Göbekli Tepe means something like bulbous hill. And has thrown the archaeological world into turmoil. The finds here raise important questions about how, when and why complex human societies emerged.
So we set off to explore the whole thing. Unfortunately, there is no sign of the great view we were promised today. We're all alone, which is probably due to the thickest fog we've ever had.
The audio guide tells us a lot and we immerse ourselves in the mysticism. First in the really great interactive exhibition (we are still hoping that the fog will clear), then we trudge up the bulbous mountain to admire the stone circles and probably the oldest temples.
The mountain, or rather the pile, the result of great organisation and imagination, is not only the oldest monument of its kind, but in many ways represents the (new) ground zero of history. The fact that people who lived as hunter-gatherers built temples to such a high architectural standard has caused worldwide astonishment.
Göbekli Tepe, dated to around 9600 to 8200 BC, is older than all previously known agricultural societies. The discovery that this monumental site was built by a society that was not yet established in agriculture challenges the traditional view that complex social structures only emerged after the development of agriculture. The temple, which was designed and built around 12,000 years ago, has caused a worldwide sensation as it is around 7,500 years older than the pyramids in Egypt and Stonehenge in England.
The wishing tree at the top of the mountain has almost disappeared in the fog. We pause for a moment and, for once, don't make a wish. Because here we wish for fertility and many children of our own. As we are quite happy with our fertility and grateful for our children (and have closed the subject for the time being, at least for us), we don't tie a wish ribbon to the tree. And leave room for the many couples who have yet to start a family.
Sources: https://www.kulturportali.gov.tr/portal/gobeklitepe & https://www.ktb.gov.tr/TR-288623/gobeklitepe.html & https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6bekli_Tepe
Merci for "travelling with us
We are thinking about taking another break from travelling in the summer and visiting our families in Germany and Switzerland. One of the ideas is to organise a Lecture about our long journey to the Persian Gulf to prepare. If you would like to, what would interest you the most? We will also tell stories here that don't find a place here on the blog. We're thinking of the Bern and Berlin area - simply because we have family there. But other places are also conceivable. Feel free to write to us.
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