Türkiye to showcase 12,000-year-old Göbeklitepe artifacts in Berlin

Türkiye is set to launch a major international exhibition in Berlin, bringing the revolutionary Neolithic sites of Göbeklitepe and Taş Tepeler to a European audience. Titled "Building Community: Göbeklitepe, Taş Tepeler and Life 12,000 Years Ago," the showcase will present a carefully selected collection of ancient artifacts, aiming to narrate the profound societal transformations that marked the dawn of civilization in southeastern Anatolia.

Exhibition details and content

Organized in cooperation between the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Berlin's Vorderasiatisches Museum, the exhibition will open on February 10 at the James-Simon-Galerie on Museum Island. It will feature 89 original artifacts and four replicas on loan from the Şanlıurfa Museum, with 44 of these works being displayed outside Türkiye for the first time. The exhibition will explore the shift from hunter-gatherer societies to settled agricultural life through architecture, art, sculpture, and early belief systems, using monumental stone pillars, reliefs, and figurines from the sites.

Artistic and cultural significance

Beyond the archaeological finds, the exhibition will include a series of photographs of the Taş Tepeler landscape captured by renowned Spanish photographer Isabel Muñoz. These artistic interpretations aim to provide a contemporary visual dialogue with the ancient sites. The primary goal is to highlight the "cultural and scientific significance" of Göbeklitepe—a site that has radically altered the understanding of early human social organization, suggesting that large-scale temple construction may have preceded the establishment of permanent cities and agriculture.

Broader context of cultural diplomacy

The Berlin exhibition represents a significant step in Türkiye's efforts to promote its vast historical heritage on the global stage. Following a previous successful exhibition at Rome's Colosseum, this event continues a strategy of cultural diplomacy, using world-class archaeology to elevate Türkiye's profile as a cradle of civilization. By situating this narrative in one of Europe's foremost museum complexes, Türkiye underscores the universal importance of its ancient history and its role in shaping early human community, belief, and art. The exhibition is scheduled to remain open to visitors until July 19.