When we told our neighbour that we were going to Turkey, he told us we had to visit Gobekli Tepe, the 12,000 year old Neolithic temple that happened to be the oldest religious site in the world… and like almost everyone we’ve met, we’d never heard of it!
Gobekli Tepe has not yet arrived on the international tourist radar but it most certainly will do so. This Neolithic collection of stone circles is said to be the oldest temple ever built by mankind. At 12,000 years old it predates Stonehenge and the Pyramids by 6,500 years and is a wonder to behold.
The reason Gobekli Tepe has not really yet been ‘discovered’ by tourists is its remote location in a somewhat turbulent region. Although it requires effort to visit but it is well worth it. Recently declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2018, Gobekli Tepe is set to be the next big thing yet it receives hardly any visitors at present. This amazing site is just waiting to be discovered!
What is Gobekli Tepe?
Gobekli Tepe is a collection of stone circles which is thought to be a prehistoric site of worship. It was constructed by Neolithic man with stone tools. The circles consist of two large T shaped pillars facing each other in the centre, surrounded by a circle of smaller pillars. Also walls were built connecting the circle.
Many of the pillars are adorned with sculptures of images of animals and human forms, carved intricately into the rock with stone tools. Scientist are still trying to figure out the meaning of the images and theories are constantly being formed.
The site is enormous and only a small percentage has been excavated. Only 4 circles are exposed in the main excavation site and there are supposed to be over 20 in total. It is considered that the deeper buried stones underground will be even older, some expected to date back up to 14,000 years.
Watch – Visiting Gobekli Tepe The short version
Gobekli Tepe creates a new theory
Gobekli Tepe is an enigma that has confounded archaeologists worldwide and turned around the conventional view of how mankind settled into an organised society. Before Gobekli Tepe it was considered that prehistoric man settled from hunting and gathering into a farming lifestyle, domesticating animals and crops. Then with the free time and energy we were able to build communities, settlements and eventually temples as places of worship.
But the findings at Gobekli Tepe show that this site was constructed well before the hunter gatherers settled and the domestication of the wild Einkorn wheat in the area came afterwards. The need for a large group to construct the site of worship was the impetus to settle, not the result of settlement.
A very good article from the Smithsonian for further reading here
Moving on – Read One Month In Iran
Where is Gobekli Tepe?
Gobekli Tepe is in the region of Eastern Anatolia, modern-day south east Turkey, only 50 kilometers from the border with Syria. It is only 12 kilometers outside the ancient city of Sanliurfa which is the perfect base to visit the site.
This area is located in the northern edge of the Fertile Crescent. This was the fertile area that is considered to be the dawn of civilisation, where mankind was able to live off the land and benefit from its fecundity. The Fertile Crescent stretches from the Levant, across modern-day Syria, into Turkey and northern Iraq. This was called Mesopotamia, the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers where the land was rich and bountiful.
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Historical context
Gobekli Tepe is 12,000 years old
To fully appreciate the enormity of this discovery we have to try to understand the historical context of this site of worship. This is what totally blows my mind!! It was built by neolithic man with stone age tools, yet he was skilled enough to carve elaborate images into the stones. Images that had huge significance and which hopefully, one day, we will be able to understand the meaning of. This was completed 6,000 years before writing was invented!
Other megaliths and historic sites around the world pale in comparison as far as age is concerned. I do not want to do them injustice but the other megaliths are babies in relative time. Stonehenge is a mere 4,500 years old and there is not a single image carved on those stones. Likewise, the Pyramids of Giza are also around 4,500 years old and until recently they were considered to be a symbol of the rise of human civilisation.
We can now see why the discovery of Gobekli Tepe has to be one of the most ground breaking archaeological discoveries of our time!
First go to the Sanliurfa musem
So now you understand how ground breaking this place is and you want to visit. Get yourself to Sanliurfa and then the first thing you want to do is pay a visit to the vastly impressive Sanliurfa museum.
