WATCH: Göbekli Tepe, the incredible Turkish mystery older than Stonehenge
When we think of forward-thinking, advanced ancient civilisations, it's obvious that Egypt is the modern-day benchmark.
Egypt has been at the heart of mystery, research, and bucket list places to visit before you die.
But, thousands of years before anyone thought to construct the famous Egyptian tombs or arrange the mysterious Stonehenge stone circles - there was Göbekli Tepe.
This 20th-century archaeological discovery in Turkey predates civilization itself - and it is absolutely gorgeous.
Read more: Did you know that South Africa has 10 islands? Including one on a volcano!
Ladies and gentlemen, the magnificent Göbekli Tepe
Watch the video of Göbekli Tepe: The Dawn of Civilization below:
There have been many discussions, debates, and critics of the statement that Göbekli Tepe was the real dawn of ancient civilisations.
Watch more: Amazing sinkhole discovery reveals giant, ancient underground forest
One of the strong advocates for Göbekli Tepe being the true dawn of civilisation is Graham Hancock, a British author, and journalist. He's become popular to the general audience through his pseudoscientific theories involving ancient civilisations; a topic on which he has published twelve books.
Watch the Göbekli Tepe Debate on the Joe Rogan Experience below:
So, when was discovered - and by who?
In 1963, in the ancient city of Urfa in southeastern Turkey, German archaeologist and pre-historian Klaus Schmidt made one of the most startling archaeological discoveries of our time.
Read more: Did the T-Rex actually have feathers and wings like an ostrich?
The German discovered massive carved stones about 11,000 years old, which is believed to be crafted and arranged by prehistoric people who had not yet developed metal tools - or even pottery.
Accordingly to BBC, the megalith, which is a large stone that has been used to construct prehistoric structures or monuments, either alone or together with other stones, predates Stonehenge by some 6,000 years. (BBC)
Here's what we know about Göbekli Tepe in 2022:
Check out Göbekli Tepe on Google Earth for a closer look by clicking here.
Read more: Mystery solved! Doctor's find tooth growing inside this man's...
Göbekli Tepe was declared a World Heritage site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
So, was there an ancient civilisation before Egypt? Check out the video below and you decide:
We hope you found this one as interesting as we did. Makes you wonder, right?
How much do we really know about the world we live in?
Listen more: The mystery of what lies beneath the surface of the Botanic Gardens has been solved
Keep up with the latest on-site developments by following the Göbekli Tepe Instagram account here.
You can also check out more archaeological mysteries you need to know by clicking here.
More on East Coast Radio:
Follow East Coast Radio on social media:
Main image attribution: Instagram/@gobekli.tepe