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T-shaped Neolithic stelae at Sefertepe, Viranşehir, Şanlıurfa

Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Country Record

Known by the Most Names in Turkey

Settlement

Sefertepe

8000 BCE – 6500 BCE

A Pre-Pottery Neolithic Taş Tepeler site in Viranşehir, Şanlıurfa, with T-shaped stelae, a skull room, micro-carved beads, and human-face reliefs announced in late 2025.

NeolithicPre-Pottery Neolithic
21
Interest 48

Location

Turkey

37.19°N · 39.49°E · Asia

Full map & details →Open in Google Maps ↗

District

Viranşehir, Şanlıurfa

Horizon

PPN T-shaped pillars (Taş Tepeler)

2025 finds

Two north-facing human-face reliefs

Survey

Çelik / Güler Viranşehir PPN list

“Sefertepe shows that skull deposition, face reliefs, and T-stelae were regional habits, not unique to the two best-known Şanlıurfa hills.”

Location

Overview

Sefertepe (Sefer Tepe) occupies a low rise in Viranşehir district, about 70 km east of Şanlıurfa, between the Eskikale and Kırbalı neighbourhoods. It belongs to the T-pillar horizon defined at Göbekli Tepe. Bahattin Çelik and colleagues recorded the site in surveys of Viranşehir; systematic excavation under Taş Tepeler intensified in 2024-2025.

The surface shows T-shaped stelae. Subsurface work has produced a special room with human skulls, an 8,500-year-old micro-carved bead, and, in November 2025, two human-face reliefs on limestone blocks of a platform, facing north: one high-relief face with modelled features, one more stylised low relief. Dates cluster around the late 9th to 8th millennium BCE.

Sefertepe is less famous than Göbekli or Karahan, which is exactly why it belongs on this atlas: Taş Tepeler is a landscape of many hills, not two icons. Compare Sayburç for domestic architecture and Karahan Tepe for carved human imagery.

Why It Matters

Sefertepe shows that skull deposition, face reliefs, and T-stelae were regional habits, not unique to the two best-known Şanlıurfa hills. The 2025 reliefs keep the site in the current excavation news cycle alongside Karahan and Sayburç.

Evidence & Interpretation

Distinguishing what is well-established from what remains debated.

Well-Established Facts

2
  • T-shaped stelae and PPN architecture place Sefertepe in the Şanlıurfa T-pillar group.
  • 2025 reports describe two human-face reliefs on a limestone platform, oriented north.

Scholarly Inferences

1
  • Skull-room and bead finds belong to the same symbolic package as other Taş Tepeler special buildings.

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How to cite this page

Atlas Anatolia. (8000). Sefertepe. Atlas Anatolia. https://atlasanatolia.com/site/sefertepe

Content licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 — attribution required when reusing.

Sources

  • New pre-pottery neolithic settlements from Viranşehir District — Güler, Mustafa; Çelik, Bahattin; Güler, Gül (2012)
  • Human face reliefs and skull room at Sefertepe — Altuntaş, Leman (report) (2025)

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Sefertepe located?

Sefertepe is located in Turkey.

How old is Sefertepe?

Sefertepe dates to approximately 8000 BCE – 6500 BCE.

Which civilizations are associated with Sefertepe?

Sefertepe is associated with the Pre-Pottery Neolithic.

Why is Sefertepe important?

Sefertepe shows that skull deposition, face reliefs, and T-stelae were regional habits, not unique to the two best-known Şanlıurfa hills.

Is Sefertepe a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

Sefertepe is not currently inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

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