The museum has a large collection of artifacts excavated from Gobekli Tepe and the surrounding area which date back to the same time period as the site. There are many carved stone sculptures and a lot of tools to show what neolithic man was working with.
The prize find in the Sanliurfa museum is the Urfa man. The oldest full size stone sculpture of man in the world. He was found in the Sanliurfa area and is 11,000 years old.
As well as the carvings, there are a lot of explanations and information on life in Mesopotamia 12,000 years ago and it really prepares you for a visit to Gobekli Tepe. Moreover, many of the significant carved stones have been recreated so you can have a good look at the detail up close which is hard to do at the site because you are looking from a distance above there.
We spent over 4 hours at the museum absorbing all the fascinating information and it really helped to improve our understanding of the story and our enjoyment of the visit to the temple.
The museum is open 8 – 5 Tuesday to Sunday. It is closed on Mondays
Entrance fee – 14 Lira
The fee includes entrance to the Mosaic museum next door which is also well worth a look to see the uncovered Greek mosaics from ancient Edessa.
Read – Visiting Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan
How to visit Gobekli Tepe
Gobekli Tepe is 12 kilomters N/E of Sanliurfa.
The cheapest way to get there is by public transport. The Sanliurfa city council have put on a bus that leaves 3 times a day to and from Sanliurfa. The first bus of the day leaves from the Museum at 9.45 and the Abide bus station at 10.00
The bus costs 5 TL each way and you pay the driver on the bus.
It returns at 12pm, 3pm and 6pm
During the 30 minute journey out to the site you really get a feel of how fertile the region is as you pass fields of productive farmland growing corn, cotton and wheat.
See the timetable below.
The Abide bus station is in the north of the centre near to the big roundabout where the Havas airport shuttle leaves from. Look for the huge Turkey flag painted on the side of a building. On Maps.Me it is marked as Airport Shuttle.
Arriving at Gobekli Tepe
On arrival you buy a ticket from the brand new ticket office. It costs 36 TL to visit the site which includes the shuttle bus which takes you the 1 kilometre from the ticket office to the stones and back.
There is a highly informative and interesting animation centre near to the ticket office which shows a short documentary on the history and the meaning of the site. The animation is a large movie screen display of the rise of the neolithic civilisation and the construction of the site and is very well done. It costs an extra 6 TL and is definitely worth the money as it really puts the site into perspective.
The combined ticket is 42 TL
Watch – Visiting Gobekli Tepe The full version
Our experience visiting Gobekli Tepe
After spending a good hour and a half marvelling at the displays in the animation centre, we stepped out into the brutal heat of an August day with the temperature pushing 40 degrees. Next an air conditioned shuttle bus whizzed us up to the excavation site bus stop. From there it was a short walk on a custom made board walk to the main excavation area.
The first thing we noticed was the lack of people around the site. Normally at a site of this magnitude there would be an army of tour groups jostling for position but here there were only a handful of visitors with all the space in the world to stand and soak in the views which was so refreshing.
Take your time
An enormous roof has been constructed over the stones to preserve the carvings and to protect the archaeologists from the harsh sun i imagine. Consequently it is a little difficult to photograph the images on the stones as the detail of the sculpture is in shade. Therefore, this is another good reason to head to the museum in Sanliurfa to take close up photos of the copies of carvings on display there.
The board walk encircles the main excavation site and the structures A,B,C and D which are the best preserved structures of Gobekli Tepe. We spent hours slowly circumnavigating the circles, observing the many T pillars from every different angle conceivable. It’s amazing what the eye can see when you give yourself time to observe and these captivating carvings really deserve the time spent on close inspection. We were totally awe struck to think that these images were carved by neolithic man 12,000 years ago using stone age tools.
Don’t forget to look out for the highlights
- The Vulture stone at structure B
- The carving on the tallest T-pillars at structure D
- The 3 dimensional predator at structure C
In conclusion our visit was, for us, a highlight of this region. We spent almost 5 hours at the stones in total. Not only did we find the structures at Gobekli Tepe intriguing but the stunning location had us captivated too. This World Class site was well worth the effort to visit. We feel privileged to have had the opportunity to see, first hand one of history’s greatest archaeological discoveries.
