Göbekli Tepe: Making us rethink our ancestors

German archaeologist Professor Klaus Schmidt first came to Turkey in 1978 for research but it wasn’t until 1994 that he realized the importance of Göbekli Tepe, an early Neolithic site in the southeast of Turkey. He tells us about site’s discovery, its importance, what has been uncovered to date and also has a message for those who traffic in antiquities.

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Tel Ghweran - Archaeological findings dating back to Ayyubid period in north-eastern Syria

Global Arab Network

Syria (Hasaka) - The archaeological site of Tel Ghweran is located on the road from Deir Ezzor to the center of Hasaka city, nestled on the bank of Khabur River south of the city.

Excavations indicate that the site was settled during the late Uruk period, prospering during the second half of third millennium BC and reaching the peak of its splendor during the Ayyubid period in the 12th and 13th centuries AD.


The site, which is 80 meters long, 60 meters wide and 11 meters high, was studied for the first time by a German expedition which was surveying the hills on the banks of Khabur River. The expedition found pottery fragments that indicated that the site dates back to the late Stone Age and the Bronze Age.

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German minister due in Erbil next week to buttress ties

Erbil, Jan.28 (AKnews)- A Kurdish official said next week the German Development Minister Dirk Niebel, accompanied by a delegation, will arrive in the Kurdistan Region while he expected a protocol of cooperation will be signed between the Kurdish and German sides. The head of the Kurdistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Dara Jalil Khayyat, told AKnews early next week the 16-member German delegation will arrive in Kurdistan for a two-day visit. A number of banking experts, the representatives of the German development ministry and chambers of commerce are in the team. The group will meet with the Kurdistan bank officials as well as the private sector companies to boost up the economical and trade relations with Kurdistan, above all cooperation for governmental and private banking systems. During the visit a protocol between the Kurdish and the German chambers of commerce will be brokered, Khayyat added. Germany is one of the 18 countries which have opened their consulate offices in the Kurdistan Region.

The frequent visits by the foreign top governmental delegations to Kurdistan are usually aimed at reinforcing ties with the semi-autonomous Region, which enjoys relative security compared with the rest of Iraq.

Reported by Saman Ali
Lh/AKnews

Syria: 650 Babylonian cuneiform tablets document 8000 years of history

By H. Sabbagh    Wednesday, 26 January 2011 00:54

Syria (Hasaka) – Archaeological discoveries in the Tell Lilan site located 120 km northeast of Hasaka indicate to the historic significance of the site which dates back to the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC.

The site is located on one of the important ancient trade routes linking Cappadocia, Ashur and Anatolia principalities.

BBC Video: Attempt to save Iraq's marshes from the desert

Babylon Organization calls UNESCO to reverse its decision about Babel

Baghdad, Jan.24 (AKnews) - Babylon institution for Culture and arts in Iraq called UNESCO of the United Nations on Monday to cancel its decision that binds to consider Babylon city as a non-archaeological city.

During the events of 2003, the ancient city of Babylon was exposed to looting, destruction and theft of its contents from Nebuchadnezzar and Hammurabi museums, Babel Library and the Archive then finally, the city was returned to the General Authority for Antiquities and Heritage after it has been used as a camp for the multinational forces in Iraq between April 2003 and December 2004.

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