5 Days Cappadocia – Mt Nemrut – Gobeklitepe – Gaziantep Tour from Istanbul

On this short getaway tour to Eastern Turkey Tour – Mt Nemrut & Göbeklitepe, we will discover one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. The Neolithic archaeological ruins were first uncovered in the ’60s. The Architecture was far ahead of its time. Gobeklitepe and Mount Nemrut of Adıyaman is fabulous both at sunrise and sunset, with statues of ancient gods whispering into your ear to wow you.

Göbeklitepe

There are substantial grounds to claim that the most significant archaeological discovery of the 21st century is the Göbeklitepe. First of all, it dates back to 12 thousand years ago. In other words, it’s approximately 8 thousand years older than the pyramids and 7 thousand years older than the Stonehenge. Furthermore, it is even older than the human transition to settled life. Therefore, contrary to the widely held view, it proves the existence of religious beliefs prior to the establishment of the first cities.

Findings of researchers at Göbeklitepe shows that a religious class existed even at such early ages, division of society into social classes took place well before the widely assumed dates, and perhaps the first agricultural activity may have been conducted in the region. The site is also remarkable with the first patriarchal thought, the first terrazzo flooring and the first statues and reliefs of the Neolithic Age. As a result, all this new information has been added to the collective knowledge of humanity and into the history books. On the merits of its contribution to human history, Göbeklitepe was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2018.

Mt Nemrut of Adıyaman

Adıyaman has been the stage for a number of civilisations and the location for many culturally important cities. The Archaeological Museum houses regional finds from the Lower Fırat which date from the Neolithic and Chalcolithic ages. The ruins of an Abbasid citadel (restored by the Seljuks) and the 14th-century Ulu Mosque are among the other historical sites that are well worth seeing. High-quality kilims (rugs) woven in bright colours sell for reasonable prices in the bazaar there. 5km to the north is Pirin (Perre) that boasts a large Roman necropolis dug out of the rock and soil. The Haydaran rock tombs and a relief of King Antiochus shaking hands with the sun god can be seen in the village of Taşgedik, 17km north of Adıyaman.

The province of Adıyaman is a must see with its cultural assets, natural beauty, historic richness and Mount Nemrut, which was inscribed on the UNESCO’s World Cultural Heritage List.

Adıyaman and Kahta make good bases from which to visit Nemrut Dağı (Mount Nemrut) National Park as both have good accommodation and camping facilities and you can hire transportation in either town. At the summit of Nemrut Dağı colossal statues of divinities salute sunrise each and every morning. Referred to as the eighth wonder of the world, this gigantic funerary sanctuary was erected in the first century BC by King Antiochus I of Commagene and dotted with 10m-high statues of deities made of cut stone and the pyramid shaped tomb of the king himself. The engineering involved continues to amaze visitors when seen for the first time, making them question how the stones were moved to an altitude of 2206m.