Join Andrew Collins, author of Gobekli Tepe: Genesis of the Gods, and Hugh Newman, author of Göbekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe: The World's First Megaliths, with special guest from the USA, JJ Ainsworth, a leading authority on ancient symbolism.

This unique Megalithomania expedition will visit some of the world’s most important archaeological sites including Göbekli Tepe, the oldest stone temple complex, and Karahan Tepe, a recently excavated site from the same era. The new ?anl?urfa Archaeological Museum has hundreds of artefacts from Göbekli Tepe, Nevali Çori, Karahan Tepe and other Pre-Pottery 'Tas Tepeler' sites. ?anl?urfa, also known as the ancient Christian city of Edessa, birthplace of Abraham; and the traditional area of the Garden of Edenwas the home of the Watchers from the 'Book of Enoch', and the Annunaki of Sumerian legend. We also explore the ancient city of Harran, and Çatalhöyük, the world’s first city, as well as the stunning Blue Mosque, Hippodrome and underground Basilica Cistern in Istanbul. We visit Konya, home of the Whirling Dervishes; Alaca Höyük and Hattusa that have incredible megalithic polygonal masonry similar to Peru; We will also visit the huge underground city of Derinkuyu, as well as the Fairy Chimneys of Cappadocia, the sacred city of Mardin and rarely seen 12,000 year old artefacts from Kortik Tepe, Çayönü and Bonkuklu Tarla. We will get the chance to see newly opened 'Tas Tepeler' sites, such as Sayburç, and experience an atmospheric sunset at Nemrut Da? (Nimrod’s Mountain). Your hosts Andrew Collins, Hugh Newman and JJ Ainsworth will be presenting evening lectures throughout the tour and discussing theories and new research and discoveries on site.

Proposed Itinerary: subject to change

We begin our journey meeting in Istanbul. Pick up at airport & to hotel. In the evening Orientation and “Origins of Turkish Civilization” presentation by Andrew Collins. We will visit the Sultanahmet district, called the “historical peninsula”. First we will visit Ottoman ruins and after that the Blue mosque, the most important mosque in Istanbul with its more than 20,000 handmade ceramic tiles and 200 stained glass windows. Visit Byzantine monuments including the St. Sophia Museum (Hagia Sophia, the former Byzantine Church) – the greatest example of Byzantine architecture. Then we will see the Basilica Cistern, which was the main water provider for “Constantinople”, and we will also see the Byzantine Hippodrome where we will view beautiful obelisks and columns from the Egyptian, Greek, and Roman periods.

In Ankara we visit the Anatolian Civilization Museum , and see artefacts and reconstructions from Neolithic sites such as Catal Hoyuk. We also explore the Hittite capital of Hattusa, c. 1800-1200 BC. Visit the massive city walls, Sphinx entrances, polygonal walls and polished green nephrite naval stone in the Great Temple dating from the age of the Hittite Empire (time for meditation at site). Hattusa was once the centre of the Hittite Empire, dating back to the late Bronze Age. Set in what were once rich agricultural fields and among scenic, rolling hills, the city has some fine examples of early ancient architecture. Originally the inner city was a vast array of temples and monuments, overlooked by the royal residence on the acropolis. An architectural masterpiece in its time, the city gateway was once adorned with reliefs of warriors, lions and sphinxes, framing four temples, each of which had their own courtyard. The city was destroyed, along with the Hittites themselves, in the 12th century BC. By the 20th century, the principal remains of Hittite inscriptions were found on over 10,000 tablets.

We will visit the magnificent ruins of Alaca Höyük, a Hittite city with origins dating back to the Chalcolithic or Copper Age. We will visit the museum, and see the extraordinary polygonal walls, like those in Peru, Easter Island and ancient Egypt.

We will visit the Selime Rock Cathedral & Monastery en route to Konya. We continue on a drive towards Konya. Çatalhöyük, The worlds oldest city, and a tour around its newly opened archaeological museum, with its spectacular exhibition are included in the tour.

In southeast Anatolia we will visit the stunning ?anl?urfa Archaeological Museum to see display of compelling exhibition of artefacts from Göbekli Tepe, Karahan Tepe and Nevali Cori, including the mysterious bone plaque with an artistic image of Göbekli Tepe discovered on our tour in September 2015, pictured below (see video here). We also see a full size reconstruction of the original site on display.

One of the most important parts of the museum is the Nevali Çori reconstruction, that was completly transported stone by stone from its original location to the museum. Also on display is the famous carved head with a Vedic looking serpent on the back of the head. See the Megalithomania film about the site below, that includes a visit to its original location, that has now been completely flooded by the Ataturk Dam.

