Quick Answer
The Tektek Mountains during Karahan Tepe’s occupation (9600–8000 BCE) supported a far richer ecosystem than today’s dry steppe. Archaeological evidence documents gazelle (comprising 60% of bone remains), wild cattle, wild boar, red deer, foxes, wolves, and diverse birds including eagles, vultures, and owls. Plant life included wild einkorn wheat, barley, lentils, wild almonds, wild pistachios, and oak — the ancestors of crops that would later transform human civilization. The transition from wetter to drier climate over the site’s 1,500-year occupation may have contributed to its eventual abandonment. Today, the landscape is a shadow of its Neolithic abundance, though gazelles, eagles, and other steppe species still inhabit the region, and wild pistachio (menengiç) trees surviving on the hillsides are direct descendants of trees the builders would have known.
When visitors stand at Karahan Tepe today, they see dry steppe — sparse grass, bare rock, the occasional fox or partridge. It is a beautiful landscape in its starkness, but it can be difficult to imagine as a place where hundreds or thousands of people gathered to build monuments over centuries. The key is understanding that 11,000 years ago, this landscape was dramatically different.
I have been visiting the Tektek Mountains regularly since 2020, watching the seasons change across this terrain. Even today, the difference between spring (when the hills briefly turn green) and summer (when everything bakes to brown) is striking. Multiply that seasonal range by the effects of a fundamentally different climate, and you begin to see the world the builders of Karahan Tepe actually inhabited.
The Tektek Mountains Today
The Tektek Mountains lie approximately 42 kilometers east of Şanlıurfa’s city center, covering about 19,335 hectares. The geological structure is primarily limestone. Today, roughly 80 percent of the land is meadow and pasture, with about 13 percent under agricultural use. The region falls within the Iran-Turan phytogeographical zone — dry, continental steppe.
Modern botanical surveys have documented approximately 335 plant species in the protected area, including 7 endemic taxa. The dominant plant families are Fabaceae (legumes), Asteraceae (daisies), Brassicaceae (mustards), Lamiaceae (mints), and Apiaceae (carrots and parsley). It is a diverse flora by steppe standards, but a fraction of what once grew here.
The visible animal population today is limited. Gazelles still move through the area — I have spotted them on several visits — along with partridges, quail, red foxes, eagles, rabbits, owls, and the occasional desert monitor lizard. It is a quiet landscape. In the Neolithic, it was anything but.
Neolithic Fauna: A Richer World
Archaeological evidence from Karahan Tepe, Göbekli Tepe, and nearby sites like Harbetsuvan Tepesi paints a picture of a far more populated ecosystem.
Mammals documented in Neolithic deposits include gazelle (the most commonly found remains), wild boar, wild cattle (aurochs), sheep, goats, red fox, rabbit, red deer, and wolf. Wild cat bones have also been recovered. These were not domesticated animals — the builders of Karahan Tepe were hunter-gatherers operating in a landscape rich with game.
The bird population was equally diverse. Eagle, vulture, duck, goose, quail, partridge, crane, owl, magpie, and raven remains have all been identified at Göbekli Tepe. Many of these species appear as carved reliefs on the T-shaped pillars at both sites, suggesting they held symbolic significance beyond their value as food.
Wild donkeys have been specifically documented at Harbetsuvan Tepesi and Karahan Tepe, indicating that the open steppe supported large ungulates that have since disappeared from the region.
Neolithic Flora: The Ancestors of Agriculture
The plant assemblage from the Neolithic Tektek Mountains is remarkable for containing wild ancestors of crops that would later transform human civilization. Wild einkorn wheat — one of the earliest domesticated grains — has been identified in the region. Barley, lentils, and rye round out a picture of wild grain abundance that may have been one of the reasons people gathered here in such numbers.
Beyond the grains, the area supported almond trees, plum trees, and wild pistachio (specifically Pistacia terebinthus, the menengiç tree that still grows in southeastern Turkey and produces the aromatic resin used in traditional cooking). Oak, willow, poplar, and hawthorn or wild pear (Maloideae family) provided wood, shelter, and additional food resources.
This was not a barren wilderness. It was a landscape of abundance — a natural pantry that could support the large gatherings of people required to build sites like Karahan Tepe.
From Abundance to Scarcity
The contrast between the Neolithic ecosystem and today’s depleted landscape is one of the most important stories the region tells. Climate change — the natural drying trend that has affected southwestern Asia over the past 10,000 years — bears much of the responsibility. But millennia of pastoralism, agriculture, and deforestation have also taken their toll.
Many of the large mammals present during the Neolithic — aurochs, wild horses, red deer — vanished from the region long ago. The vegetation thinned as the climate dried and human pressure increased. What remains today is a shadow of what existed when the T-shaped pillars were being carved.
This environmental story adds urgency to the archaeology. Karahan Tepe exists at a hinge point in human and environmental history — the moment before agriculture, before domestication, before the landscape was fundamentally reshaped by human activity. Understanding the Neolithic ecology is essential to understanding the site itself.
What Visitors Can Still See
While the megafauna are gone, the Tektek Mountains remain a rewarding destination for nature-minded visitors. Gazelle sightings are possible, especially in the early morning. Birds of prey — particularly eagles — are a common sight. The spring wildflower bloom, typically in March and April, briefly transforms the steppe into a colorful carpet.
I encourage visitors to pay attention to the menengiç (wild pistachio) trees that still dot the landscape. These ancient survivors are direct descendants of the trees that the builders of Karahan Tepe would have known. Standing beside a menengiç tree and looking toward the excavation site collapses eleven millennia into a single moment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What animals lived near Karahan Tepe in the Neolithic? Gazelle, wild boar, aurochs (wild cattle), sheep, goats, red deer, wolves, foxes, rabbits, and wild cats. Bird species included eagles, vultures, cranes, and owls.
What plants grew in the Tektek Mountains during the Neolithic? Wild einkorn wheat, barley, lentils, rye, almonds, plums, wild pistachio (menengiç), oak, willow, and poplar, among others.
Is the Tektek Mountains landscape the same as in the Neolithic? No. The region was significantly wetter, more vegetated, and supported far more diverse wildlife 11,000 years ago. Climate change and human activity have dramatically altered the landscape.
Can you see wildlife at Karahan Tepe today? Gazelles, eagles, foxes, partridges, and other steppe species can still be spotted, especially in early morning. Spring (March–April) offers the best conditions.