Ice sculptures promote Göbeklitepe at Davos

DAVOS – Anadolu Agency

Southern province Şanlıurfa’s Göbeklitepe, recognized as the world’s oldest temple and “point zero of history,” is being promoted in Davos, where the 46th World Economic Forum is being held. 

The ice sculptures of Göbeklitepe, which are on display next to the Davos Congress Center, have found fans in state ministers, academics, top officials of the world leading companies, artists, sportsmen and NGO representatives. 

Located in the Örencik neighborhood 18 kilometers away from the city of Şanlıurfa, Göbeklitepe was first discovered in 1963 during surface surveys carried out by researchers from Istanbul and Chicago universities. 
Since 1995, the Şanlıurfa Museum and the German Archaeology Institute have been collaborating in the excavations. 

Among the findings were the Neolithic-era T-shaped stones with figures of wild animals, the circular and rectangle remains of the world’s oldest temple in the 8-30 meters diameter category, many wild animal figures, obelisks and human sculptures including one measuring 65 centimeters. 

Many institutions and organizations, as well as the Culture and Tourism Ministry, have done various projects for the promotion of Göbeklitepe, which is on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The “Göbeklitepe Promotional Project,” sponsored by Doğuş Group, is ones of those projects. 

A gala night and a dinner with the theme of “Protecting the Cultural Heritage” were held in Davos within the scope of the project. Also, noteworthy names from a variety of fields discussed Göbeklitepe. 

Şanlıurfa Governor İzzettin Küçük said Göbeklitepe changed the perception of history around the world. Küçük said, “Göbeklitepe was a groundbreaking discovery. Also, a human-centered faith discovered for the first time because the T-shaped stones symbolize human. Excavations there continue. The Culture and Tourism Ministry recently made a 6.5 million euro-tender. Göbeklitepe will be covered with a big space tent to prevent the effects of bad weather conditions.” 

The governor said promotions for Göbeklitepe in Davos would contribute to Turkish tourism, adding, “We have made a big mockup of Göbeklitepe and display it in every fair. We will make billboards in March in Istanbul and Ankara. I believe that Göbeklitepe will enter in the permanent list of UNESCO in 2017.”


Mistake makes temple 2,000 years older 

The organization in Davos promoted Göbeklitepe through the website. But according to daily Radikal’s Ömer Erbil, there has beenn a grievous mistake: according to the website, the ancient city dates back to 11,600 B.C., placing the city 2,000 years before its time. 

Speaking to Erbil, archaeologist Nezih Başgelen condemned the mistake, while saying mistakes like this are normal because promotions are made by advertisers, not scientists. 

“Göbeklitepe is known all around the world for its extraordinary archaeological findings. Professor Klaus Schmidt, who died in 2014, scientifically revealed that the history of the ancient site is categorized as a site of the pre-pottery Neolithic A period between 9,600 and 7,300 B.C. This is why the date shown on the website, 11,600 B.C., is a serious mistake. More attention should have been paid for something like Göbeklitepe, which is followed by the world,” Başgelen said. 

The mistake on the website was corrected after Erbil's report was published on Radikal.