Çatalhöyük
A large Neolithic settlement about 9,000 years old and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where visitors can see the excavation site under protective shelters.
Çatalhöyük is one of the earliest urban settlements in human history. It was continuously inhabited from about 7400 to 6200 BCE, with houses packed tightly together and entered through their roofs. Finds include murals, bull-head decorations and a seated Mother Goddess figurine (the original is held at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara). The site was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2012. Two large protective shelters cover the excavation areas, and there are also reconstructed houses and a small museum. It is open about 8:30 to 17:00 (extended hours in summer), and tickets are required. The site is about 45 kilometers southeast of Konya, so you'll need to hire a car or drive yourself.
Opening hours
About 08:30–17:00 (extended in summer)
Nearby sights
- Mevlana Cultural Centre
- İzzet Koyunoğlu City Museum
- Konya Panorama Museum
- Mevlana Museum
- Selimiye Mosque
- Aziziye Mosque
- Bedesten Bazaar
- Shams Tabrizi Mosque & Tomb