Göbeklitepe is an ancient and significant site which has been pushing back the beginnings of civilization further than we previously assumed. As each temple at the Neolithic site is excavated, the story of human history is rewritten.

Göbeklitepe is situated in the city of Sanliurfa (or Urfa) Turkey and it stands out as one of the most interesting prehistoric archaeological sites today. As a result of scientific research, Göbeklitepe temples have been dated to 9600 B.C., at the earliest - in archaeological language it’s regarded as Pre-pottery Neolithic A.

During the construction of Göbeklitepe there was no civilization as we know it, as there was in Sumer or Egypt. The discovery of Göbeklitepe caused a paradigm shift of archaeology: religion was evident before the advent of agriculture and permanent settlement, not after, as it was thought.
German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt, head of excavations at the ancient site, Göbeklitepe may have played an influential role in the subsequent civilizations, just as Sumer and Egypt had

Göbeklitepe hosts numerous circular and square shaped temples. Klaus Schmidt and other scientists claimed that these structures could be used to perform rituals and cultic beliefs, and it’s likely that Neolithic shamans headed the rituals held in these mysterious temples [8].
Six structures have been unearthed as a result of excavations since the beginning of the 1995 season. As of 2015, multiple structures are still being revealed. Temples were identified as A, B, C, D etc.
Common threads connecting the temples are two T-shaped pillars located in the center of the temples, with 10 or 12 pillars surrounding it. The heights of the pillars vary between 3 and 6 meters (10 and 20 feet). These T-shaped pillars can be found not only in Göbeklitepe, but also in other nearby Neolithic settlements like Nevali Çori, Hamzan Tepe, Sefer Tepe and Karahan Tepe.
Almost all pillars residing in Göbeklitepe have various animal reliefs on them, depicting the snake, fox, crane, boar and other assorted creatures. The reliefs show us a quite sophisticated sense of art. Besides the various animal sculptures, totem poles and signed tablets were also unearthed.
We see also ambiguous symbols on some pillars. In addition to “”H” and “I” symbols, several sun and moon symbols were found engraved on some pillars, revealed Schmidt. The sun and moon signs which were engraved on the Temple D center pillars are quite remarkable. The moon is depicted as crescent, and the sun is portrayed with a cavity in its center. Some of these symbols will undoubtedly be vital to solving the secrets of Göbeklitepe.

Many of the pillars at Göbeklitepe are engraved with symbols.
The astronomical meanings of these symbols is not controversial. With regard to their positions in the sky, the meaning of these symbols are likely to have cosmic or celestial significance. Perhaps Göbeklitepe temples were built as observatories for the purpose of observing celestial objects like planets and constellations.

Italian archaeoastronomer Giuglio Magli from Milano Polytechnical University propounds that Göbeklitepe temples may have been built for observing Sirius, the brightest star in night sky. According to Magli, the Göbeklitepe community might have celebrated the birth of this new bright star.
Likewise, another astronomer, B. G. Sidharth expresses that 12 pillars located around the center of Temple D could symbolize the 12 months of the year. Sidharth also thinks the “H” sign on one of the center pillars symbolizes the Orion constellation. He believes the sun and moon signs imply a solar eclipse  According to Schmidt, however, the H-like sign characterizes the male and female relationship When examined closely, it does seem a kind of relationship between two individuals: both thrusting out their hands to one another.
Furthermore, Joe Plegge emphasizes that the holed stone in Temple D might have been designed for determining equinox and solstice days. He examines this theory in his book “Turkish Stonehenge: Göbeklitepe”

Enigmatic symbols and carvings in man-made cave in England confound experts

The sacred symbol of the Djed pillar

Unknown ancient god with astral symbols discovered on stele at cult site in Turkey
The center pillars which depict the “H” and sun-moon signs stylize the human body, as it is generally accepted. Arms and hands can be seen precisely. Human faces are not clear. It might be that they are not humans, but gods or goddesses of the Neolithic. We see arms bestride both sides of the pillar, and the hands come together on omphalos, or navel. This standing position might be considered special and perhaps sacred. Sumerian goddess Inanna was characterized in a standing position just like center pillars of Göbeklitepe. Likewise, huge statues of Easter Islands were constructed in this kind of sacred standing position (hands on omphalos). According to some, this posture symbolizes “birth” or “rebirth”.

