Archaeologist Çiğdem Köksal, investigator of the Göbeklitepe archaeological site in Şanlıurfa, who is also the widow of the archaeologist Klaus Schmidt, and has been part of every phase of the expedition, will tell the story of the exploration of Göbeklitepe at an event organized by the Üsküdar Municipality. Köksal will answer important questions such as why the discovery of Göbeklitepe, which some claim is home to one of earliest temples of mankind, is more important than the discovery of the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge in the U.K., how this archaeological discovery caused a stir among academics and disproved several theories about its history, who built Göbeklitepe, why they built it and what makes Göbeklitepe different from other Neolithic Age sites. The panel session will take place today at 7:00 p.m. at the Bağlarbaşı Cultural Center. As a part of the "Excavations that Change the Course of History" project, the Üsküdar Municipality will also host a panel session on Göbeklitepe with renowned speakers. The well-known archaeologist, Nezih Başgelen, will moderate the panel session, which focuses on excavations that have changed the course of history, from Dicle and Meriç to Göbeklitepe and Yenikapı, and he will share images of the excavations. Veteran archaeologist Refik Duru will comment on the importance of these excavations, while journalist and author Mehmet Ali Bulut will talk about their importance vis-a-vis the history of religions. Moreover, the screening of the documentary "This is Göbeklitepe," will take place, and a photography exhibition will open to participants during another panel session co-coordinated by the renowned actor Adnan Erdoğan and the historian-author Yaşar İliksiz. Salih Koca curated the photo exhibition titled "Göbeklitepe: From Past to Today."
