Oldest Temple of the world - Göbekli Tepe
Southeast Turkey is home to the ancient site known as Göbekli Tepe. It is regarded as one of the most important and outstanding archaeological finds of the 20th century. One of the oldest known man-made structures in the world, the site is located on a mountain ridge in the Fertile Crescent and is thought to have existed as early as 9600 BCE.
The structure of Göbekli Tepe is made up of numerous sizable "T-shaped pillars," or stone enclosures, that are organised in concentric rings and have round and oval shapes. The detailed carvings of animals on these pillars, some of which are over 5 metres tall and weigh many tonnes, include lions, foxes, snakes, and birds.
The finding of Göbekli Tepe calls into question earlier hypotheses regarding the rise of human civilization. The location suggests that organised human cultures could build massive structures before the development of agriculture and settled life.
For the people of the period, Göbekli Tepe is thought to have operated as a ceremonial or ritualistic hub, possibly bringing together groups from various hunter-gatherer societies for community activities and rituals. The site's intricate architecture and detailed artwork reveal a level of social sophistication that was previously not attributed to hunter-gatherer tribes.
The relevance of Göbekli Tepe rests in its implications for our comprehension of the change from settled farming civilizations to hunter-gatherer society. It implies that rather than settled agriculture driving the formation of elaborate religious or social structures, the reverse may have been true.
The continuous excavations and research at Göbekli Tepe continue to uncover fresh information about this ancient site and its significance in the earliest phases of human civilisation.
