Gobeklitepe Travel Guide

Gobeklitepe is an archaeological site on a hill about 15 km northeast of Sanliurfa, in southeastern Turkey. Its oldest monumental structures date to around 9600 BC. That makes the circles of carved limestone pillars here roughly 6,000 years older than Stonehenge, and older than pottery, farming and the wheel. The site has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2018.

Why visit Gobeklitepe

Gobeklitepe changed the way archaeologists think about the beginning of civilisation. Until the German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt began excavating here in 1995, most experts assumed that people first settled down to farm, and only later built temples. Here, hunter-gatherers moved and carved stone pillars up to about 5 metres tall, decorated with foxes, boars, snakes, vultures and scorpions. Some pillars have arms and hands carved on their sides, as if they were stylised human figures. A roofed walkway lets you look down into the main enclosures.

How many days you need

The site itself takes 1 to 2 hours, including the visitor centre. You can see it on a single day from Istanbul with early and late flights, as on our private Gobeklitepe day trip from Istanbul, but two or three days is much better. That lets you add Karahantepe, the Sanliurfa Archaeology Museum, the old town of Urfa and Harran. With a third day you can drive to Mount Nemrut. Our 2-day Mount Nemrut and Gobeklitepe tour with flights is the compact version.

Best time to visit

March to May and late September to November are the best months. Summer in Sanliurfa is very hot, regularly above 40°C, and the site is on an open hill. Winter is mild during the day but can be cold and wet. If you plan to include Mount Nemrut, note that the summit road and sunrise visits are usually only practical from about April or May to October because of snow.

Getting there from Istanbul

Fly from Istanbul to Sanliurfa GAP Airport (GNY); the flight takes about 1 hour 50 minutes. The airport is roughly 45 minutes from the city centre, and the site is a further 20 to 30 minutes from town. The overland route is over 1,200 km and not practical for a short trip.

Top experiences

• The main enclosures at Gobeklitepe, with pillars carved with animals.
• Karahantepe, a related site east of Urfa where carved human heads emerge from the rock.
• The Sanliurfa Archaeology Museum, home to the Urfa Man statue, around 11,000 years old.
• Balikligol, the pools of sacred carp linked to the story of Abraham, and the covered bazaar.
• Harran, with its beehive-shaped mud-brick houses near the Syrian border.
• Sunrise or sunset among the giant stone heads on Mount Nemrut. See our Mount Nemrut, Gobeklitepe and Karahantepe tour.

Where to stay

Stay in Sanliurfa city. Hotels near Balikligol and the old town let you walk to the bazaar in the evening. For Mount Nemrut, travellers usually spend a night in Kahta or near the mountain.

What to eat

Urfa is one of the best food cities in Turkey. Try Urfa kebab (minced lamb on the skewer, not spicy), isot (the dark, smoky local chilli), cig kofte, lahmacun, and liver kebab for breakfast. End the day with bitter mirra coffee, served in tiny cups.

Practical tips

• Dress modestly in Urfa's old town and the mosques around Balikligol.
• Bring a hat and water; the site has a roof but the walk to it is exposed.
• Photography is allowed, but you stay on the walkway above the enclosures.

See all our Gobeklitepe tours.