A protective canopy shields the 12,000-year-old circular stone structures and distinctive T-shaped pillars of Göbeklitepe in southeastern Türkiye.
Türkiye’s ambitious Taş Tepeler Project is drawing growing international attention through overseas exhibitions and promotional campaigns, transforming the Neolithic archaeological region into a globally recognized cultural destination, according to the project’s coordinator.
Necmi Karul, coordinator of the Taş Tepeler Project and head of excavations at Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe, said the initiative has evolved beyond a series of archaeological excavations into an international research model exploring one of humanity’s most significant historical turning points.
The Taş Tepeler Project encompasses 12 Neolithic archaeological sites across the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, including Göbeklitepe, Karahantepe, Sefertepe, Sayburç, Harbetsuvan, Gürcütepe, Çakmaktepe, Yeni Mahalle, Yoğunburç, Ayanlar, Mendiktepe and Söğüt Tarlası. Dating back roughly 12,000 years, the settlements provide crucial evidence of the transition from hunter-gatherer societies to settled life, early social organization and the emergence of belief systems.
Karul said the project reflects the shared heritage of humanity, noting that the Neolithic period marked the beginnings of permanent settlement and food production, developments that reshaped world history. Scientists from numerous countries are participating in the multinational research effort, with a Chinese archaeological team joining excavations this year at Yoğunburç.
To broaden international awareness, the project has been promoted through conferences and exhibitions abroad with support from the Foreign Ministry, Turkish embassies and the Yunus Emre Institute. Exhibitions held at Rome’s Colosseum and in Berlin attracted strong public interest, while another exhibition is scheduled to open in Tokyo in the coming months, alongside additional events planned across East Asia and Europe.
“These promotional activities have significantly increased international interest,” Karul said. “Taş Tepeler has become a location recognized around the world.”
He noted that the growing visibility has translated into higher numbers of foreign visitors, many of whom now travel to the region not only to see the famed Göbeklitepe but to explore the wider archaeological landscape.
“People are no longer coming solely for Göbeklitepe,” Karul said. “They want to understand this geography and visit the different settlements that reveal the story of the first sedentary communities established around the Harran Plain.”
The increasing interest has also encouraged the development of transportation links and visitor routes connecting the archaeological sites, reinforcing Taş Tepeler as a regional cultural destination rather than a single excavation area.
Alongside archaeological research, preservation efforts continue across the region. Karul said projects are underway to protect the surrounding landscape, improve site management and make the archaeological heritage more accessible and understandable for visitors.
He added that one of the project’s primary goals is to connect one of humanity’s earliest cultural landscapes with contemporary society, with the support of numerous institutions led by Türkiye’s Culture and Tourism Ministry.
