11-Thousand-Year-Old Temple Found in Mardin 'Has Similarities to Göbeklitepe'

*Just as Göbeklitepe, there are no figures on the stelae. (Photo: AA)

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A temple that is thought to be built about 11,300 years ago in the Neolithic Age has been revealed in Dargeçit, Mardin, during the archeological excavation that has been going on since 2012.

The temple was built in the same period as Göbeklitepe, which is located in the neighboring Urfa province and is known as the oldest temple in the world, said Dr. Ergül Kodaş, a scientific adviser for the excavation project and a lecturer at the Archeology Department of Mardin Artuklu University.

"According to the analysis, the temple has four stelae. We think it is about 11,300 years old," Kodaş said, noting that one stela is broken but the other three are intact and that there are no figures on the stones.

It has similar characteristics with the 80 square-meter large Göbeklitepe temple, he added. The building has stone walls and built with small rocks and mud slurry. They target to reach the base of the building within a month, Kodaş said.

Enez Özmen, a resident of Dargeçit, said, "When we heard that a temple was revealed, we got excited. We expect here to draw interest like Göbeklitepe." (AÖ/VK)

Source: AA