Since it was opened to the public, the hilltop site of Göbeklitepe near Anlurfa has generated hundreds of headlines worldwide, been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site (and served as the inspiration for the Netflix series The Gift).
Archaeologists believe this small site of towering T-shaped pillars inscribed with animal figures and anthropomorphic details dates from the pre-pottery Neolithic era and is the world’s earliest religious sanctuary.
Although it lacks the awe-inspiring quality of Turkey’s many later Bronze Age and Greco-Roman ancient sites, Göbeklitepe’s significance in our understanding of early human history has made it one of the most popular tourist attractions in Turkey’s southeast.