Taş Tepeler

Taş Tepeler / Göbekli Tepe / Enclosure H

Structure · Göbekli Tepe

Enclosure H

Enclosure H shows that Göbekli Tepe's large T-pillar buildings continued beyond the famous main excavation area. Its clearest public anchor is Pillar 56, where one side carries 55 animal images.

Site: Göbekli TepeStructure: Enclosure H
Enclosure H at Göbekli Tepe.

Enclosure H at Göbekli Tepe.

German Archaeological Institute, Göbekli Tepe Project, Enclosure H, Göbekli Tepe, Copyright: DAI — used with permission, via Wikimedia Commons.

What's actually there

Enclosure H is a large partly excavated building in Göbekli Tepe's northwestern depression, best known here for Pillar 56 and its dense animal imagery.

What to notice

The enclosure wall suggests a probably elliptical rather than circular structure with an inner diameter of more than 10 m. Enclosure H follows the general scheme of the known PPNA enclosures at Göbekli Tepe, while noting that excavation was not complete. Eight pillars had been reported 51, 54, 55, 56, 57, 64, 66, and 69. Enclosure H is a monumental enclosure in the northwestern depression of Göbekli Tepe. It was recognized through geophysical survey and excavation beginning in 2011. It follows the general scheme of known PPNA enclosures, but excavation was not complete.

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Last reviewed 21 July 2026. Something wrong?