Gobekli Tepe; The world's first synagogue

It was in 1960, Turkish farmers started digging on a mound. They wanted to build a field there and sow wheat.

During the excavation, stone tools were found from the bottom, and they were very surprised. The office of the Turkish Department of Archeology was located in the city of Orfa (Sanliurfa), ten or twelve kilometres away from the mound. The farmers reached there with the tools. The impact experts working in the office were shocked when they saw the tools.

Experience told him they were old enough. The equipment was sent to Istanbul University. The aim was to find out how ancient the instruments were. When the scientific report came, it was revealed that they were built at least in 11600 BC. Now the Turkish experts realised that there was a human settlement on the mound in the past.

In 1963, experts from Istanbul University and Chicago University of America visited the mound and did some digging there. Some pillars were recovered from below. Most of them were similar to the English word "T". Since Turkey is a Muslim country, American experts consider them to be tombstones. They stopped the excavation thinking that there was a village on the mound a few hundred years ago which had been destroyed and that the stone tools must have belonged to a resident who had now been found by the farmers.

The city of prophets

Many years have passed. In 1994, Germany's eminent archaeologist, Klaus Schmidt, arrived there. The attraction of the area's impressive history drew him there. Actually, the area is located at the foothills of the Taurus Mountains, from where the Tigris and Euphrates and many of its tributaries flow. Rivers emerge. The oldest human civilizations were born in the valleys of these legendary rivers, which are collectively called "Tigris and Euphrates Valley" (Mesopotamia) and "Fertile Crescent" (Fertile Crescent). Located on the border.

Orfa itself is a very historical place. The Khalilur Rahman Mosque is located in the city. There is also a tradition among Jews, Christians and Muslims that there is a pit in the same mosque in which Nimrod threw Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) Khalilullah into the fire, but it became cold by the order of the Lord Almighty. That pit has now become a pond. Since Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) is the ancestor of Jews, Christians and Muslims, that is why Orfa is called "City of Prophets".

New Theory

Carl Schmidt naturally went to the mound where the stone tools were found thirty years ago. He was an experienced expert. He realised as soon as he saw the mound that it was not natural, but man-made. He also visited another impressive site in Orfa province, Neva Kori. (Nevali Cori) had worked. T-shaped pillars came out from there during the excavation, but they were quite high. Such pillars are called "Megalith" in the term of archeology.

It is believed that the ancient people used to prepare them to perform social or religious rituals. Now seeing them on the mound, Klaas Schmidt knew that they were not grave inscriptions but megaliths. To clear his doubt, he started digging there. gave

At that time, the German expert had no idea that his doubt would change the history and archeology textbooks. will remain

Formation of Agrarian Society

At that time, experts in history and archeology had established the theory after long research that the first human settlements were permanently settled in the Tigris and Euphrates valley in eleven thousand BC. Their inhabitants were farming and rearing cattle. Gradually some people in every settlement became rich due to their hard work or luck. Thus a hierarchy was born in the society. Soon the evolving human society was divided between the ruling class and the people.

After that, religion was born to raise the voice of law, justice and morality in the society. Religion played an important role in the formation of moral values ​​and discipline in human society. When the settlements expanded and religion took root there. So man built early temples so that they could worship their gods there. Then as human civilization and civilization developed, big temples were built.

According to the above theory, the people of eleven thousand years ago did not have enough resources, experience, tools and skills to build a regular temple. The above theory of influence has been clarified.

New Revelations

The local Turks called the mound "Göbekli Tepe''. In Turkish, it means: "Hill with a Big Belly." Klaus Schmidt excavated there, and his suspicions were confirmed. From below The T-shaped pillars came out. This excavation continued continuously. Due to the civil war in Syria, there was some interruption in it. Meanwhile, in 2014, Klaas Schmidt left the world, but his students are still at Gobekli Tepe. Excavating. The following revelations came out from this excavation.

Fifteen thousand years ago, the area of ​​Orfa was very green. There were long grasslands in which deer, gazelles, wild sheep, wolves, lions, pigs, different types of birds and other animals were found in abundance.

