# Event Details

- **Event Name**: The World's First Temples? Excavations at Göbekli Tepe and Mendik Tepe, Türkiye
- **Event Start and End Date**: Tue, 06 Jan, 2026 at 02:30 pm – Tue, 06 Jan, 2026 at 04:00 pm
- **Event Description**: The World’s First Temples? Göbekli Tepe and new excavations at Mendik Tepe and the early Neolithic of southeastern Türkiye.

On Tuesday 6th January, the Algarve Archaeological Association (AAA) will be presenting two lectures, in English, by Professor Douglas Baird. The first lecture will be at 2.30pm at the Museu do Traje in São Bras de Alportel, the second lecture will be at 6pm at the Convento de São José in Lagoa. 	
	In this lecture Prof. Baird will be talking about excavations at Göbekli Tepe and his new excavations at Mendik Tepe and the early Neolithic of southeastern Türkiye. The World Heritage site of Göbekli Tepe has sprung to fame as possibly representing the world’s first temples. Recently, excavations have started at eight other sites around Göbekli Tepe which also show evidence of large monumental buildings. This is the so called Taştepeler (Stone Hills) project overseen by the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry. 
One of these excavations, which started in September 2023, at the site of Mendik Tepe is performed by the University of Liverpool and directed by Prof. Baird himself. The Mendik site, which dates to the pre-pottery Neolithic A period, seems to be one of the earliest sites in this cluster and likely precedes at least the main occupation at Göbekli Tepe. Drawing on the initial evidence from Mendik, from some of the other Taştepeler sites and from Göbekli itself, we may reconsider the role of the monumental architecture and its associated elaborate symbolism. 
The implication of a whole range of evidence from these sites, which is often overshadowed by the monumental buildings, leads to an understanding of the nature and profound transformations that took place in these societies 12,000 years ago and incidentally to the consideration whether the term temple does justice to these remarkable public buildings.

Prof. Douglas Baird holds the Chair of Egyptian Archaeology at the University of Liverpool (known as the Garstang Chair). He has directed projects for the past 38 years in Jordan, Iraq and Türkiye. Most recently his work has focused on the Epipalaeolithic to Neolithic transition with the excavation of Boncuklu, Pınarbaşı and Mendik in Türkiye and Epipalaeolithic sites in Iraq. Prof. Baird graduated with an MA and PhD in Archaeology from Edinburgh and completed his PhD on the Neolithic of the desert zones of the Levant in 1992. Between 1982 and 1987 he carried out excavations, field survey and research on chipped stone and ceramics in the Middle East, in Jordan, Iraq and Cyprus. He has directed three major archaeological field projects, 1) the Tell esh Shuna project, in Jordan dealing with the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age of the southern Levant; 2) the Konya Plain Survey in Turkey dealing with the long-term settlement history of central Anatolia, 10,000 BC- 1750 AD; 3) the Pınarbaşı and Boncuklu projects in Turkey dealing with the appearance of the first sedentary and agricultural societies.

Non-members are welcome to attend AAA lectures for a 5-euro admission fee, with all money raised by the AAA being used for archaeological grants and speakers. For more information contact info.algarvearqueo@gmail.com, visit arquealgarve.weebly.com or Facebook 'Algarve Archaeological Association'. Please check the website or Facebook page for any last-minute changes.
- **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/loul%C3%A9/the-worlds-first-temples-excavations-at-göbekli-tepe-and-mendik-tepe-türkiye/200029423652644
- **Event Categories**: art, fine-arts, nonprofit
- **Interested Audience**: 
  - total_interested_count: 2

## Ticket Details

- **Ticket URL**: http://facebook.com/200029423652644?utm_source=AllEvents.in&utm_medium=event-discovery-platform&utm_campaign=loul%C3%A9-events

## Event venue details

- **city**: Loulé
- **state**: FA
- **country**: Portugal
- **location**: Museu do Traje  -  São Brás de Alportel
- **lat**: 37.152863262008
- **long**: -7.8857326800328
- **full address**: Museu do Traje  -  São Brás de Alportel, Rua Doutor José Dias Sancho 61, 8150-141 São Brás de Alportel, Portugal, Loulé

## Event gallery

- **Alt text**: The World's First Temples? Excavations at Göbekli Tepe and Mendik Tepe, Türkiye
  - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events9/banners/df9081ea4ea139b5b92479ee9290dcf32b29ed0ce326ae03623545fbdf3b7194-rimg-w1200-h800-dc7d7575-gmir?v=1767042704

## FAQs

- **Q**: When and where is The World's First Temples? Excavations at Göbekli Tepe and Mendik Tepe, Türkiye being held?
  - **A:** The World's First Temples? Excavations at Göbekli Tepe and Mendik Tepe, Türkiye takes place on Tue, 06 Jan, 2026 at 02:30 pm to Tue, 06 Jan, 2026 at 04:00 pm at Museu do Traje  -  São Brás de Alportel, Rua Doutor José Dias Sancho 61, 8150-141 São Brás de Alportel, Portugal, Loulé.
- **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me?
  - **A:** The World's First Temples? Excavations at Göbekli Tepe and Mendik Tepe, Türkiye is ideal for art lovers, collectors, creatives, and anyone inspired by visual arts, installations, and exhibitions. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in Loulé, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. If The World's First Temples? Excavations at Göbekli Tepe and Mendik Tepe, Türkiye sounds like your kind of event, don't wait - spots fill up fast.

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