Karahan Tepe · Şanlıurfa, Türkiye

Twice as old as the pyramids.

A sanctuary carved into bedrock 11,000 years ago — before farming, before writing, before the wheel.

Explore the discoveries › Plan your visit ›

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What Is Karahan Tepe?

One of the most important
places on Earth.

Chambers cut into living bedrock. A human head that watches the room. Pillars raised by hunter-gatherers before farming existed — the sister site of Göbekli Tepe, and one of the deepest questions in the human story.

What it is › Karahan vs Göbekli ›

Explore the Site

Walk the enclosures.

Click a glowing point to open its story — the leopard, the vulture, the Ribbed Man, the carved head, the pillar room.

Blueprint-style reconstruction of the Karahan Tepe enclosures — the leopard carrier, the vulture, the Ribbed Man, the carved head and the pillar room The Leopard CarrierA figure gripping the apex predator The EnclosuresChambers cut into bedrock The VultureThe bird of death, in stone and bone The Ribbed ManA 2.3 m statue of the dead The Carved HeadA human face in the stone The Pillar RoomEleven pillars, one watching head

Explore all the structures →

The Archive

The latest finds.

Decorated stone vessel from Ayanlar Höyük
Apr 19, 2026

Göbekli Tepe Wasn't Alone

Read ›
 Sefer Tepe, site of the carved stone faces
Feb 19, 2026

Sefer Tepe's Stone Faces

Read ›
 Rock-cut stone architecture at Karahan Tepe
Feb 17, 2026

The World's Oldest Staircase?

Read ›
 The 2025 Sayburç stitched-mouth statue
Dec 1, 2025

The Sayburç Statue

Read ›
 An in-situ stone vessel at Karahan Tepe
Nov 2025

The Earliest 3D Story?

Read ›
 The excavated slope of Karahan Tepe where 30+ dwellings were found
Oct 18, 2025

The Village Beneath Karahan Tepe

Read ›
All discoveries ›

Go Deeper

Explore the site.

The pillar room of Karahan TepeThe Enclosures A carved human statue from Karahan TepeThe Builders A leopard sculpture from Karahan TepeSymbols & Art The Karahan Tepe research archiveThe Atlas

Small-Group Expeditions

See it with your own eyes.

Visit Karahan Tepe with our expert team. Our Göbekli Tepe & Karahan Tepe expeditions run through the Taş Tepeler region alongside Harran, Mount Nemrut, Cappadocia, and Hattusa — built for people who want real historical depth, not general tourism.

10 Days
Multiple dates
Small Group
Expert-led
5 Sites
Neolithic & Imperial

Visit with our expert team ›

Free E-Book

Get "Karahan Tepe: The Complete Field Guide"

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Karahan Tepe: The Complete Field Guide — free e-book cover