Turkey: Gobeklitepe to boost tourism in region

By Halil Fidan</p> <p>SANLIURFA, Turkey (AA) – As 2019 is declared as &quot;the Year of Gobeklitepe&quot; in honor of the 12,000-year-old temple in southeastern Turkey, tourism to the world’s oldest archeological site is expected to boost the region.</p> <p>Located in Turkey's southeastern Sanliurfa province, Gobeklitepe was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in June 2018.</p> <p>Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Rahime Yasar, vice president of the Sanlifurfa Tourism Development Association and owner of a tourism agency, said the numbers of tourists in the region have increased.</p> <p>Yasar said that the region expects around two million tourists in 2019.</p> <p>She said Gobeklitepe was one of the most visited places in the region, adding their expectation has increased with respect to foreign tourists.</p> <p>&quot;Even now we have foreign tourists but we expect the big [tourist] boom in March,” she added.</p> <p>Gobeklitepe has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List since 2011.</p> <p>It was discovered in 1963 when researchers from Istanbul and Chicago universities were working at the site. Since then, the excavations have never stopped.</p> <p>The German Archaeological Institute and Sanliurfa Museum have done joint works at the site since 1995 and have found T-shaped obelisks from the Neolithic era measuring 3-6 meters (10-20 feet) high, and weighing 40-60 tons.</p> <p>During the excavations, 12,000-year-old diverse artifacts like 65-centimeter-long (26-inch) human statues were also discovered.</p> <p>A 4,000-square-meter steel roof was erected to protect the site during preparations for its candidacy.</p> <p>After being temporarily closed to visitors due to restoration work, Gobeklitepe partially reopened in February.