UN official invites tourists to ‘unique’ Gobeklitepe

By Rauf Maltas

SANLIURFA, Turkey (AA) - Visiting the world famous ancient temple of Gobeklitepe in southeastern Turkey Friday, a UN official invited the tourists to visit the “unique” historical site.

Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, assistant administrator for the UN Development Program (UNDP), told Anadolu Agency that she is delighted to visit Gobeklitepe and invited everyone in the world to come and see this "unique" and "unprecedented" historical site in the southeastern in Sanliurfa province.

Inscribed on the UNESCO's World Heritage List last year, Gobeklitepe is a common stop for both local and foreign tourists, offering them a chance to observe ancient monuments dating back to some 12,000 years.

Turkey has declared 2019 the Year of Gobeklitepe in honor of the 12,000-year-old Neolithic-era temple.

After taking a tour of Gobeklitepe with archeologists and historians as well as other UN representatives, Egger said that she was especially impressed with the excavation site and urged the world community to protect and sustain all UNESCO landmarks.

On a mission to review the UNDP’s partnership with the Turkish government, Egger visited key sites of the program in southeastern Turkey.

The UN official said that the international community is well aware of Turkey's cultural and historical richness.