Where to stay in Sanliurfa
Aslan Konuk Evi guest house – 50 TL each in the 9 bed dorm.
As Frugal Travellers we always search for the best bargains. When it comes to accommodation and we found a great one here at the Aslan. We shopped around a bit when we arrived in Sanliurfa but chose this because it is in a great location, the owners are very friendly, the free breakfast is substantial and it is set in a wonderful, historic house in the old town. The dorm is an atmospheric vaulted basement with character. We loved staying here so much we extended for 6 nights and would return in a flash.
Who are the frugal Travellers?
How to get to Sanliurfa
Sanliurfa is a big city and has plenty of transport links with the rest of the country. Buses go to all the big Turkish cities. We arrived and left by bus from the Otogar on the northern outskirts of the city. There are a few local buses from the Otogar into the centre of Sanliurfa which costs 2.50 TL (US 42 cents)
We arrived by bus from Iraqi Kurdistan which took 17 hours from Erbil and cost US $35. Read about Erbil here.
We left by bus to Nevshehir in Cappadocia to go to Goreme. We took the night bus so saved on accommodation, leaving at 7.30 pm and took 10 hours. Cost 100 TL
100 TL = US$ 17
See the latest exchange rate on XE.COM
Some useful Turkish bus company and booking websites
- Busbud
- NeredenNereye
- Metro Turizm
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Comment below
What are your thoughts on Gobekli Tepe? Do you have any theories? Would you like to visit?
Please leave us a comment below if you have anything to add or have any questions about visiting Gobekli Tepe? We’d love to hear from you!
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Happy Travels!
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42 thoughts on “How to visit Gobekli Tepe”
Another good, in-depth article.
Thank you for your kind words. This really was a huge travel highlight for us and we hope we can inspire others to visit.
can you actually get up close to the tall stones, touch the carvings, and walk amongst the ruins?
No – you walk around the ruins on the elevated walkway. The best close-up views of the stones are the ones in the Sanliurfa Archeological museum – it’s well worth a visit before going to Gobekli Tepe.
Awsome, thanks! Will follow your instructions now
Excellent! We so recommend going to the Şanlıurfa Archeological Museum first – we spent almost a full day there, and it really added to the Göbekli Tepe experience! Have a wonderful time!
Hi there! I’d like to know which season is better to go (which months). Thanks!
Hi there. We were there in August and it was ridiculously hot! We’d advise going in the northern hemisphere spring or autumn… or if you go in summer, take plenty of water. It’s an incredible place to visit – have an excellent time there!
This is super helpful. Thank you for the detailed descriptions and directions. I’ll be visiting in early May when the weather should be a little kinder. Thanks again!
We are glad to be of assistance Anne. You’ll love it there. It really is a remarkable place. One of the most thought provoking sights I’ve ever visited on earth. If you think of any questions, we’ll be glad to assist. Enjoy!
Thank you for this informative article. Hopefully I’ll be visiting later this year when the global situation starts to improve. I am absolutely fascinated by ancient history and the origins of mankind. I tend to believe that the truth is quite distanced from much of what mainstream archaeology teaches, and seeing this site in person would be a truly mindblowing experience. Cheers from Seattle.
Hi Ashton
I’m glad you enjoyed the article and found it useful. I’m sure the global situation will improve eventually and we can all get back to our normal lives. The situation at the moment feels really surreal. Gobekli Tepe is a truly fascinating place. The thing I love about it is that it has already disproved a lot of conventional thought from mainstream archaeology and there are possibly many more secrets buried under there which can reveal even more. If there is one place on earth worth visiting then it is right there! Hope you get to see it!
Hola, me interesa mucho viajar a Turquía, soy un loco por la historia antigua, pero no se inglés, sería un problema, es posible un guía de habla Español, gracias?
Hola David.
