Turkey's Göbeklitepe to boost tourism in region

As 2019 is declared as 'the Year of Göbeklitepe' 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. Located in Turkey's southeastern Şanlıurfa province, Göbeklitepe was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in June 2018. Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Rahime Yaşar, vice president of the Şanlıfurfa Tourism Development Association and owner of a tourism agency, said the numbers of tourists in the region have increased. Yaşar said that the region expects around two million tourists in 2019. She said Göbeklitepe was one of the most visited places in the region, adding their expectation has increased with respect to foreign tourists. 'Even now we have foreign tourists but we expect the big [tourist] boom in March,' she added. Göbeklitepe has been on UNESCO's World Heritage Tentative List since 2011. It was discovered in 1963 when researchers from Istanbul and Chicago universities were working at the site. Since then, the excavations have never stopped. The German Archaeological Institute and Şanlıurfa 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. During the excavations, 12,000-year-old diverse artifacts like 65-centimeter-long (26-inch) human statues were also discovered. A 4,000-square-meter steel roof was erected to protect the site during preparations for its candidacy. After being temporarily closed to visitors due to restoration work, Göbeklitepe partially reopened in February.