Hands are carved into the pillars, coming together in the area of the navel, like many other statuettes and figures found around the world.
 Sun and moon symbols are not seen only on the center pillars of Temple D of Göbeklitepe. Later in history we see these signs on Sumerian and Akkadian cylinder seals and on other ancient artworks.

Akkadian Seal and Sun Moon
Sun and moon symbols

According to historian Emel Esin, Proto-Turks once named this symbol as “Kün-ay (Sun-moon)” [3]. Kün-ay has a sacred meaning in Proto-Turkish culture. Emel Esin clarifies that this Kün-ay was the sign of the first crescent day: the first day of the first month of spring. At the same time, naturally it symbolizes the equinox day of spring, 21 of March. On that day, daytime and nighttime are of approximately equal duration. On the equinox Proto-Turks - and still modern Turks –celebrated the coming of spring, in a sense an awakening of nature, and the rebirth of earth. In this period, the fertility and of earth would increase, and soil would give plenty of produce.
Emel Esin also emphasizes that Chu Turks were using this symbol on their state flag circa 2000 B.C. in Middle Asia. According to Esin, Kün-ay sign is the origin of modern-day Turkish Republic state flag with crescent and star  Kün-ay sign has been found in artworks of Hun Turks. Additionally, we see Kün-ay and crescent-star motifs on Gokturk state coins. In modern-day Mongolia (an old Proto-Turkish region) the state flag features two pillars and Kün-Ay sign.
Proto-Turkish Kün-Ay and Göbeklitepe's sun-moon signs are not just similar: they are exactly same! On both symbols, we see a cavity at the center of sun symbol. This is such a commonly repeated description that we can't say it is a coincidence. According to Emel Esin, the cavity at the center signifies the luminous side of nature  It describes coming of spring, it describes rebirth of nature, and fertility as well.

Sun and moon symbols of various cultures
Dr. Cathy Burns refers to the crescent-star motif as a “fertility symbol” in her study “The Hidden Secrets Of The Eastern Star” [1]. Similar crescent-star motifs can be seen on Aphrodite temple images, and on ancient Cyprus coins. As it is well known, Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love, beauty, procreation and fertility. In Greek mythology, she is corresponded with the Sumerian goddess Inanna. Additionally, one of the symbols of Inanna was also the crescent-star. Hitittes saw this as a sign of rebirth. Lakota Indians used the crescent-star symbol for defining the solar eclipse.

B. G. Sidharth's comment about sun-moon images relates, in that he believes the sun-moon symbols found on the center pillar in Temple D describes a solar eclipse.
It is likely that the crescent-star sign then symbolizes rebirth of nature. If so, the sun-moon motif on the Göbeklitepe pillar might also symbolize the beginning of spring, time of the equinox, and rebirth of nature and earth.
[…]

Göbeklitepe, one of the most important archaeological discoveries of our time, continues to defy explanation, but further research into what might be the first temple in the world made by man, may reveal more about Neolithic understanding, and may deliver a message to us from the ancient past.
Read Part II of The Secret of Gobekli Tepe: Cosmic Equinox and Sacred Marriage.
Featured Image: Archaeological site of Göbeklitepe in Turkey. Wikimedia Commons
Images provided by Özgür Etli.
References
[1] Burns, C., “The Hidden Secrets Of The Eastern Star”, 1994.
[2] Çig, M. I., “Inanna'nin Aski: Sumer'de Inanç ve Kutsal Evlenme”, 9th ed., Istanbul, 2014.
[3] Esin, E., “Türk Kozmolojisi'ne Giris”, Istanbul, 2001.
[4] Etli, Ö. B., “Dünyanin Ilk Gözlemevi: Göbeklitepe Tapinagi”, Popüler Bilim Journal, Vol: 229, 2014.
[5] Halikarnas Balikçisi, “Altinci Kita Akdeniz”, 5th ed., Ankara, 2007.
[6] Halikarnas Balikçisi, “Anadolu Tanrilari”, 10th ed., Ankara, 2010.
[7] Plegge, J., “Turkish Stonehenge: Göbeklitepe”, 2012.
[8] Schmidt, K., “Göbekli Tepe: En Eski Tapinagi Yapanlar”, Istanbul, 2006.

