Around 11km northeast of Urfa, 'Pot Belly Hill' was first excavated in 1994 by a team led by Professor Klaus Schmidt. Their discovery of a ritual complex dated to the pre-pottery Neolithic era (around 10,000 BC) has turned the previously accepted theory that religion followed the evolution of agriculture on its head.
The small site, protected by a space-age-style dome, contains a complex of circular buildings containing megalithic T-shaped pillars now thought to be the world's first place of worship.
Animal carvings can be seen on the sides of ³Òö²ú±ð°ì±ô¾±³Ù±ð±è±ð's anthropomorphic T-shaped pillars, some of which tower up to 5.5m high. A raised wooden boardwalk leads around the site allowing you to see the pillars below from all sides and study the stylised carvings of foxes and vultures.
In 2018, ³Òö²ú±ð°ì±ô¾±³Ù±ð±è±ð was made Turkey's newest Unesco World Heritage site, though don't expect masses of ruins as you'd see in Turkey's much younger classical-era sites. ³Òö²ú±ð°ì±ô¾±³Ù±ð±è±ð's fame comes from its significant role in furthering our understanding of early human history and culture. The visitor centre at the entrance provides a good introduction to the site with a short – and rather dramatic – video presentation on ³Òö²ú±ð°ì±ô¾±³Ù±ð±è±ð's importance. From near the visitor centre, a regular shuttle bus zips to and from the hilltop archaeological site.
Geomagnetic surveys and ground-penetrating radar systems have identified another 16 ancient megalithic rings buried nearby, and at present only 5% of the entire site has been excavated, with archaeological work here continuing.
A return taxi to ³Òö²ú±ð°ì±ô¾±³Ù±ð±è±ð from ½¢²¹²Ô±ôı³Ü°ù´Ú²¹, including waiting time, is around ₺120.
