Gobekli Tepe
LocationTurkey
Year9600 BC
TypeTemple
About Gobekli Tepe
The oldest known temple complex in the world, predating Stonehenge by 7,000 years. Built by hunter-gatherers before farming or pottery existed. Massive T-shaped limestone pillars weigh up to 16 tons each. The circles of pillars were deliberately buried around 8,000 BC. Carvings show snakes, scorpions, cranes, and boars. Excavation began in 1995 under Klaus Schmidt and rewrote ideas about the origins of religion.
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