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Archaeologists agree, Göbekli Tepe changes everything.
Knowledge 31
Göbekli Tepe was used for rituals, possibly funerary rituals, and as a pilgrimage destination. It is one of the world's oldest archaeological ruins and oldest temples.
Ani is located 50 km east of Kars, at the Armenian border where the river Arpaçay forms a natural border between the two countries.
Göbeklitepe is perhaps the most known and discussed archaeological site of the last decade. It was discovered in the 1990s, and excavations have been ongoing since then. Göbeklitepe is approximately 20 km northeast of Şanlıurfa. The colossal anthropomorphic statues which date back to 11000-12000 BC are extraordinary for this period of humankind. Before Göbeklitepe, the history of the Neolithic period began around 9000 BC; the colossal statues and several of the reliefs on the statues are truly unique for this period. Considering the absence of metal tools, it is remarkable to consider that the statues were made using exclusively stone tools. Nothing similar from this period has ever been found. It is understood that Göbeklitepe was a kind of shrine, consisting of round rooms, each containing these colossal statues. According to scholars, this is a cult area where ancestral cult rituals were performed that were connected to death and the underworld. There are no ceramics or signs of any settlement here; however, the giant project that was carried out at Göbeklitepe points to a very sophisticated and organized society in close vicinity. Surprisingly, the Göbeklitepe shrines were not buried by natural causes, but on purpose by people who once lived here - the reason remains a mystery. Recent surveys in the area have revealed the presence of several other similar shrines/structures from the same period.
The Neolithic period (10,000–5,000 B.C.E.) is well represented and is known internationally for several important sites. Catalhöyuk, in southern Turkey, is the largest and best preserved Neolithic site. Reaching its peak around 7,000 B.C.E., the site has evidence of plant and animal domestication and large permanent settlements. At the site of Göbeklitepe, in the southeast, archeologists uncovered a mountain-top sanctuary dating to around 9,000 B.C.E., making it the oldest identified religious structure in the world.