Two Sites in One Day - Karahantepe

 

Now for our newest site!  After finishing up at Gobeckli Tepe, we decided to head the 35 or so km southeast to Karahantepe.  As we were following a tour bus out on to the highway, R kept hoping it would turn right, back towards Sanliurfa.  Instead, it turned left, and he was concerned that Karahan would be crowded like Gobeckli.  I wasn’t as concerned, as there are many things to the east of Sanliurfa, such as Harran and Mardin, as well as larger cities like Diyarbakir and Van.  However, obviously, time would tell!

 

This was the farthest east we had been in Turkey, though we had been quite a bit closer to the Syrian border on a prior trip (definitely prior to the Syrian uprising that has caused all the unrest in that country in the past several years).  I was kind of glad that R missed the “Iraq” sign though, as Turkey does share a border with that country as well! 

 

We were following my cell phone’s directions to Karahan, and found, much to our joy and surprise, that there was a direction arrow and road sign pointing the way, where we actually thought we were supposed to exit the highway!  We followed the roads and the signage along increasingly narrower roads until we got to one village, where we appeared to lose track.  It was so Italian!  You follow the road signs until – surprise!  They stop!  Picked the road up again a few miles later and wound around and through increasingly smaller villages until we were on a fairly well grated gravel road. (As R pointed out, the road to Chaco Canyon should be so good!). 

 

And this is the better part of the road!

Site entrance; climb to the top!

Looking into one of the circular pits

And finally – there it was!  Visitor Center and everything!  And not a tour bus in sight!  (Although truly, not sure how a large tour bus would be able to get down and around some of those roads and turns!). Parked in the parking lot and headed inside.  Lovely bathrooms and plumbing and everything – truly, out in the middle of nowhere!

Note pattern on the ledge of the bench

Lots of benches

Possibly head of a snake coming out of the wall

11 Phalluses in pit

 

R was more than a bit dismayed looking at the site, which was located at the very top of a tall hill.  And no shuttle buses here, only feet!  But he did brilliantly, and we made it to the top in probably less than 10 minutes time!  And boy, it was definitely worth it!

View of largest circle with benches

Hole for water or a sun line?

Looks like man-made cup rings to hold water

 

A recent issue of Archaeology Magazine had had a long article about the site, and it was really enjoyable seeing it first-hand and being able to walk around and take pictures!

 

Man with phallus

Possible altar

So … to the history lesson!  Karahantepe was recognized by a farmer who was familiar with Gobeckli Tepe, sometime in the early 2000’s, as the tops of some of the T-shaped pillars were poking out of the ground.  The site was acquired by the government shortly thereafter, and excavations started in 2019 and have been going on ever since.

Man-made lines on stone outside the pits

Same with the indentations

 

Only a small portion of the site has so far been uncovered, but what has been found is remarkable!  LikeGobeckli Tepe, this site is approximately 11,500 years old, and is formed in circular patterns built into the limestone rock on the top of a hill (tepe).  Again, no one really knows what these things mean, but there are the familiar T-shaped pillars, and they are carved with animal designs.  (Time to again make note of the fact that these people did not possess iron or metal of any kind, and any carving was done with stone, making not only the pillars, but the shapes and animals engraved thereon truly remarkable!)

 

Everything from stone, as these were pre-pottery people

Looks very collegial; lots of benches

Like Gobeckli Tepe, it is thought that the fierce animals carved – vultures, foxes, snakes, scorpions, were chosen specifically for their ferocity – but exactly why is just a guess, and as no written records were kept at this point in history, we will never know for sure.  

 

More T-pillars

We both loved the stone bowl

One interesting feature about Karahantepe is the room with 11 huge stone phalluses and the fierce face above them all sticking out from the side of the room.  One preliminary interpretation is that the face is that of a snake, but again, it’s only a guess.  Into this room, though, is the capacity for a drain, which leads some scientists to postulate that it may have been a room in which some sort of initiation took places.  

 

T-shaped pillar on the ground

Along the road home

Stopped to photograph the Mosque!

Other rooms at Karahantepe had benches against some of the walls, which look to be gathering places, and the largest room looks to have a bench or altar set up between two stone stantions and next to it, the carving of a man with phallus.  

 

So … interesting place, and I’m sure they’ll figure out how to get tour buses there in time!

 

Down from the hilltop, and decided to head back to Sanliurfa, as it was approaching 2 pm.  Back to town about 3, and now in for the night!  

 

Had a nice dinner downstairs once again, at Big Chef.  R had a shrimp and asparagus dish, and I had a grilled chicken breast with cheese over a plate of spinach, with boiled potatoes. Everything was excellent!

I think they keep the red wine in the freezer!

R's shrimp, asparagus and spinach!

My chicken breast with cheese over spinach

 

Now to get this posted (lots of photos!) and then I have to get our tickets for the two museums in Sanliurfa tomorrow!

 

Lots of love!

m

xxx