We will explore 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 archaeological museum. Hugh and JJ discovered a remarkable Winter Solstice Sunrise Alignment and you can watch the video here. We will also get to see the new enclosure featuring the massive 7ft 6inch statue, the Vulture statue and more.

Your hosts have been visiting Karahan Tepe for many years and have developed a strong knowledge of its Pre-Pottery Neolithic culture. Now that it has been excavated, there are revelations here that could rewrite history.

Visit Göbekli Tepe, the world’s oldest stone temple complex, constructed nearly 12,000 years ago, making it the oldest megalithic site on the planet. See its extraordinary rings of T-shaped standing stones with carved reliefs of birds, animals and other abstract forms. Learn its history and place in the origins of civilization.

Göbekli Tepe, the oldest place of worship in the world, is an archaeological site without equal. Prior to its discovery in 1994 and its subsequent excavation it was widely believed by anthropologists that religion evolved as a result of living in larger communities which was itself the result of the change from foraging to agriculture. However Göbekli Tepe has turned our theories of our own evolution on their head. The vast religious site dates from the hunter gatherer period and there is no evidence of any agriculture or even human habitation suggesting that it may have been the emergence of religion that lead us to civilisation and thus to agriculture. It is hard to overestimate the significance of this finding. The site contains a vast array of circular structures and huge pillars, some with beautiful limestone carvings of lions, foxes, snakes and birds, believed to be gatekeepers of the entrance to the next world. There are striking similarities to sites in Peru, Bolivia and Easter Island that Hugh has written about in an article on Graham Hancock's website (read article here). To date less than ten percent of the site has been excavated.

We will also take a pilgrimage to the ancient city of Harran, once the centre of Egypt’s Hermetic tradition. See its ominous Astronomical Tower, citadel and local village, and take in one of the most atmospheric sites anywhere in the world. Mentioned in the book of Genesis, Harran is believed to have once been home to the Prophet Abraham. The site of the first Islamic university in Anatolia, Harran also boasts the remains of an 8th century mosque, a citadel and some 300 year old beehive mud homes.

We will also visit the Pools of Abraham, and the birthplace of the great prophet. Urfa (a.k.a. Sanliurfa, “the prophet’s city”, or Edessa in ancient times) is the most spiritual city in East Turkey. It is a major centre for pilgrimage and its traditions are very much alive and well. The “Sanli-“ part of its name (meaning “great” or “dignified”) was awarded by the Turkish legislature in 1984 in recognition of the city’s pivotal role in the Turkish war of Independence. Of particular note for visitors are Urfa castle (the current walls were constructed by the Abbasids in 814AD), the Pool of Sacred Fish where Abraham was thrown into the fire by Nimrod, the park of mosques, the market area and Urfa museum.

If possible we will visit the important site of Sayburç where we get special access to view the excavation, including the remarkable 'narrative panel' in a rock-cut enclosure still underneath a house! This is a pre-pottery Neolithic site which is part of the 'Tas Tepeler' project.

In Mardin, this is 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 Bonuklu Tarla and Kortik Tepe, two very important sites that are older than Göbekli Tepe in the area which we will visit if they are open to the public.

We have arranged a specifially timed sunset visit to Nemrut Da? (Nimrod’s Mountain) which is the site of the original Tower of Babel and Mountain of God of biblical tradition. Gaze out over the terrestrial Paradise as enjoyed by the biblical patriarchs of the book of Genesis that is the perfect place to experience a sunrise or sunset. One of East Turkey’s most spell-binding attractions at the peak of this mountain (at over 2000m) sit enigmatic statues of a pre-Roman king, Antiochus I Theos of Commagene, and the various gods he believed to be his ancestors. The views from the summit are sublime. (NOTE it is a 20-30 minute walk up steps to reach the summit).

On the last day we fly back to Istanbul Ataturk Airport (IST) arriving by 2pm.

PLEASE NOTE THE ABOVE ITINERARY WILL NOT BE IN THIS ORDER. Email us for a detailed up-to-date schedule.

