The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey and Turkey Tourism Promotion and Development Agency held TAS TAPELER, a project which aims to reveal the history of the neolithic era of humans and transformations of way of life with a series of visits and events from September 21 to 27, 2021. In this project, academics and researchers from Turkey and around the world gathered in a symposium on “Neolithic Reflections in the World” at Sanlıurfa on September 23, 2021.
The TAS TEPELER project includes excavations and archaeological research carried out in seven areas: Gobekli Tepe, Karahan Tepe, Gurutepe, Sayburc, Akmaktepe, Sefertepe and Yeni Mahalle hills. In this project, participants also visited the excavation in Karahan Tepe which is currently open for temporary access.
The Sanlıurfa region is a place with an organized workforce and specializes in the history of civilization. Between 2021 and 2024, excavations will be carried out at 12 sites, including Karahan Tepe, a site with more than 250 T-shaped megalith blocks similar to the one found at the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Gobeklitepe. It is believed that the findings from this excavation will make a considerable and broad contribution to the knowledge of humanity in prehistoric times, including their daily lives and rituals. It is estimated there are several sites in Sanlıurfa similar to Gobekli Tepe, reflecting the early Neolithic phase.
The TAS TEPELER project, considered the beginning of the transformation of a shelter into a house 12,000 years ago, where the countryside began to emerge, the social strata began to form, and development of basic skills to trade.
