Seeds of Civilization: From Sacred Stones to Living Gardens

Some journeys show you new places. Others take you back thousands of years—into the earliest memories of humankind.

Across the fertile lands of Türkiye, traces of humanity’s first beliefs, settlements, and gardens still breathe under the sun. From sacred stones older than the pyramids to gardens that have sustained civilizations for millennia, this journey follows the story of how we first learned to cultivate both the land and our connections to each other.

Göbeklitepe – Where Faith and Farming First Took Root

On the limestone hills of Southeastern Anatolia, the wind whispers from 12,000 years ago. Göbeklitepe dates back to the end of the Pleistocene Epoch, around 11,700 years ago, and is the world’s oldest known temple. Massive T-shaped stone pillars, arranged in circles and carved with wild animals and human figures, stand as witnesses to a time before pottery, the wheel, or cities.

Excavations led by the late Professor Dr. Klaus Schmidt revealed remnants of the “eight basic crops” in agricultural history—flax, vetch, chickpeas, peas, lentils, barley, red wheat, and Gernik wheat. The single-grain red wheat from nearby Karacadağ is considered the oldest known wheat in the world. Stone containers found here show residues from soaking, crushing, and fermenting grains, suggesting that Göbeklitepe was not only a spiritual center but also among the first places to practice agriculture.

Before or after visiting Göbeklitepe, the Şanlıurfa Archaeology Museum and Edessa Mosaic Museum offer a rich complement to the experience, housing remarkable Neolithic artifacts and mosaics connected to the site.

Hevsel Gardens – The Green Heart of Mesopotamia

Along the banks of the Tigris River, stretching from the mighty walls of Diyarbakır to the water’s edge, lie the Hevsel Gardens—7,000 decares of fertile alluvial soil cultivated since the time of the Sumerians. These orchards, vineyards, and vegetable fields have been a lifeline for centuries, sustaining the city above and providing a habitat for over 180 species of birds and mammals. In 2015, the gardens, together with Diyarbakır Castle, were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a Cultural Landscape.

Diyarbakır Castle itself tells a story spanning the Roman, Sassanid, Byzantine, and Ottoman eras. Its 5,800 meters of walls and 82 bastions dominate the city, and from its towers, the Hevsel Gardens stretch toward the horizon in a living tableau of history and nature intertwined.

Harran – Legends in Clay and Stone

Believed to be the home of Abraham before his journey to Canaan, Harran holds profound spiritual significance. Its famous beehive houses—designed for extreme heat and cold—have been in continuous use since the ancient Mesopotamian era. This is also one of the first regions where sheep were domesticated, and agricultural activities here date back 10,000 years. The Harran Plain remains one of Türkiye’s most enduring agricultural heartlands.

Halfeti – A Sunken Fairytale

On the banks of the Euphrates lies Halfeti, a town partially submerged after the construction of the Birecik Dam. Here, stone houses, mosques, and caves peek above the waterline, creating a scene from a forgotten dream. A private boat tour through Savaşan Village and Rumkale reveals breathtaking views and perfect photo opportunities. In 2013, Halfeti joined the “Cittaslow” network of Slow Cities, preserving its tranquil way of life.

Gaziantep – City of Spices and Mosaics

At the crossroads of the Middle East and Anatolia, Gaziantep is a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, where culinary traditions are as rich as its history. The Zeugma Mosaic Museum houses one of the world’s most important collections of Roman mosaics, rescued from the ancient city of Zeugma before it was partially submerged by the Birecik Dam. The intricate panels tell stories of gods, heroes, and daily life in vivid detail.

Cappadocia – Land of Beautiful Horses and Ancient Wines

The name Cappadocia comes from the Hittite word Katpatuka, meaning “Land of Beautiful Horses.” This region has been making wine since the Hittite Empire, using its unique microclimate—high altitude, hot days, cool nights, volcanic soils, and cave cellars—to produce exceptional vintages. The Emir grape, favored since ancient times, still thrives here.

The Göreme Open Air Museum, active from the 4th to 13th centuries, is a rock-hewn monastic complex filled with churches, chapels, refectories, and kitchens, all carved into the region’s signature fairy chimneys.

Çatalhöyük – The First Urban Experiment

Dating back to 7400–6200 BC, Çatalhöyük is one of the best-preserved examples of humanity’s transition from village to city life. Homes were built back-to-back with rooftop access, and daily life unfolded above ground. Agriculture, hunting, and fishing coexisted here; storage containers, food processing tools, and evidence of cultivated crops like barley, wheat, millet, peas, and lentils show an advanced understanding of food production and preservation. Herbs, fruits, and nuts were part of the diet, as were the artistic expressions that adorned the settlement’s walls.

A Story Written in Time and Soil

From Göbeklitepe’s sacred stones to the fertile terraces of the Hevsel Gardens; from Harran’s timeless clay domes to Halfeti’s sunken streets; from Cappadocia’s volcanic vineyards to Çatalhöyük’s rooftop pathways—this journey is more than a tour. It is a living chronicle of how we shaped the land and how, in turn, the land shaped us.