Feedback from May 2023 Tour

"The Megalithomania Turkey tour has given me the best opportunity to discuss ancient civilization theories and ideas with like-minded people for almost two weeks, visiting sites I’ve only ever seen in videos and read about in books. With expert guides who promote and inspire guests to view these sites through a different set of eyes and with an open mind, this tour is unlike any other tour in this magnificent country. The bus rides through the vast historic countryside provided a wonderful backdrop to the fascinating conversations. This has been the best tour of my life. Thank you!" - G. Haynes, Australia

“The Megalithomania Turkey Tour is a once in a lifetime trip, not to be missed. Every day was filled with mind-blowing visits ranging from highly anticipated sites such asks Goebekli Tepe to unique surprises off the beaten path. The research, raucousness and rock n roll of the Mega Holy Trinity (Andrew, Hugh and JJ) combined with the passion and knowledge of our Kurdish guide Saba created a history journey of our dreams…on steroids. To top it off, we found ourselves in the delightful company of fascinating and accomplished seekers from all over the world. An experience that has reshaped our perspective on the origins of civilization and many other aspects of life.” Michelle Bouchard, UK

"I have thoroughly enjoyed this tour. It was much, much more than expected. Andrew, Hugh and J.J. are each experts, excellent resources, friendly and comfortable to be with. I was afforded the special honor and privilege to meet the Yazidis as well and I will never forget it. I will always cherish my memories of this unique adventure. I couldn’t have had a better experience in Turkey with anyone else". Jodie Rowe, USA

Feedback from 'Origins of Civilization' Turkey Tour 2013 with guest host Graham Hancock

"It was a great trip"- Graham and Santha Hancock, UK

"It was a fabulous journey with the best of company!" - Anu Nagappa, India

"What a fabulous trip - one which we will be integrating into our minds for some time."
- Terry Fitzsimmons, USA

"Thanks for a great Megalithomaniac Tour! The whole group gelled together with a great positive energy in this wonderful adventure."
- Robert David, USA

"Had a great though exhausting time on the tour. It was wonderful to meet Graham and Santha and hear his lectures, also to have the opportunity to share Andrew's passion for and knowledge of so much of interest to me. Others on the tour were very interesting and such good company - it's so good to travel with like-minded souls. So impressed with Arda' efficiency and patience!! It was all really well organised and I'm sure everyone enjoyed it all." - Christine Levy, Australia

Feedback from 'Gobekli Tepe Mini-Tour' in September 2015

"Pat and I loved the Tour. We've never done anything like that before."
- Harold White, USA

"Thank you Hugh and Andrew for a fabulous tour. The thing i liked best was the quality time we got at Gobeki Tepe and with each of you sharing your extensive knowledge. It warmed my heart to see how utterly enthralled Andrew is with Gobekli Tepe e as if he had lived there in a prior life and was coming home. It is one thing to enjoy and appreciate a historical site, but Andrew is in rapture. And his enthusiasm enhanced my appreciation too. My sister and I look forward to another tour with your team."
- Colleen McGuire, USA

"Fantastic trip! Well organized with great guides and an fun group."
- Bob Patterson, USA

"Many thanks to You and Andrew for a great trip."
- Anthony Deleo, USA

Conditions:
1) All Paypal fees and international bank costs must be taken care of by the buyer. These will be added on final payment. We cannot take on these costs as we are keeping the prices right down to create an affordable tour.
2) Megalithomania cannot refund from 60 days before start of tour if you cancel.
3) Megalithomania will refund 50% if you cancel up until 60 days prior to the tour (this does not include deposit).
4) Megalithomania cannot refund deposits up to three months (90 days) prior to tour. Before that we can refund only 50% deposit if you cancel.
5) Megalithomania cannot be held responsible for any injury, accident or stolen goods - please get travel insurance and relevant visas before booking this tour and have a passport with at least 3 months past the end date of the tour.
6) Full payment and passport details must be received by March 1st 2025
7) Roommates: We are happy to try to and match our guests with a suitable roommate for those who are traveling alone. If we are unable to do this, you will be responsible to pay for the single supplement. Early registration will facilitate this process.
8) Please hold off booking your international flights, until the tour is confirmed in writing via email. We cannot be held responsible for any costs incurred. Please email for further details - info@megalithomania.co.uk
9) Itinerary may be subject to change if circumstances arise beyond reasonable control.
10) Megalithomania accepts no responsibility for losses or incidental expenses due to delay or change in schedules, hotel booking irregularities, defaults, accidents, sickness, quarantine, emergency, weather, strikes, war, travel restrictions, pandemics, or other causes. All such losses are the sole responsibility of the participants. Please make sure you have travel insurance to cover all this.
11) Force Majeure: Megalithomania LTD is not accountable; nor legally responsible, will not pay you any reimbursement if our obligations have been affected by any unforeseen circumstances that we are not able to avoid. Hereunder; we will list examples but not limited items of the force majeure cases: War, threat of war, terrorist activities, virus outbreaks, quarantine, pandemics, civil discord with its consequences or the risk of such activity, riot, airport closure, natural or atomic disasters, fire, chemical or biological disasters and adverse weather, sea, ice and river conditions, and/or similar occasions.