Turkey
N37 13 23.671 E38 55 20.51
Date of Inscription: 2018
Criteria: (i)(ii)(iv)
Property : 126 ha
Buffer zone: 461 ha
Ref: 1572
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Located in the Germuş mountains of south-eastern Anatolia, this property presents monumental round-oval and rectangular megalithic structures erected by hunter-gatherers in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic age between 9,600 and 8,200 BCE. These monuments were probably used in connection with rituals, most likely of a funerary nature. Distinctive T-shaped pillars are carved with images of wild animals, providing insight into the way of life and beliefs of people living in Upper Mesopotamia about 11,500 years ago.
Göbekli Tepe is located in Upper Mesopotamia, a region which saw the emergence of the most ancient farming communities in the world. Monumental structures, interpreted as monumental communal buildings (enclosures), were erected by groups of hunter-gatherers in the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period (10th-9th millennia BC). The monuments were probably used in connection with social events and rituals and feature distinctive limestone T-shaped pillars, some of which are up to 5.50 meters tall. Some of the pillars, which are abstract depictions of the human form, also feature low reliefs of items of clothing, e.g. belts and loincloths, as well as high and low reliefs of wild animals. Recent excavation works have also identified the remains of non-monumental structures which appear to stem from domestic buildings.
Criterion (i): The communities that built the monumental megalithic structures of Göbekli Tepe lived during one of the most momentous transitions in human history, one which took us from hunter-gatherer lifeways to the first farming communities. The monumental buildings at Göbekli Tepe demonstrate the creative human genius of these early (Pre-Pottery Neolithic) societies.
Criterion (ii): Göbekli Tepe is one of the first manifestations of human-made monumental architecture. The site testifies to innovative building techniques, including the integration of frequently decorated T-shaped limestone pillars, which also fulfilled architectural functions. The imagery found at Göbekli Tepe, adorning T-pillars and some small finds (stone vessels, shaft-straighteners, etc.), is also found at contemporaneous sites in the Upper Mesopotamian region, thus testifying to a close social network in this core region of Neolithisation.
Criterion (iv): Göbekli Tepe is an outstanding example of a monumental ensemble of monumental megalithic structures illustrating a significant period of human history. The monolithic T-shaped pillars were carved from the adjacent limestone plateau and attest to new levels of architectural and engineering technology. They are believed to bear witness to the presence of specialized craftsmen, and possibly the emergence of more hierarchical forms of human society.
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Urfa (also Şanlıurfa, formerly Edessa) is a city in Southeastern Anatolia, and the provincial capital of Şanlıurfa Province. The modern city of Urfa is situated about 80 km east of the Euphrates River. It has a rapidly growing population. Urfa has many excellent old buildings and plenty of connections with the Old Testament and Islamic tradition. The general atmosphere and feel of the city is absolutely Middle Eastern, with all those traditional yellow stone, arched architecture, people (ladies and gentlemen alike) in Middle-East dresses, and so on… When coming from West, you’ll certainly feel like you are entering the Eastern world right in this place. People are extremely friendly, and the bazaar is great. In 1984, Urfa was renamed Şanlıurfa (i.e. “Glorious Urfa”), which is how it is shown on maps and highway signs. Şanlıurfa is usually abbreviated to Ş.Urfa on non-official signs, such as those on buses or restaurants. However, colloquially and locally, the city is still almost always referred to Urfa [read more].
Adiyaman is a Kurdish-majority city in southeastern Turkey, capital of the Adıyaman Province. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in Turkey. The population rose from 100,045 (1990) to 202,735 in 2010. The city officially had the Ottoman Turkish name Hısn-ı Mansur (“Castle of Mansur”) until the year 1926, named after the fortified castle perched on a hill around which the city grew. As the official name was difficult for the locals to pronounce, people were referring the city as adı yaman since early 19th century, which means “its name is tough” or “(the place) whose name is tough” in Turkish.[citation needed] Another likely origin of the modern Turkish name is the bad reputation that the province enjoyed due to difficult terrain and widespread banditry, hence “adı yaman”, which can also translate as “(the place) which has a bad name (reputation)”. In 1926, this term was adopted as the official name of the city [read more].
Gaziantep is a city in Southeastern Anatolia. Set in the western reaches of the Southeastern Anatolian plateau, Gaziantep is a surprisingly large (with a population of almost 2,000,000) and modern city. Among the locals, the city is informally known by its old name, Antep. The honorific gazi (Turkish for “veteran”), now an official part of the name, was added in 1921 in honour of the fierce resistance of the locals against the French (who ruled the neighbouring Syria between 1920 and 1946) who occupied the city for a number of months in 1921, after the Ottoman Turkey and its allies lost the World War I. G.Antep, which can often be seen on some signs, is a compromise between the shorter, colloquial name, and the longer, official form. Visit the castle, explore the bazaars and don’t forget the museum. There are a lot of museums in the center of city, especially some of them are close to castle [read more].
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