Culture and Tourism Deputy Minister Gökhan Yazgı has announced that the Taş Tepeler Project, currently underway in southeastern Türkiye, is the world’s largest archaeological initiative.
“Archaeologists from around the globe are working at the site, and in September, Japanese scientists will begin excavations at Karahantepe,” he stated.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency (AA) during the Şanlıurfa Culture Route Festival, Yazgı emphasized that Göbeklitepe has placed Türkiye at the forefront of global archaeological research. He added that Karahantepe, with its unique findings, is poised to elevate this status even further.
“Karahantepe is just as significant as Göbeklitepe,” Yazgı noted. “Excavations are ongoing at many sites as part of the Taş Tepeler Project. By the end of the year, we aim to complete the protective roof over Karahantepe and open it to visitors.”
Under the leadership of Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, the Taş Tepeler Project – which means “Stone Hills” in Turkish – encompasses excavations at multiple ancient mounds (höyüks) and offers a scientific infrastructure unlike any other in the world.
Yazgı recalled that an international congress held last year brought together over 1,000 scientists.
“We are transforming the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum into one of the world’s largest centers for Neolithic research and exhibition,” he explained. “We want people to discover and fully appreciate Urfa from all angles.”
Yazgı highlighted a significant rise in cultural tourism in Şanlıurfa in recent years. In 2024 alone, 750,000 people visited Göbeklitepe and during the recent holiday period, high visitor traffic even caused temporary entry delays at the site.
As part of the Şanlıurfa Cultural Route Festival, previously unseen artifacts from the museum’s storage were exhibited for the first time.
“These artifacts are not only important to the region but also shed light on unknown aspects of human history,” Yazgı said.
The ongoing excavations at Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe significantly alter long-held assumptions about the transition to agriculture, early social structures and belief systems. According to Yazgı, many misconceptions and unverified claims about the Neolithic period are now being reevaluated and corrected thanks to these groundbreaking discoveries.
He concluded by highlighting the increasing interest in cultural heritage tourism from both domestic and international visitors:
“Türkiye has the potential to become one of the world’s top three destinations in cultural tourism in a short time.”
