A newly uncovered archaeological site in southeastern Turkey may predate Göbeklitepe, long considered the world’s oldest known temple complex. The discovery at Mendik Tepe, located in the rural Payamlı neighborhood of Eyyübiye district in Şanlıurfa province, is offering early insights into the Neolithic era and reshaping timelines of early human settlement in the region.
Researchers believe the site may date back to the very beginning of the Neolithic period, when humans first began shifting from mobile foraging to settled living. Excavation director Prof. Douglas Baird, from the University of Liverpool’s Department of Archaeology, said the team is investigating the early stages of plant cultivation and permanent settlement at Mendik Tepe, adding that the site may provide critical evidence of humanity’s transition to agriculture.
He noted that the findings could be older than those at Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe, two of the region’s most significant prehistoric sites.
Excavation efforts and early discoveries
The excavation began in 2024 and is being carried out in collaboration with the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum. The British Institute of Archaeology supports the project and is part of the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry’s Taş Tepeler (Stone Hills) initiative.
Initial fieldwork has revealed structures of various sizes. According to Baird, trenches opened last year immediately exposed multiple buildings.
🔥Breaking: Mendik Tepe — possibly older than Göbekli Tepe!
New excavations in Şanlıurfa’s Mendik Tepe, part of the “Taş Tepeler Project,” are revealing structures dating to the earliest Neolithic, possibly predating even the renowned UNESCO-listed Göbekli Tepe. Led by Prof.… pic.twitter.com/2EfV5KPEhS
— History Content (@HistContent) August 28, 2025
Some were small—around three meters (just under 10 feet) in diameter—while others measured four or five meters (13 and 16 feet respectively), with a few significantly larger. He said the current focus is to understand the purpose of these structures and why their dimensions vary so widely.
One key distinction, Baird pointed out, is that while Mendik Tepe features pillar-like elements, they are smaller and lack the iconic T-shape found in the monumental architecture of Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe.
He emphasized that the architectural style already shows important differences, suggesting that the community that built Mendik Tepe may have had different cultural or functional priorities.
Connection to other Neolithic sites
Mendik Tepe was first identified by archaeologist Fatma Şahin, who also leads the excavation at nearby Çakmak Tepe.
Baird said the two sites appear to belong to the same early period and may predate most excavated layers at Göbeklitepe, which was first discovered in 1963 by teams from Istanbul and Chicago universities. That site, now a UNESCO World Heritage location, dates back 12,000 years.
As excavations continue, archaeologists anticipate further discoveries that could shift understanding of early human development in this part of Turkey.
