M E G A L I T H O M A N I A
PRESENTS
Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe Tour
September 4-16, 2022 (13 days/12 nights)
Explore the Mysteries of Turkey
with Andrew Collins, Hugh Newman and J.J. Ainsworth
Hugh Newman, left, and Andrew Collins, right,
with Graham Hancock at Gobekli Tepe.
Hosted by Andrew Collins, author of Gobekli Tepe: Genesis of the Gods, with Megalithomaniac Hugh Newman, author of Earth Grids and Stone Circles, and special guest from the USA, JJ Ainsworth, a leading authority on ancient symbolism.
The breathtaking plains and steppes of eastern Turkey, the traditional Garden of Eden or terrestrial Paradise, was the setting for the Neolithic revolution and the rise of civilization.
We visit some of the world’s most exciting archaeological sites including Göbekli Tepe, the oldest stone temple complex and now a World Heritage Site, and Karahan Tepe, a newly excavated site from the same era, as well as numerous other Tas Tepeler sites that are currently under excavation.
The new Sanliurfa Archaeological Museum has hundreds of artefacts from Göbekli Tepe, Nevali Çori and other Pre-Pottery Neolithic sites.
We also explore the ancient city of Harran, and Çatal Höyük, the world’s first city. We visit the city of Konya, home of the Whirling Dervishes; Alaca Hoyuk and Hattusa that have incredible megalithic polygonal masonry similar to Peru, along with Sanliurfa, the ancient Christian city of Edessa, birthplace of Abraham; and the traditional area of the Garden of Eden, home of the Watchers and Nephilim of the book of Enoch, and the Annunaki of Sumerian myth and legend.
We will also visit the huge underground city of Derinkiyu as well as the Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia.
Andrew, Hugh and JJ will be presenting evening lectures throughout the tour, and discussing new theories and research on many of the sites visited.
Turkey Tour Costs:
Main Tour: $4995 USD (meet Istanbul)
based on double occupancy
Single occupancy supplement: $700 USD
(tour deposit: $400 USD)
Please email info@megalithomania.co.uk for more info
See below for more information on all the sites
featured on this comprehensive tour of Turkey
Hittite warriors at Yazilikaya, near Hattusa.
Left, stone gateway at Hattusa. Right, Hattusa's green nephrite omphalos.
Left, the Sphinx gateway at Alaca Höyük. Right, polygonal wall at Alaca Höyük.
We visit the ruins of the Hittite centre of Alaca Höyük. See its polygonal walls, similar to those found at archaeological sites in Peru, Easter Island and Egypt. See the pre-Hittite royal graves of Alaca Höyük's founding Hurrian elite, and learn of their possible origins beyond the Caucasus Mountains on the Russian Steppe. Also visit the immense ruins of the Hittite capital Hattusa. See its incredible stone walls and gateways, as well as its omphalos stone of polished green nephrite. Visit also the nearby rock shrine of Yazilikaya, famous for its carved reliefs of Hittite kings and deities.
Left, the Red Valley, Cappadocia. Right, fairy chimneys near Goreme.
Left and right, Derinkuyu's underground city.
Visit the mysterious underground city of Derinkuyu, thought to be as much as 13,000 years old, and see the area's famous fairy chimneys and lunar-like landscape. Optional balloon rides will be available when staying there.
Upper left and right, rock chimneys and churches near Goreme. Below left, Templar crosses on rock church at Goreme.
Below right, shamanic birdman in Gorome rock church.
Left, the archaeological site of Çatal Höyük. Right, the Whirling Dervishes at Konya.
See the 10,000-year-old Neolithic city of Asikli Höyük(if open to visitors) and also the 9,000-year-old city of Çatal Höyük on the Konya plain. See the areas of excavation and visit the local museum. At Konya see the Whirling Dervishes' mesmeric dance display.
Left, Nimrod's Castle, Sanliurfa. Right, the Pools of Abraham, Sanliurfa.
