Located in southeastern Turkey, deep within the fertile Harran Plain, the ancient Taş Tepeler complex hosts some of the most significant archaeological finds of recent years.
The Taş Tepeler project, which brings together 12 Neolithic sites in Şanlıurfa, has entered its 5th year of activity, presenting 30 new and highly unusual discoveries that shed light on life 12,000 years ago.
One of the most striking finds at this year's anniversary event held at the Karahantəpə Visitor Center is a human statue discovered in the Sayburç area. The figure, depicted with a sewn mouth, provides compelling clues about ancient burial rituals and symbolic beliefs. From Göbeklitepe, considered the main center of the project and included in UNESCO's World Heritage List, a human depiction placed inside a wall as a votive offering has been presented. This find once again reveals the refined aesthetics of Neolithic sculpture.
Finds dating back 12,000 years discovered in the Səfərtəpə area
The finds discovered in the Səfərtəpə area have also attracted attention. Two human faces are depicted here, one crafted with high relief and the other with low relief technique. The stylistic difference sharply distinguishes these reliefs from examples previously encountered at Taş Tepeler. One of the most interesting discoveries is a two-faced bead made of black serpentine stone, with emotional human faces carved on both sides. This rare specimen, symmetrically pierced through its center, demonstrates the high craftsmanship of Neolithic masters.
“These settlements have brought a completely new perspective to world history,” said Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, Turkey's Minister of Culture and Tourism, speaking at the project's anniversary event.
Truly convincing facts are emerging: Approximately 12,000 years ago, densely populated settlements of various sizes existed in Anatolia, indicating the formation of more complex social structures than historians had previously considered possible.
The magnitude of this claim aligns with the project's significance. Minister Ersoy views Taş Tepeler as a center that will become the "Neolithic capital of the world" - and this assertion is fully substantiated by the successive discoveries made in recent years. These finds compel a re-evaluation of traditional scientific perceptions regarding humanity's transition from a nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a settled society.
As much as Göbeklitepe has garnered global interest since its discovery, Karahantəpə raises equally complex scientific questions. Together with Sayburç, Səfərtəpə, Harbetsuvan, Çakmaktəpə, Yeniməhəllə, Söğüt Tarlası, Mendiktəpə, Yoğunburç, Gürcütəpə, and the most recently added Ayanlar Höyük, these ancient settlements create a magnificent panorama that necessitates the rewriting of the Neolithic period — one of the least understood phases of human history.
The Taş Tepeler project is not merely an archaeological excavation
The Taş Tepeler project is not merely an archaeological excavation – it is a large-scale international cooperation model bringing together 219 researchers working in parallel across 12 different areas, and a total of 36 academic institutions, including 15 Turkish and 21 foreign ones. This unparalleled coordination allows for a deeper understanding of how the ancient settlements in the region were interconnected.
In line with the scale of the finds, conservation efforts are also expanding. Within the framework of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's "Heritage for Future Generations" program, the restoration of the Lion Structure and Structure C at Göbeklitepe has already been completed. Architectural restoration work continues on Structure AD at Karahantəpə and on the residential building at Sayburç.
At the same time, infrastructure is being strengthened. The construction of a new visitor center at Göbeklitepe and a scientific complex, including a research center and excavation house, at Karahantəpə is nearing completion. This research center will ensure that all archaeometric analyses conducted within the Taş Tepeler project are carried out uniformly – thus, the scientific investigation of globally significant discoveries will be more systematic.
As the project enters its sixth year, every carefully unearthed artifact, every meticulously documented structure, more clearly reveals the complex and advanced societies that existed in these areas millennia before the pyramids, Stonehenge, and written history. The Taş Tepeler settlements are rare monuments preserving the oldest traces of human creativity, reminding us once again that the history of human civilization is far older, more challenging, and more magnificent than we had imagined.
Exhibitions
Turkey is actively expanding its international exhibition program to introduce the Taş Tepeler region and its unparalleled finds to a broad global audience.
The exhibition “Göbeklitepe: The Secret of the Sacred Place” was displayed at the Colosseum in Rome from October 2024 to March 2025, attracting a record 6 million visitors over six months.
The next major exhibition, titled “Established Society: Göbeklitepe, Taş Tepeler, and Life 12,000 Years Ago,” will be presented at the James-Simon Galerie in Berlin from February to July 2026.
Negotiations are ongoing with relevant institutions for the organization of Göbeklitepe/Taş Tepeler exhibitions at the historic Guildhall Art Gallery in London in 2026, and at the Tokyo National Museum in Japan in 2027.
These international initiatives aim to promote the archaeological heritage of Taş Tepeler globally, sharing the region's human story from millennia ago with the world.
Səadət H.
