Civilisation in Anatolia has deeper roots than most people imagine. The recently discovered ruins of Göbekli Tepe are among the oldest human-made structures yet discovered. The site is almost 12,000 years old, predating any other known civilisation by several thousand years. Eat your heart out Abraham (c1800 BC) Rameses the Great (c1300 BC), Nebuchadnezzar (c600 BC) and all those daft fundamentalist Christians who think that the world was created 6000 years ago.
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That’s wonderful. Such a fascinating part of the world – the cradle of human society… Do you have any ancient ruins near where you live? (I am expecting a witty reply to this question!!)
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Only when I look in the mirror! – In fact we live just a few hundred yards from the Mausoleum of Halikarnasus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. It’s a big whole in the ground.
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Very interesting! Lots of mysteries out there that I don’t think we will ever know about. I often wonder what “secrets” were lost through time and how much the Dark Ages really set us back. I still like to hope Atlantis is true! Who knows!
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The chances are that the Atlantis legend does have basis in a long lost truth.
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It is an amazing sight; one minute you are driving along an open plain and the next, well there it is, just sitting in the wilderness. I first dragged Murat and some of the family there a few years ago (2008 I think). They didn’t really get it, just had a nose around then sat on their haunches in the sunshine while I wandered to my hearts content. I only manage to get there in the winters and of course, the dig team have already packed up and left by then. Shame as Id love to talk to them about it. They reckon it could take as long as 50 years to completely uncover the whole site.
I love exploring in the East and most of the sites you can comprehend, Gobeklitepe however is just astounding!
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I’m so jealous of your trips back east. It must be fascinating.
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I always interpret fundamentalism as fundamentally wrong. In fact keep saying the word fundamental and it becomes as daft as the silly buggers who think that way whether they be Christian, Moslem and even Pink Floyd fans.
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You are fundamentally correct 🙂
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I visited this area a few years ago and can’t wait to go back. History around every corner and everyone so friendly and keen to share with you.
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Around every corner and underfoot.
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Thank you for posting up this short film.So many people would never think of travelling to that region,preferring the delights of the beach so this is a good opportunity for others to see this incredible site.It’s quite spine-tingling isn’t it?
I have also taken the liberty of posting it up on TA and Thorntree,hope you don’t mind(I did give you full credit for it!)(no,not for Göbeklitepe LOL)
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I’m delighted you’ve reposted it. Thank you.
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. . fascinating stuff! Oldest evidence of human structures (but nothing like the scale and complexity in the video) have been found at Terra Amata on the French Med coast – here, about 300,000 years ago people built small houses from branches on a stone base complete with cooking/heating hearths and work areas for chipping flints etc.
Thanks for this post, I’m off to learn more.
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Bad spelling often leads to misunderstanding of the true meaning of the word.
Please be more careful in the future.. fundamentally in it’s correct form = Fund a mental ally
Its like Psychotherapist which is often also spelt wrong it should be ….. psycho the rapist.
Love from
The word Ninja
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I only heard about Gobekli Tepe a few months ago for the 1st time and
thought what an amazing place that had lain hidden for so long,
makes the pyramids seem modern
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It makes you wonder what else is out there.
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Wonderful want to go and see it hope I can make it there one day, it says in the video there where no cutting tools found yet on a national geographical video about it, it says it has more cutting tools (such as cut flints) than any other site ? I may have misunderstood something though as I seem to often do these days, getting older is taking its toll on my senses. The big hole in Bodrum has its contents in the British Museum, Turkey asked it back saying it may look better in its natural surroundings and they wrote back saying they would paint the back drop area a nice Mediterranean blue. I believe they actually did this too !!!!
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Ok let’s hope turks won’t declare them “ancient” turkish monuments.
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Thanks for the first belly laugh of the day. 🙂
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You’re welcome and welcome back!
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all those daft fundamentalist Christians who think that the world was created 6000 years ago.
Why would you stain such an interesting piece with such blatant prejudice?
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My blog, my opinion.
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Have been to Turkey to the Museum of Anatolian civilizations. What can I say? Would love to go back and Gobekli Tepe just might be the draw I need. Just found out about it from a Dr. friend of mine after a conversation about Turkey’s ancient civilizations. He just gave me the National Geographic article and I had sat down to read it but decided to go online and there you where. I am gay and so is he,and about fundamentalists, I’m from the Bible belt and they are fundamentally stupid.But I shouldn’t be so hard on them, I did major in Ancient Middle East history and have continued my studies in the Ancient religions of the area, but this caught me by suprise, that’s what makes it all so wonderful! Thank you Jack and Liam
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You’re very welcome and I hope you come back again.
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The carvings are truly wonderful!
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Hi Mary
The carvings are exceptional. I’ve just taken a look at your website. Your artwork is so beautiful. For others who haven’t yet seen Mary’s work, you can see it here.
Jack
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Thank you Jack for pointing out Mary’s beautiful blog! I have just taken a look, and am now a follower! Lovely paintings.
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Jack–thanks so much for sharing my website! I’m looking forward to your posts–I subscribed to your blog. I haven’t been to Turkey–maybe someday….
Best, Mary
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Thank you for subscribing. I hope you like my irreverent ramblings. I think you’d love Turkey. Just think what you could paint. The sunsets are just fabulous.
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While researching for a story idea, I came across the ancient history of Anatolia. It’s fascinating. The Hittites had an elaborate water system and this was long before the Roman Empire.
Thanks for sharing.
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Anatolia is the true crossroads of civilisations across the ages.There are more Greek ancient sites here than in Greece. History sits casually underfoot.
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