Long ago, before there were any cities, any farming, or any pottery, people gathered on a hill in what is now southern Türkiye and created something incredible. Huge stone pillars, decorated with animals and symbols, were arranged in huge circular structures. It is believed to be the oldest known temple in the world. Dating back some 12,000 years, it has led archaeologists to reconsider the beginning of civilization. Just as quickly as it had arrived, it was deliberately buried, and the people who built it had disappeared. However, new discoveries are constantly revealing new aspects of the mystery.
Gobekli Tepe : Türkiye’s 9600 BC temple built by hunters
Discovered in the 1990s and studied extensively by German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt, he told the BBC, it is ancient, dating to around 9600 BC, long before Stonehenge or the pyramids. It consists of large circular buildings with huge T-shaped limestone pillars rising high into the air, some weighing several tons and decorated with pictures of animals, foxes, lions, birds, etc. looking back at you. What’s even more strange is that they were built by hunter-gatherers, who had not yet domesticated plants or developed cities. In fact, they apparently survived by finding food in the forest, but somehow managed to make it. Schmidt’s take? “This is a supernova, a moment in time that completely revolutionizes our view of the early history of humans.”
A discovery that rewrites human history
It has long been believed that farming came first, followed by settlement and then the construction of monuments and temples. Gobekli Tepe turns this entire process upside down.Evidence suggests that the place existed before the settlement of farmers and it is probably a case of shared beliefs and customs that brought people together. Some people believe that the process of building such large structures may have been the beginning of farming.As Schmidt suggested, Gobekli Tepe may have been a turning point in history in which religion and work together led to the beginning of civilization. There is strong discussion in academic circles that this “probably was the spark that propelled mankind towards farming.”What is even more interesting is that there is no trace of houses or living space at this place. In an interview, Schmidt asked the question that’s still on everyone’s mind: “We can’t find anyone home… where is everyone?”This suggests that people may have come from far-flung areas to gather here for rituals or ceremonies before dispersing again.
Why was Gobekli Tepe deliberately buried?
One of the most puzzling aspects of Gobekli Tepe is not how it was built, but why it was deliberately buried. Around 8000 BC, the entire site was deliberately buried under tons of dirt and debris.This was not done due to any natural disaster. According to a summary of the research conducted at Gobekli Tepe, the layer concealing the site was “inserted here by man himself.”
Why would a civilization bury something so large?
There is no single answer, but several theories exist:
- This site may have lost its religious significance
- A cultural or social change may have made it obsolete
- New belief systems could replace old belief systems
- It may have been deliberately protected or hidden
Schmidt himself acknowledged the uncertainty, saying that the cause was unknown, although the act clearly marked “the end of a very strange culture”.
disappearance of builders
The big question in people’s minds is what happened to the people who built Gobekli Tepe. There is no clear indication of any sudden disaster or war and migration. What we find is a gradual decline, and this is linked to major changes in the way people live their lives. At the same time that Göbekli Tepe was being built, there were signs of the emergence of early farming and settled communities. This shows that the people who built Gobekli Tepe did not disappear but evolved. They moved away from ritual gatherings towards settled communities and farming. Gobekli Tepe is thus the final chapter of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle and the first page of a new chapter for humanity.
Why does Gobekli Tepe still matter today?
Gobekli Tepe is not just an ancient site; It is a gateway to a time in human history when the world was on the brink of revolution.It challenges all the old theories about the origins of civilization, suggesting that trust, cooperation, and shared goals may have been as important as the need for survival.Today, much of the site remains buried underground, with only a small portion having been excavated so far. This means that there is still much to be discovered in the future.At the end of the day, Gobekli Tepe teaches us that the story of the development of civilization is much more complex and interesting than we previously thought.