Seguro que Gobekli Tepe es un sitio absolutamente increible para alguien que tiene interes en la historia antigua. Creo que puede ser un poco dificil viajar en Turquia sin hablar ingles, pero no impossible. No se guias ahi porque mi primer lengua es ingles. Nosotros utilizemos mucho el Google Translate app para traducir lenguas cuando viajamos. Es gratis y puede descargar cualquier lengua que quieres para que pueda utilizarla offline. Suerte amigo.
Really enjoyed your in depth article. I will be visiting Turkey after the travel bans are lifted and this is one place I want to go to. Thanks again for sharing your experience!
So glad you enjoyed the article, Carol. You’re going to love visiting Gobekli Tepe when you can. Hopefully in the near future. Wishing you safe and happy travels!
Hi, I’m in Turkey. I’d like to visit Gobekli Tepe but this zone os not recommend by my embassy because of the proxymity with Syria. How did you feel there ? Is it safe ?
Sorry about the delay in responding. Haven’t checked this for a while. We felt totally safe there in August 2019. The only indication we were close to a conflict zone was the occasional Turkish fighter jet buzzing overhead nearby.
It’s always best to check the current situation before travelling.
Hello, it’s July 2021 and I’ve just been to Gobekli Tepe! Your advice was brilliant, thank you very much. The site is spectacular! The museum superb, the whole thing is so well done! I feel very safe in Sanliurfa and also did at the site itself. It’s a very relaxed city. The bus fair is now 6 not 5 and the bus comes back at 4 not 3 (but that could be because it’s a Sunday) . Highly recommended visiting, so much history here. Friendly locals. All good!
Thank you so much for your excellent comment, David! We’re so pleased our post was of assistance. Thank you for sharing the recent changes to the bus price and return time… that will be so useful for fellow frugal travellers! – Mandy
Fascinating post, thanks for sharing the info. I’ve been wanting to visit Gobekli Tepe for some time and hopefully this will now be possible in 2022. It was great to see the options for travelling frugally, we’d be a bit less budget so looking to fly and use guest house/hotel rather than a dorm, has anyone got any recommendations for good places to stay in Sanliufra?
Hello Andy
Thank you for your great comment and we’re pleased our information will be helpful to you.
Maybe check Booking dot com to see what is available in Sanliurfa, accommodation-wise.
We hope your trip goes ahead and that you are as enthralled by Gobekli Tepe as we were,and still are!
All the best! ~ Mandy
Thanks Mandy, found a hotel on B.com and flights booked! Excited to be finally able to visit after following the excavations for so long online!
Thanks so much for this blog post. Thanks to this we ended up being able to visit and are currently sitting in the Gobekli Tepe cafe waiting for the next bus back. The fare is now 13TL each way but as the lira has dropped against the pound it probably equates to much the same. I’ve got a few other updates that I’ll post when we get home but thanks again!
Good article. It was deliberately BURIED 12,000 years ago – it was built far earlier than that. It is a city, not a collection of stone circles. They were making sophisticated buildings and farming way before it was believed there was any civilisation.
I will go there again. Really amazing historical experience ever! I’ve also seen Gobekli tepe in “The Gift” which is a very popular Netflix series.
This site is on the top of my list. I don’t know if I will have time to see it during an upcoming visit, but will during the next! I had no idea that the public could visit the site! Thanks so much for this article!
So well written Lee and Mandy accurate and professional. I’d been to GT about 7 years ago and had researched it well that time – I’m off to it again today but only just researching it now and found this so interesting. Thanks. Next few days I’m going to try to look at a new site I’ve just heard about called Karahan it’s on my journey from Urfa to Mardin.
Hello Tommy
Apologies for the delay in replying! We are so pleased you enjoyed this blog post, and would like to thank you for sharing your experiences, and hope you had a wonderful return visit after 7 years!
