Known as the "zero point of history": Göbeklitepe was flooded with visitors in autumn
Although the number of visitors decreased from time to time due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the earthquake and flood disasters in 2023, Göbeklitepe was visited by 412,378 people in 2019, 197,912 in 2020, 567,453 in 2021, 837,811 in 2022, 512,164 in 2023, and 731,794 in 2024.
With 517,316 people visiting here between January and September this year, the total number of visitors reached 3,776,828 in 6 years and 9 months.
In the region, where tourism activity increases in the autumn months, an average of 5 thousand tourists continue to visit the archaeological site daily.
Şanlıurfa Provincial Director of Culture and Tourism Aydın Aslan said that Göbeklitepe is gradually gaining popularity around the world.
Stating that they are carrying out multifaceted work to attract more tourists to the historical site, Aslan said:
"Göbeklitepe has become a driving force for regional tourism since its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List. All tours to the region, without exception, include Göbeklitepe and Şanlıurfa. Göbeklitepe demonstrates that it will be a driving force for cultural tourism not only in the region but also in Türkiye in the future."
Aslan noted that the number of visitors to the city has increased steadily over the last 10 years, except in extraordinary circumstances.
Mehmet Kamil Türkmen, Chairman of the Tourism Professional Committee of the Şanlıurfa Chamber of Commerce and Industry, also emphasized that tourist activity in the city increases significantly with the autumn.
Türkmen stated that the city has entered an ideal period for visits with the decreasing air temperature, and made the following assessment:
We're in the autumn season, and September, October, and November are particularly busy. We're currently experiencing that intensity. Because Göbeklitepe was the most visited archaeological site in the region last year, there's significant traffic. Average daily traffic during this period is pushing 5,000 people, a very good figure. We expect activity to increase even further in October. I believe this season will be a good one and the year will end on a strong note.
Polish tourist Victor Ches stated that he and his wife visited Göbeklitepe as part of their world tour.
Explaining their great interest in history, Ches said, "We are very excited about this place. It's a very old place, and we're curious about how the people of that period built this place."
Samira Ceylan, an expatriate from Germany, stated that they had finally visited Göbeklitepe, a site they had long wanted to see, saying, "This place is truly beautiful and exciting. We were also happy to see that the excavations are still ongoing."
ntv
