Building community – Göbeklitepe

Twelve thousand years ago, long before the invention of agriculture, communities in Anatolia were already erecting monumental structures of unprecedented complexity. The James-Simon-Gallery presents exceptional remains that challenge our understanding of the Neolithic period: here, religious sentiment and the need to gather have preceded the cultivation of the land. Massive T-shaped pillars, carved with wild animals, stand alongside familiar jewelry and objects to testify to a fascinating social organization. These treasures of stone reveal how these first builders laid the foundations of life in society. From February 6th to July 19th, 2026, this historical journey offers a unique encounter with the earliest sanctuary of humanity. A rare opportunity to grasp the precise moment when humankind became settled in order to give form to its first common beliefs.