The Secret of Gobekli Tepe: Cosmic Equinox and Sacred Marriage - Part II
Sun and moon iconography can be found on the impressive standing pillars of Göbeklitepe, the Neolithic temples that are among the most important archaeological sites of our time. Guest author Özgür Etli examines what messages the ancient builders might have been trying to impart to the people who used the temples, and what they might have also been trying to communicate to all of humanity.
Read Part I
It can be speculated that the “H” sign located above the sun-moon motif symbolizes male and female togetherness, or a god-goddess marriage in spring. Archaeologist Klaus Schmidt believes this motif symbolizes male and female. The standing position of the pillar also symbolizes “birth” or “rebirth”, as mentioned previously.
The center pillars at Göbeklitepe depict the “H” and sun-moon signs
Well, do we know this type of sacred god-goddess marriage in ancient history? In which culture or civilization do we see such a god-goddess togetherness? The first thing coming to mind is of course the sacred marriage of Inanna and Dumuzi in Sumerian civilization.

Inanna and Dumuzi
Inanna was the Sumerian goddess of fertility and love, dominant in the sky and on earth. She provided the power of renewal and reproduction to both humans and nature. Poets wrote numerous stories about her. Most famous of them is undoubtedly the tale of the sacred marriage of goddess Inanna and shepherd Dumuzi, also called Tammuz.
In Sumer, food and survival was dependent upon the yield of soil. According to the Sumerians, that was said to be supplied by virility. Sumerians named this power “water of heart”. For the Göbeklitepe community, harvesting of produce and fertility of soil were extremely vital. In that period human communities had just begun an agricultural way of life, or would begin shortly.
Dumuzi’s or Tammuz’s intercourse with his wife was believed to bring fertility to the earth. At the end of this intercourse, all plants would bloom, animals would mate and produce offspring, and so fertility would become evident. Therefore, this event was accepted as the beginning of the new year.
Did the fertility gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt and Sumer first appear at Neolithic Gobekli Tepe?
Did the fertility gods and goddesses of ancient Egypt and Sumer first appear at Neolithic Gobekli Tepe?
Stele featuring Egyptian and foreign gods: Min, fertility god (Egypt), Qetesh, fertility goddess (Syria), and protective god Resheph (Egypt). Wikimedia Commons
Sumerians reenacted this sacred intercourse as a royal ritual and a state occasion by giving in marriage to king of the country a high ranking woman of their holy temple. Each year they organized festivals surrounding the occasion. In these ceremonies, the high ranking woman would portray the goddess, and the king stood for the god.
According to Sumerologist Muazzez Ilmiye Çig, this ceremony was the origin of modern-day hidrellez (celebration of spring) festivals that are held at equinox time in Turkey [2]. The name of Dumuzi was given to the month of July, in Turkish Temmuz. Inanna and Dumuzi also were symbolized on Sumerian artworks: they hug each other and are portrayed laying down.
MORE
A thousand years ago, Native Americans aligned drawings with solstice sun
Reconstructed Temple of the Night Sun in Mortuary of Queen Hatshepsut opens to the public
Vibrations and sounds may have enhanced worship of Great Goddess Cybele
A detail of the 1505 AD statue by Andrea Mantegna depicting the introduction of the worship of Cybele to the Romans in 204 AD.
A detail of the 1505 AD statue by Andrea Mantegna depicting the introduction of the worship of Cybele to the Romans in 204 AD. (Wikimedia Commons)
In Anatolia, the cult of fertility is known as of Cybele. Cybele was known as the mother of god. She was believed to be goddess of the moon as well [6]. It was believed fertility came to earth at the pleasure of Cybele, and she required a husband for marriage - this was god Attis. Attis is thought to die in Autumn, and after is reborn again in spring like Dumuzi.
The yield of produce and fertility of the soil was thought to depend on the happiness of goddess Cybele. Cybele was believed to give birth to spring. Her very fertility allowed the soil to produce well. For this reason, some sacrifices were given to Cybele from time to time. Men sought to ensure the fertility of the soil by making a self-sacrifice. According to Halikarnas Balikçisi, this adoration to the goddess was a very ancient practice, from far-reaching prehistory. He believed that these cults of a mother goddess were quite widespread in Anatolia and the Fertile Crescent

The goddess Cybele (Wikimedia Commons)
In archaeological research, numerous double-headed figurines have been found belonging to various periods in Anatolia. These figurines are called twin-goddesses. According to scholar and scientist Cevat Sakir, (Halikarnas Balikçisi), these figures symbolize the goddess and her husband 
Seemingly, earth mothers have been venerated since the first eras of civilization. Fertility of soil had vital importance for the steadiness of life. For that matter, death, birth and rebirth concepts should have been be the most important at the initial periods of our human civilization. Therefore, we can consider that Sumerian sacred marriage ceremonies were also performed in Göbeklitepe temples, the starting point for our human civilization.
According to Klaus Schmidt's opinion, Göbeklitepe culture could have affected the Sumerian and Egyptian civilizations. In that case, by turning the clock back, we should see established cultural Sumerian elements in Göbeklitepe neolithic culture as well.

