 million visitors in southeastern Türkiye since it officially opened to the public in 2019.
Located near the rural Örencik district, 18 kilometers (11 miles) from the center of Şanlıurfa, the ruins were first discovered in 1963 during surface studies by researchers from Istanbul and Chicago universities. The most concrete findings emerged in 1986, with a statue found by a farmer plowing his field.
In the studies carried out jointly by the Şanlıurfa Museum and the German Archaeological Institute since 1995, "T" shaped obelisks with wild animal figures, 3-6 meters (10-20 feet) tall and 40-60 tons in weight, were found from the Neolithic period.
During the excavations, various historical artifacts were also unearthed, such as the world's oldest temple ruins, which are circular and rectangular in shape, with a diameter of 8-30 meters, and a 65-centimeter-long human statue, which is said to date back approximately 12,000 years.
Göbeklitepe, which attracted the attention of the whole world with the findings, was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List on July 2, 2018. Following the installation of a roof and landscaping, the official opening of Göbeklitepe was held on March 8, 2019, with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
The interest of local and foreign tourists in Göbeklitepe, which was greatly increased after being added to the UNESCO list, increased with President Erdoğan declaring 2019 as the "Year of Göbeklitepe."
Göbeklitepe site head and Şanlıurfa Museum Director Celal Uludağ said that the findings discovered during the excavations at the ruins have very important influence on the world of archaeology.
Pointing out that the number of visitors is increasing every year, Uludağ said that the excavations that started in the region in 1995 are continuing and that the artifacts have attracted the attention of the whole world to this region.
Mentioning the example of the pig statue found in 2023, Uludağ said: "In fact, we can describe this work as the world's oldest painted pig statue made in real size. This work is exhibited at the Şanlıurfa Archeology Museum. Of course, excavations continue in Göbeklitepe, within the scope of the Taştepeler project. These excavations will continue in the coming years. With these finds, Göbeklitepe continues to become the focus of people's attention."
"People who come here are truly amazed when they see these structures in the area, especially the human figures and animal figures on the stelae. The Göbeklitepe ruins are actually the oldest and most special in terms of monumental architecture in the world. People visit Göbeklitepe after wondering about its history.
"We think that the number of visitors will continue to increase in the coming years. Göbeklitepe is truly one of the important points and important centers that changed the history of the world," Uludağ said.
