Hot on the heels of their hot air ballooning successes over the charming chimney of Cappadocia – which has become one of the most iconic air balloon flights in the world – the Culture and Tourism Provincial Directorate of Turkey this month announced a brand new air balloon trip over an archaeological site that has been dubbed the ‘ground zero’ of humanity.
Göbeklitepe, in southern Turkey, is thought to be an ancient temple composed of engraved megaliths arranged in a series of concentric circles. The site was discovered in 1963 but is thought to date from 7560 BCE, and is considered the oldest discovered evidence of humanity’s expression of spiritual and societal organisation. The stones are thought to have been erected by hunter-gatherers and used for rituals, or as a place to honour the dead.
Though much of the ancient temple remains unexcavated at present, the parts that are exposed show the circular arrangement of the temple stones. Visitors to the area will be able to explore this site from the skies above, making the most of a precious opportunity to come face to face with what life was like 11,000 years ago.
Seeing aspects of ancient history from the serene surroundings of a hot air balloon affords visitors a unique vantage point over these incredible testimonies of human endeavour. Closer to home, hot air balloon flights over Bath, Bristol, and parts of the south west take put passengers in close proximity to Stonehenge, the standing stones of Avebury and the mystique of an ancient era.
