Göbeklitepe exhibition in Rome draws 6 million visitors

ROME

Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy has announced the Göbeklitepe exhibition at Rome’s Colosseum has drawn more than 6 million visitors, underscoring the ancient site as one of Türkiye’s key cultural assets that should be promoted as a global brand.

Ersoy expressed his satisfaction with the success of the exhibition Göbeklitepe, “The Enigma of a Sacred Place,” which opened on October 24 and will close next week, during an interview with state-run Anadolu Agency.

Over the last six months, we have received over 6 million visitors. We'll probably hit 6.4 million visitors (until the end of the exhibition next week), he said.

Ersoy emphasized the importance of showcasing the site in one of Europe’s most iconic landmarks.

“Göbeklitepe being presented at the Colosseum has a huge advantage. This is one of the top spots in Europe for tourists interested in history and culture,” he said. “These visitors come willingly, paying an entrance fee to be there. From this perspective, it’s a highly valuable target location for us — one of the most ideal spots for a target-oriented branding effort.”

He said the exhibit also contributed to increasing tourism from Italy, which he called one of Türkiye’s key source markets. “In 2022, we received 420,000 visitors from Italy. That number increased to 600,000 in 2023. Last year, it rose to 720,000. This year, after the Göbeklitepe exhibition, we are seeing a very serious increase. It looks like we will probably exceed 900,000 this year.”

On the country’s ongoing efforts to reclaim smuggled artifacts, he highlighted “This is one of our top priorities,” noting that Türkiye has restructured its operations to fight trafficking more effectively.

The ministry has elevated its anti-smuggling unit to a department-level office and increased the number of high-ranking experts in the field, he noted, adding that it allows them to engage with international counterparts on equal footing.

Ersoy praised the work of his teams, referring to them as “our Sherlock Holmeses” for their role in tracking down stolen cultural property and deterring future illicit trade.

“We have achieved such a great success that collectors no longer want to buy a treasure or cultural artifact of Anatolian origin that has been taken abroad without permission. The key is to break this interest. In other words, you significantly reduce the value of the items held by treasure hunters or illegal excavators.”