Turkey: Gobeklitepe
Gobeklitepe is an archaeological site north of Sanliurfa, it’s just a hole in the ground with a few rocks unearthed. And yet, it’s importance has earned it the UNESCO World Heritage Site. This site is often referred to as Turkish Stonehenge – around 200 stone pillars arranged in circle are dated back to 10 millennia BC (just let this number sink in). The site was discovered in 1994 underneath a Byzantine cemetery. Although the ruins are simple, their historic importance is immense – this is considered to be the oldest religious site in the world! The Neolithic stone pillars are carved with images of animals, quite intricate and spectacular. Only about 5-10% of the site is considered to have been excavated so far.