Journey on to the ancient city of Sanliurfa, traditional birthplace of the prophet Abraham and seat of the biblical tyrant Nimrod, where we begin part two of the tour.
Left, Göbekli Tepe's Enclosure D. Right, Enclosure D's Vulture Stone (Pillar 43).
We visit Göbekli Tepe, officially the world's oldest temple complex, built by the founders of civilization nearly 12,000 years ago. We visit also the ancient city of Harran, the birthplace of astrology and hermetica.
Left, the ruins of the Paradise Mosque, Harran. Right, beehive huts at Harran.
Visit the ruins of the Paradise mosque with its mesmeric astronomical tower, the city's Seljik period castle built on the site of the Sabian temple of the moon god Sin, and climb the city's 8,000-year-old prehistoric mound. Visit a local shop and café set within a courtyard surrounded by historic beehive shaped houses.
Above and below, left and right, exhibits in Sanliurfa's new archaeological museum.
Sanliurfa's spectacular museum of archaeology contains breathtaking displays of objects and pillars from Göbekli Tepe, Karahan Tepe as well as other Neolithic, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Roman and Arabic era sites in the region. The tour also takes in Sanliurfa's Pools of Abraham close to which is the cave said to be the birthplace of the great prophet. The city's famous bazaar and suq market are a must!
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Our journey continues eastwards into the Tektek Mountains where we will visit Karahan Tepe, Göbekli Tepe's sister site, where some of the most extraordinary discoveries anywhere in the world are being made at this time. We explore its astronomically aligned stone enclosures and see its estimated 250 T-shaped pillars. Many of the site's more portable carvings are now on display at Sanliurfa's breathtaking archaeological museum.
Karahan Tepe's Structure AD, also known as the Great Ellipse. Note its extraordinary elliptical geometry, first noted by chartered engineer Rodney Hale and Andrew Collins in 2021.
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Karahan Tepe's alignment towards the summer solstice in 9000 BCE first noted by Rodney Hale and Andrew Collins in 2021.
Both Hugh Newman and Andrew Collins have been visiting Karahan Tepe for many years and have developed a strong knowledge of its Pre-Pottery Neolithic culture, in particular their interest in the cult of the serpent and celestial alignments involving the sun, Milky Way and Cygnus constellation.
The ancient Turkish city of Mardin (Credit: Wiki Commons Agreement 2021).
After leaving the area of Sanliurfa the tour group will journey onward to the beautiful ancient city of Mardin, where we visit various sites of historical and mystical importance. It will be a chance to comtemplate and reflect on what has been seen and experienced across the past two weeks before finally heading out to Nemrut Dag mountain in Adiyaman province.
On the way we visit the Atatürk Dam and see the Euphrates river. We visit also the Karakus tumulus, built by the Commagene king Mithridites II for his mother Isas. We inspect its strange columnal gateways and pillars, and view its alignments into the local landscape. Continue to Hotel Euphrates and before a sunset journey by vehicle to the base of Nemrut Dag. Climb its steps to reach the mausoleum of Antiochus III built in 62 BC.
See its amazing pyramid of pebble stones and the strange stone heads of eagles, gods and kings that eternally gaze out over this mysterious landscape of the dead.
Left and right, the mountaintop mausoluem of Antiochus III on the summit of Nemrut Dag (Mount Nimrod).
The final journey will be to Adiyaman airport and the return flight to Istanbul.
Turkey Tour Costs:
Main Tour: $4995 USD (meet Istanbul)
based on double occupancy
Single occupancy supplement: $700 USD
(tour deposit: $400 USD)
Please email info@megalithomania.co.uk for more info
Buy Andrew Collins's book
Göbekli Tepe: Genesis of the Gods
READ ABOUT WHO BUILT GÖBEKLI TEPE, WHEN AND WHY.
For more information on Göbekli Tepe:
Andrew defines Göbekli Tepe's cosmic blueprint, showing that it is aligned to the Milky Way's Dark Rift and the bright star Deneb in Cygnus.
Fig-mulberry tree marked the summit of Göbekli Tepe.