Göbekli Tepe: The oldest known temple in the world
Going to temples is something that you might have been doing since childhood as an Indian. Vising temples can be pretty fascinating, especially when exploring ancient temples. The ancient structures and statues can make anyone marvel at their beautiful architectural heritage. You might have visited many temples, but we are about to introduce you to the oldest known temple in human history: The Gobekli temple located in the mountains of south-eastern Anatolia, Turkey.
It was discovered by German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt when he began excavating a hill in Turkey in 1994. It is one of our time's most startling archaeological discoveries. Initially, 20 circular stone enclosures were discovered by Schmidt. Then, all the pillars were carved, which would have been quite tricky back then. The temple of Göbekli Tepe is said to be around 11,000 years old, making it the oldest monumental structure ever built!
Is it the first temple ever made?
You will be shocked to know that the Göbekli Tepe temple might be the oldest temple ever made by humans! Fascinating, isn’t it? According to the archaeological survey by Klaus Schmidt, the stones used in the construction of Gobekli Tepe are 11,000 years old. But you might wonder how they managed to lift such heavy stones and place them in such a fashion without using tools and equipment. You are not alone. Many archaeologists and scientists also wonder the same thing. Furthermore, the people who built this temple were from the age when the concepts of pottery, metal or writing were not invented. All these facts add to the mystery of the detailed architecture of Gobekli Tepe.
The megaliths at Göbekli Tepe
Megalith is the name given to large stones used for constructing any structure or monument of the Prehistoric Era. The massive carved stones of Göbekli Tepe are nothing but megaliths, originating 6000 years before writing was invented! The purpose of these megaliths is still not known, but so far, 20 circles of tall pillars, weighing up to 20 tons have been discovered. Some of these pillars are 16 feet tall and have carvings of bulls, foxes, boars, reptiles, scorpions and vultures. Other pillars have human arms carved on them. Excavations suggest that some megaliths were deliberately buried in the ground. But the reason remains to be known.
The barren land of Göbekli Tepe used to be fertile
The land of the temple may look barren now, but scientists believe it was not always the case. The site of Gobekli Tepe is on the edge of fertile land. Göbekli Tepe sits on the northern edge of the Fertile Crescent. This is an arc of a mild climate and fertile land stretching from the Persian Gulf to Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, and Egypt. Archaeologists believe this land would have been filled with wilderness, lush forest, rivers, fruits, and nut trees. So now you might be thinking, how did the once fertile green land become barren? The reason might be centuries of intensive farming and settlements, that turned the fertile land to what it is today, brown and barren!