Wishing you all the best,
Mandy and Lee
Q: Coming from US, what airport in Turkey do you recommend flying into? Many thanks for the detailed local travel information, I just have no clue where I would actually arrive to begin this marvelous adventure. I did not see this mentioned in the video… Many thanks, John in dallas texas
Hello John
Thank you for your question. We didn’t fly into or out of Turkey… instead we travelled by bus from Georgia to Turkey, then by bus from Turkey to Bulgaria, so unfortunately don’t have any knowledge of Turkish airports.
Friends recently flew to and from Istanbul and said it was a good experience.
Wishing you all the best with your travel plans,
Mandy and Lee
Hi
Thank you for your very informative website.
I am taking my 14 yearly son to see this wonderful site and was wondering if you could tell me how many days you would recommend staying there? I was considering 6 nights but wondered if there was enough to see and do for that amount of time including things to see Sanliurfa. Alternatively I could book a few days in Istanbul as we would be arriving there first. Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am in the middle of booking things up for Easter
Many Thanks Shaun
Hello Shaun
Thank you for your question. There is a lot to see and do in Sanliurfa, and Gobekli Tepe is absolutely brilliant, so 6 days could be a good amount of time, especially when visiting the museum and the birthplace of Abraham.
It depends on your energy level… Istanbul is amazing and bustling, we spent 10 days there and barely scratched the surface!
Whatever you decide, we hope you both have a wonderful time!
Mandy and Lee
Hi Lee and Mandy,
I have read this post approx 3 times and also seen the YouTube relating to this. I am now sat in my bed in Sanliurfa, at 0430hrs, waiting for my missus to wake up so we can go and explore the place for ourselves. We will also visit Karahan Tepe, which I believe is similar. Really looking forward to it and was put on to the place by you guys, so thank you.
Hi Ryan. This is so wonderful to hear that you have made it to Sanliurfa and that you will be visiting Gobekli Tepe. We sincerely hope that you have as good experience as we had there. It is truly a unique place and well worth the effort to get there in our eyes. Try to visit the museum in Sanliurfa as well if you can as it really helps to explain more about the place. We’d love to hear any feedback you have about your experience there. Best of luck and happy travels. Lee and Mandy.
I enjoyed your article. Can you email me and advise how many days do i need to plan my visit to this city from Istanbul? If time is tight, do you suggest any airlines to use to fly there and back? any other hotels that you can recommend? Is there any tour to take us from Istanbul to this city and including local transport etc? I can’t find any from Viator. Pls advise.
Hi Matt. Sorry we´ve been away from this site for a while concentrating on our YouTube channel. I hope your trip to Turkey went well and you made it to Gobekli Tepe. We didn´t fly internally in Turkey so do not know of any airlines. I would check booking.com for accommodation options.
Just for those looking to fly in to see Gobekli Tepe. I decided to fly from Instabul to Sanliurfa Airport (GNY) found a Pegasus/Turkish Airline fare for $80 to do a one day tour to add to my Turkey tour I already booked before I found out about Gobekli Tepe. Found a day tour for $340 but thinking I can take bus or taxi in and save a bunch more money. They wanted $660 for flights/transports/tour.
Wat een geweldig artikel. Wij reizen al jarenlang naar alle bijzondere krachtplekken en archeologische sites. Göbekli Tepe staat hoog op ons lijstje. Wat ik mis hoe je vanuit NL het best naar deze mooie plek kunt reizen. Via Istanbul en dan aansluitende vlucht? Ik hoor graag van jullie. Complimenten voor deze prachtige site!
Thanks for your comment. We hope you enjoy Gobekli Tepe.
Hello my husband, son and daughter-in law intend on visiting Gobekli Tepe in March 2024. I was looking for a tour with someone who could discuss what we would be looking at and put things in context but the tours seem quite expensive. Do you recommend just reading up on the site in advance? Are there any headsets with English narration at the entrance ?
Hello Mary. We did not do any official tours ourselves so cannot recommend any. It’s well worth reading up in advance and pay a visit to the museum in Sanliurfa before going. There is a lot of great information at the entrance to Gobekli Tepe also. Hope you have a great visit.