Wild grains also grew. There was also an abundance of water. However, nomadic people settled in this area. These people were hunters and hunter-gatherers. When winter came, they moved to the coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea. When summer came, they returned to the Orfa region.

These people used tools made of stone, bone or wood in their daily work, such as chisels, hammers, axes, sickles etc. The tips of spears and arrows were also made of stone or bone. They learned to make ropes from different types of grass. They used tree trunks as wheels to move heavy objects around. They used their tools to engrave pictures on stones and walls. These same people started the construction of Gobekli Tapa twelve thousand years ago.

Not a Residential area

Experts cannot say with certainty why this place was started to be built by the ancient inhabitants of Orfa. However, some theories have been formulated. One theory is that the people of the area gathered and worshipped at this place. Another theory is that the place was built in the memory of loved ones and elders who passed away. The third theory is that the place was a divan or a sitting place for the people of the area. People gathered once or twice a year and held a fair there. On this occasion, maybe it was a social or religious event. Rituals were also performed.

However, it is certain that Gobekli Tapa was not a residential settlement, because not a single hearth was found there, nor were there any rubbish heaps and other signs which have been recovered from all the ancient settlements. However, Gobekli Tapa was a pilgrimage site, a place of worship, a shrine or a place for holding a festival. The majority of experts believe that it was a place of worship. The reason for this is its architectural design and the objects found there.

The beginning of circles

When the construction started, the ancient people dug the ground and made a circle that was twenty-five feet in diameter. Pillars were placed at intervals on the edges of this circle and then one or two pillars were placed in the middle. The shape of the pillars installed in the middle of the circle is similar to the English word T. Experts believe that these are human representations, that is, they were compared to humans. When the descendants of ancient humans were born, they finished the first circle and placed it on top of it. A new circle was created. Or it created its own circle along with the old one. Thus, many circles were created in Gobekli Tapa in a period of several hundred years.

So far, twenty-five circles have been excavated there. More excavations may reveal new ones. Some circles are located one below the other. Some are smaller and some are larger. Some circles have only one pillar in the middle. The area of ​​the circles. It stretches for a thousand feet. These pillars range from a few feet to eighteen feet in height. Seeing them, some astronomers suggested that the Gobekli hill might have been an observatory.

Scary bird

Most of the pillars have images of birds and animals carved on them. They include bulls, foxes, snakes, vultures, spiders, insects, donkeys, gazelles and lions. Human figures are also carved on some of the pillars in a strange way. Experts say that the most art of the Stone Age has been found so far. They feature images of domesticated cattle or elephants, camels and bullocks. Gobekli Tepe is the only place where the carved images are of various fearsome birds that frighten the beholder.

There are limestone hills near Gobekli hill. Stones were cut from these hills and made into pillars. They were then loaded on trunks and lifted up and tied with ropes. This work was done by several hundred people together. The largest circle on Tapah has a diameter of 65. The highest pillars were found in the same circle, which looks like an idol. Eighteen feet high, these pillars weigh forty-five tons. It is thought that this circle was the centre of Gobekli. .

Was it a temple?

According to Class Schmitt, it was a temple. Ancient people used to come there and worship. It is possible that these pillars are symbols of their gods. Found. Chirand birds which are engraved on the pillars, they were probably declared as natural manifestations of God or deities. Shammit also said that once or twice a year a religious or social festival was held there. Then there was a great celebration and feasts. The reason for this is that one hundred thousand bones of deer and gazelle have been found there.

After 2014, the excavation of Gobekli also found rooms from the lower layers. Therefore, some experts believe that earlier there was a human settlement. But most experts believe that the beloved and respected chieftain of ancient people lived there. When he died. His house was converted into a place of pilgrimage.

Gradually, it became a place of worship. Remember, it is mentioned in the Holy Qur'an that the descendants of Noah made idols of their deceased elders and started worshipping them. This is how idolatry began. It is possible that the ancient people of Orfa. I am one of the descendants of Noah. However, no evidence was found from Gobekli hill that people used to sit in circles and worship in front of the pillars.