Can we speculate that the sun-moon symbol, or the sacred meeting of sun and moon, depicted on center pillar of Temple D represents equinox time and the beginning of spring? With various findings and proof we can.
This Kün-ay (sun-moon) sign might symbolize the rebirth of soil in spring and the resuscitation of nature. As rebirth is symbolized with the sacred marriage of Inanna and Dumuzi in Sumer, then perhaps the male and female inscription just above the sun-moon symbol on the pillar may symbolize the man-woman or god-goddess togetherness. That is to say, it may represent Inanna and Dumuzi. The circular formation of Temple D might also reflect the life-death-rebirth cycle.

Ancient Roman fort in England may have been constructed to pay homage to Mithra or Sol Invictus
The thirteen towers of Chankillo, Peru: ancient astronomical observation in the Americas
At the center of Temple D we see two pillars as mentioned previously. These pillars can be seen as symbolizing birth, as the standing position of the pillars are same as Inanna's. Hands on omphalos (navel) can be seen on both. Maybe the fact that there are two of them hints at the origin of the cult of Cybele. This pair of pillars should be the first samples of gods and goddesses in human history. Perhaps these two pillars symbolize the twin goddesses. In addition to this, the second center pillar which has no sun-moon sign includes a bucranium symbol, as Schmidt notes [8]. Bull or taurus symbols were seen as a symbol of fertility and productivity since the beginning of civilization. In my opinion this sign represents the uterus of earth mother, again meaning of fertility and productivity.
Bucrania. Garlanded bucrania (bull symbolism) on a frieze from the Samothrace temple complex.
Bucrania. Garlanded bucrania (bull symbolism) on a frieze from the Samothrace temple complex. Wikimedia Commons
Pillar 2 from Enclosure A (Layer III) with low reliefs of what are believed to be a bull, fox, and crane. Gobekli Tepe, Urfa.
Pillar 2 from Enclosure A (Layer III) with low reliefs of what are believed to be a bull, fox, and crane. Gobekli Tepe, Urfa. Wikimedia Commons
When all of this evidence is combined, it’s difficult to call it coincidence. It is apparent that the origin of fertility cults of Anatiolian and Mesopotamian civilizations can be first seen in Göbeklitepe culture.
Considering that male-female signs represent Inanna and Dumuzi, sun-moon signs represent the beginning of spring, the rebirth of nature and hand positions on pillar represent birth and rebirth, it is clearly revealed that the cosmic equinox and sacred marriage ceremonies could well have been celebrated through rituals in Göbeklitepe first.
Maybe we have solved the Göbeklitepe puzzle, and learned what the ancient world wanted us to know.
Featured image: Göbekli Tepe excavation site, Turkey. Wikimedia Commons
Some Images provided by Özgür Etli.
References
[1] Burns, C., “The Hidden Secrets Of The Eastern Star”, 1994.
[2] Çig, M. I., “Inanna'nin Aski: Sumer'de Inanç ve Kutsal Evlenme”, 9th ed., Istanbul, 2014.
[3] Esin, E., “Türk Kozmolojisi'ne Giris”, Istanbul, 2001.
[4] Etli, Ö. B., “Dünyanin Ilk Gözlemevi: Göbeklitepe Tapinagi”, Popüler Bilim Journal, Vol: 229, 2014.
[5] Halikarnas Balikçisi, “Altinci Kita Akdeniz”, 5th ed., Ankara, 2007.
[6] Halikarnas Balikçisi, “Anadolu Tanrilari”, 10th ed., Ankara, 2010.
[7] Plegge, J., “Turkish Stonehenge: Göbeklitepe”, 2012.
[8] Schmidt, K., “Göbekli Tepe: En Eski Tapinagi Yapanlar”, Istanbul, 2006.