The oldest known religious complex in the world according to archaeologists is believed to be Gobekli Tepe, which is located on a hill in the southeast Turkey, near the border with Syria, where ancient Mesopotamia was once located.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site consists of a series of stone, circular columns with incredible sculptures of animals and priests. German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt and his team began excavating Gobekli Tepe in the mid-1990s, most notably in 1994, discovering a series of findings that continue to revolutionize the way archaeologists think of Stone Age man. .
How do you conclude that this is the oldest temple in the world
The archeological site dates back to 11,500 years ago, at the end of the Stone Age, which makes it the oldest known place of worship in the world. The prevailing understanding until its discovery was that during this period, hunter-gatherers wandered the Earth, never settling in a particular place, living simply every day that came.
The huge Gobekli Tepe complex, however, calls this view into question. It consists of large T-shaped columns with animal sculptures, huge rings and huge rectangular rooms, many of which are believed to have religious significance.
One theory is that this place was not used for domestic purposes but for ceremonies and sacrifices and it is believed by some that Gobekli Tepe is the oldest religious complex known to modern man. For this reason, the site has often invited shocking comparisons with the Garden of Eden, or the “origin of religion,” which has long been associated with the Fertile Crescent and the ancient Sumerians, who invented the written language.
Equally strange is the fact that prior to this discovery, there was no indication that hunter-gatherers ever built large monuments and buildings, making it perhaps the oldest known architecture in the world.
Close to archaeological site is Mount Karaca Dag, a mountain that geneticists believe is the birthplace of many of today’s cultivated seeds.
According to atlasobscura.com, in theory Gobekli Tepe could show us a transitional period, depicting the first attempt by nomadic cultures to cultivate (which would later lead to permanent settlement).
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