Religion created a revolution

Eleven places similar to Gobekli Tapa have been discovered in the Orfa area, but they are smaller. It seems that Gobekli was the largest place of worship or pilgrimage in this area. Their discovery has revealed a new theory on how human civilization and civilization developed. According to this new theory, when ancient humans built places of religious and social gathering like Gobekli Tapa, many couples began to live there permanently. These couples also needed constant food to survive. Then they started farming and growing grains so that food would be available continuously. Thus, mankind started agriculture. Modern scientific research confirms this theory.

Geneticists examine different types of food with the help of genes and DNA to find out when the first type came into existence. They investigated that the first type of wheat was grown in a village in Orfa. It was cultivated by humans eleven thousand years ago.

That village was only twenty miles away from Gobekli Tepe. Likewise, through research, he also found out that the village where cattle were raised for the first time in the world was settled sixty miles away from Gobekli. Not only that, Orfa is that area. For the first time, the inhabitants of Jahan began to raise sheep and cattle for milk, wool and meat, and to use them for dung. Thus the agricultural revolution began.

The discovery of Gobekli Tapa and other sites in Orfa brought to the modern man the fact that agriculture did not give birth to religion...rather it was the other way around, that is, religion encouraged humans to adopt agriculture and then they themselves. Agricultural societies gave birth to civilization, culture, civilization and science and technology. Not only this, they also shaped religion and gave it a definite shape and it became the cause of developing high human values ​​along with ethics. Even today, it is of great importance in human life. Although the modern man has been away from religion and has become a victim of anxiety, chaos and anxiety.

Indo-Aryan languages

It was mentioned earlier that Orfa was a part of the "Fertile Crescent". This area extended to Palestine, Iraq, Syria, southern Anatolia and western Iran. The vast area of ​​Asiatic Turkey is called "Anatolia". Parts including Orfa were included in the Fertile Crescent. According to archaeologists, this area was inhabited by people belonging to the "Kebaran culture" from sixteen thousand BC to eleven thousand BC. Perhaps they were the ones who lived in Gobekli. Tappa and other places were built. However, this is a theory, it cannot be said with certainty.

It should be noted that Indo-Aryan is the largest family of languages ​​in modern times. It includes English, Hindi (and Urdu), Spanish, Bengali, French, Russian, Portuguese, German, Persian and Punjabi.

Billions of people speak these languages. Two theories are known about the formation of this family. The first is the Kurgan hypothesis, according to which these languages ​​were introduced by the people living in the plains of Ukraine and South Russia (Pontic-Caspian region) six to seven thousand years ago. The second is called the "Anatolian theory". According to it, the creators of Indo-Aryan languages ​​were the inhabitants of Anatolia. This theory was developed by the prominent British archaeologist, Colin Renfrew, and a book (Archaeology and Language: The Puzzle) of Indo-European Origins) also written.

According to the Anatolian theory, ten thousand years ago, the people of Anatolia began to migrate to different regions. One group went to Russia. Other groups went to Europe, Iran, India, Africa, etc. They established new settlements there and developed their languages. Due to local influences, there have been differences over thousands of years, but the basic structure of all languages ​​is similar. That is why they are included in the Indo-Aryan family. While they also influenced the Arabic language. This is the reason, Arabic, Persian. There was not much difficulty in creating a new language (Urdu) by sharing Sanskrit etc.

It is possible that those who came from Anatolia founded Mehrgarh in Baluchistan. It is the oldest permanently settled settlement in Greater Pakistan. It is believed that it was settled nine thousand years ago. Experts also say that these people later laid the foundations of the Indus Valley civilization. Gradually, this civilization spread to North India.

How did idolatry spread?

Class Schmidt believes that paganism was born in Orfa. Then the people there reached other areas and practised their religious practices in new places. So, the coming nations such as the Sumerians, Egyptians and other nations of the Tigris and Euphrates valleys. They became idolaters. They built a large number of temples. Sumerian is considered to be the first civilization. It is said that the gods gave the gifts of agriculture and cattle breeding to humans. Baste. In this tradition the sacred mountain may be Gobekli Tapa.

