Göbeklitepe:The Enigma of a Sacred Place

Located in the southeastern region of Turkey and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018, Göbeklitepe is one of the oldest and most fascinating archaeological sites in the world, a Neolithic settlement dated between 9,500 BC and 8,200 BC. Its monumental structure, the oldest ever discovered, revolutionized the understanding of human history between the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods, at the time of the transition from hunter-gatherer to settled and agricultural societies. Its monumental pillars with stylized depictions of animals, geometric patterns and images of human figures testify to the complexity of early communities and their religious beliefs.

The archaeological investigations of the site, which began in 1994, will turn 30 in 2024. The exhibition hosted on the second level of the Flavian Amphitheater, along the tour route, is part of the international cultural celebrations and aims to raise public awareness of the importance of preserving the world’s archaeological heritage. It is an extraordinary event that allows the Italian public to approach this discovery, which has rewritten many previously accepted historical notions, and offers a unique and immersive experience, thanks to multimedia content and three-dimensional reconstructions.

The site-specific exhibition design panders to the natural elliptical profile of the Colosseum, while reproductions of the columns and detailed reconstructions of the circular complexes of Göbeklitepe rest on the monumental pillars of the amphitheater’s ambulatories, making use of the latest visualization technologies. Lectures and thematic seminars are scheduled as part of the exhibition, featuring international experts in archaeology and art history.