Photo Gallery — Karahantepe | Karahan Tepe

Karahantepe archaeological site photo gallery

Panoramic view of the Karahantepe archaeological landscape in southeastern Turkey

The limestone ridge of Karahantepe — the hilltop where 11,000 years of silence ended

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Aerial overview of the Karahantepe excavation site showing multiple chambers

Excavation complex — the scale of Karahantepe begins to emerge from the hillside

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Structure AB at Karahantepe showing T-shaped pillars arranged in a circular chamber

The Pillar Shrine (Structure AB) — 11 T-shaped pillars carved from the living bedrock

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Top-down view of Structure AB at Karahantepe with pillars surrounding the central figure

Structure AB viewed from above — the circular plan unique to Karahantepe

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Close view of T-shaped monolithic pillars inside Structure AB carved from limestone bedrock

T-shaped pillars rising from bedrock — no quarrying, no transport, carved in place

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Wide panoramic photograph of the Karahantepe pillar shrine excavation site

Panoramic view of Structure AB during the 2025 excavation season

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The carved human figure rising from bedrock at the centre of Structure AB Karahantepe

The central human figure of Structure AB — emerging from the limestone floor itself

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Close-up of animal relief carved in high relief on a T-shaped pillar at Karahantepe

Relief carving on a T-shaped pillar — leopard or predator figure with incised detail

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Multiple carved limestone human heads from Karahantepe displayed together

Carved human heads — among the earliest naturalistic portraits in human history

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Karahantepe limestone head sculpture with defined nasal bridge and hollowed eye sockets

Limestone head sculpture — hollowed eye sockets designed to receive obsidian inlays

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Front view of a carved limestone human head from Karahantepe showing detailed facial features

Carved head — defined cheekbones, strong jaw, and a presence that crosses 11 millennia

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Head sculpture in profile — the surface texture preserved after 11,000 years

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Head fragment from Karahantepe showing naturalistic cheekbone and jaw carving

Head fragment — cheekbone and jaw detail that places Karahantepe ahead of its time

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Human figure carvings on stone pillars and walls at Karahantepe archaeological site

Human figures carved into pillars and walls — realistic depictions unmatched in the Neolithic world

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Karahantepe archaeological site with surrounding landscape of southeastern Turkey

Karahantepe site — the excavation area set against the vast southeastern Anatolian steppe

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Visitors walking on the elevated walkway above the Karahantepe excavation site

Visitors on the protected walkway — following the path of discovery above the chambers

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Wide landscape view approaching the Karahantepe site across the Şanlıurfa plain

The approach to Karahantepe — the Şanlıurfa plain stretching to the horizon

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Freshly excavated stone structures and carved features at Karahantepe during the 2025 season

Newly exposed architectural features — 2025 season reveals another layer of complexity

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Valley and terrain surrounding the Karahantepe archaeological site

The Karahantepe valley — the terrain that sheltered this Neolithic community for millennia

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