Birthplace of Vedicism

After the discovery of Gobekli Tepe, scholars of the oldest Indian religion in India, Vedamatism, became interested in it. And they used to have customs and traditions. For example, pillar number 12 of Gobikali has a pig carved in it. A hole is made just above it. Vedic scholars associate this image with Varaha, the third avatar of their god Vishnu. This avatar was half human and half pig. The Vedas According to the tradition, an asra (demigod) wanted to drown the earth in the sea. Then Vishnu appeared in the form of Vara, lifted the earth up with his snout and thus saved it from drowning. Thus the new life of the earth. It started.ns, they are still going on in Vedamat.

For example, pillar number 12 of Gobikali has a pig carved in it. A hole is made just above it. Vedic scholars associate this image with Varaha, the third avatar of their god Vishnu. This avatar was half human and half pig. According to the Vedas, an asra (demigod) wanted to drown the earth in the sea. Then Vishnu appeared in the form of Vara, lifted the earth up with his snout and thus saved it from drowning. Thus the new life of the earth. It started.

In the carved image of Gobekli Tappa, there are five bird-like animals above the pigs. According to Vedic scholars, these are the five gods. They are called the "five ghosts" which are actually the five elements: air, water, fire, sky and earth. Metaphor. They are in the picture paying tribute to Vishnu for saving the earth from destruction.

Scholars also give the example of Vedic pillar number 43. It is installed in the largest circle of Gobekli. It depicts an event through birds and animals. According to Vedic scholars, the bird in it is the Vedic deity, Garuda. It is a half bird. And half human. Was the rider of Vishnu. Enemy of snakes. Even a snake (along with a scorpion) can be seen in the pillar. According to Vedas Garuda used to protect humans from snakes and scorpions.

In pillar 43 itself, a rider on a bird is shown at the bottom. Vedic scholars also confirm that this is the Garuda god. It is also the rider of the sun god. Hence, a circle is also engraved as a symbol of the sun. Is.

There are twelve pillars in the largest circle of Gobekli Tepe. According to Vedic scholars, these mark the twelve months. Images of wolves are also engraved on these pillars. Vedic experts call it the symbol of the moon. In Sanskrit, the wolf is called "varika". This word also means moon. According to the Vedic images, the moon is represented as the creator of the twelve months. .

Snakes are also engraved on most of the pillars of Gobekli Tepe. In some places, curled or wavy snakes are shown. In addition to Vedicism, snakes are also religiously important in Buddhism and Hinduism. That is why a snake is wrapped around the neck of Lord Shiva. It is shown. The name of this snake is "Valuki'' and he is also a minor deity. Vedic scholars say that the snake is a symbol of courage and fearlessness apart from ego. Hence, Shiva wears it around his neck. He keeps a rider and does not allow the snake to enter his heart and mind. That is why he is also called Beiragi because he has nothing to do with material desires.

Another ancient settlement in the Orfa region, Neva Kori, has already been mentioned. This settlement was settled ten thousand years ago. In its ruins, a statue of a man with no hair on his head but wearing a braid was found. Keeping a peak is the tradition of the Brahmin men of India. Therefore, Indian scholars claim on the basis of this statue that the Vedas and Brahmanism are derived from the religious and social customs of the inhabitants of the Orfa region.

Indus Valley Civilization

The interesting thing is that in the civilization of the Indus Valley, no place of worship of the idols of the gods was found in any important settlement. It is possible that a prophet of Allah made them repent from idolatry. It was not accepted, so they invaded Sindh and adjacent areas and destroyed the civilization of the Indus Valley. They then introduced idolatry in India. Today, India has become the biggest abode of idolaters.

Seals and tablets have been found from different places of the Indus Valley Civilization, on which strange words and some animals are engraved. The pictures engraved on the found pillars must have a message or meaning. Therefore, efforts are being made to understand them.

If the hidden meaning is understood in the archeology found in both areas, it is possible that modern people can learn a lot about the religious and social life of ancient people. Therefore, it is a secret. No one knows what message they wanted to convey to the future humanity with the words and images engraved on the pillars and seals.