VIDEO | On display at the Colosseum Göbeklitepe, Türkiye’s sacred site and its enigmas
From 25 October to 2 March 2025, the Colosseum will be hosting the exhibition on the sacred monument of Göbeklitepe in Türkiye: the exhibition is enriched by multimedia content and three-dimensional reconstructions
ROME – The exhibition ‘Göbeklitepe: The enigma of a sacred place‘ opens at the Colosseum: promoted by the Colosseum Archaeological Park with the curatorship of Alfonsina Russo, Roberta Alteri, Daniele Fortuna and Federica Rinaldi and the collaboration of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Turkey and the Turkish Embassy in Rome, the exhibition will be hostedfrom Friday 25 October 2024 to 2 March 2025 on the second level of the Flavian Amphitheatre along the visitor route.
The exhibition, explains a note from the Colosseum Archaeological Park, which is part of the context of international cultural celebrations and aims to raise public awareness of the importance of preserving the world archaeological heritage, is an extraordinary event. For the first time, the public will be accompanied on an immersive journey to discover one of the oldest and most fascinating archaeological sites in the world, at the origins of civilization, located in the south-eastern region of Turkey: Göbeklitepe, a Neolithic site dating back to between 9,500 BC and 8,200 BC and part of the Tas Tepeler project directed by Professor Necmi Karul – Director of the Göbeklitepe and Karahantepe excavations (Istanbul University) – is considered the settlement with the oldest and most monumental structure ever discovered, revolutionizing the understanding of human history at the crucial moment of the transition from hunter-gatherer to sedentary societies. Its monumental ‘T’-shaped pillars, carved with stylised representations of animals, geometric patterns and images of human figures, bear witness to the complexity of the first communities and their religious beliefs.
The exhibition will offer visitors a unique and engaging experience, thanks to an exhibition enriched with multimedia content and three-dimensional reconstructions, which will allow them to immerse themselves in the life of this ancient civilisation. The site-specific layout follows the natural elliptical profile of the Colosseum, while the reproductions of the columns and detailed reconstructions of the circular complexes of Göbeklitepe rest on the monumental pillars of the ambulatories of the Amphitheatre, using the most modern visualisation technologies. As part of the exhibition, thematic conferences and seminars are scheduled, which will involve international experts in archeology and art history.
During the opening ceremony of the exhibition, Gökhan Yazgi, Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, said: “Göbeklitepe and the wider Tas Tepeler region to which it belongs feature the very first monuments ever built by humanity. This area, with its various building structures, bears witness to the beginnings of sedentary life, one of the most significant transformations in human history. We are delighted to exhibit some of the findings from the region in another majestic world heritage site, the famous Colosseum. I would like to sincerely express my gratitude to our Italian counterparts for their vision in the promotion and preservation of humanity’s historical heritage”. 9 wp-has-aspect-ratio”} –>
Alfonsina Russo, director of the Colosseum Archaeological Park, added that “the exhibition hosted at the Colosseum represents an important step in the field of research, scientific dissemination and enhancement of cultural heritage that the Colosseum Archaeological Park has always carried forward, also with a broad view of the European and Mediterranean dimension. The cultural collaboration with Turkey is part of this path and lays the foundations for further fruitful activities capable of reflecting on world heritage and with it on the roots of humanity”.