How the Göbekli Tepe guide works
A 5-minute read covering how this guide and the companion app work. Same content as the ℹ info button on each card — collected here if you'd rather browse it all at once.
What this is
This is an independent visitor guide to Göbekli Tepe — the world's oldest known monumental sanctuary, on a limestone ridge about 15 km north-east of Şanlıurfa in Upper Mesopotamia, Türkiye, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2018. It is not affiliated with the excavation, the Şanlıurfa Museum, the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) or UNESCO.
Two parts work together. The website is for reading at home: the four great enclosures (A, B, C and D), the carved T-pillars, the famous Vulture Stone, the story of the discovery, and how to plan a visit. The free companion app is for the site itself: an offline map and guide that shows you where you are on the ridge and what you are looking at as you reach each enclosure along the boardwalk.
Everything on the website is free to read without an account. A free account simply lets you save enclosures and heritage sites to revisit, and keep track of which parts of the site you have explored.
Plan on the website
Start with the site for what Göbekli Tepe is and why it matters, then read about the four great enclosures and how it was found. The heritage pages cover the wider Taş Tepeler landscape — Karahan Tepe, Urfa Man and the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum, where most of the finds are displayed.
Read at each enclosure
On site, the site guides do the explaining. As you follow the elevated boardwalk above the enclosures, the app shows you where you are and which guide belongs to what you are facing — Enclosure D as you reach it, the Vulture Stone as you stand before it, the meaning of the T-pillars as you walk among them. Because mobile coverage on the ridge can be patchy, the guides and maps work fully offline: download them once over Wi-Fi before you travel.
Free, offline and available now
The companion app is completely free — no charge, no subscription, no ads. Göbekli Tepe Walk is out now on the App Store and Google Play, and you can plan your visit here on the website too.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the official Göbekli Tepe website?
No. This is an independent visitor guide and a free offline companion. It is not affiliated with the excavation, the Şanlıurfa Museum, the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) or UNESCO. Always check opening hours, ticketing and on-site rules with official sources before you travel.
Is the guide free? Do I need an account?
Everything on the website is free to read, and the companion app will be free too — no charge, no subscription, no ads. You can browse the whole guide without an account. A free account simply lets you save enclosures and heritage sites and track which parts of the site you have explored.
How do the guides work on site?
As you follow the elevated boardwalk above the enclosures, the app detects which enclosure you are near and brings up its guide — no hunting through a list. Enclosures A, B, C and D and the Vulture Stone each have their own guide, and you can open any of them on demand. The guides are written, so you can read them without headphones.
Do the guides work offline?
Yes. Mobile coverage on the ridge can be patchy, so the guides and maps are fully available offline. Download them over Wi-Fi before you set out, then leave your data switched off — it works the same either way.
When is the app available, and in what languages?
Göbekli Tepe Walk is out now on both the App Store and Google Play, and it is free. The app is available in eight languages — English, Turkish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian and Ukrainian — while this website is in English.
Where can I see Göbekli Tepe's finds?
At the site, visitors walk the boardwalk and view the great pillars in place, but the portable finds have been removed for protection and study. Most are displayed at the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum, along with material from neighbouring Karahan Tepe and "Urfa Man," the oldest known life-sized human statue. Questions or corrections? Email [email protected].
An independent guide — not affiliated with the excavation, the Şanlıurfa Museum, the DAI or UNESCO.