Catalhuyuk Archeological Site Tour

Absolutely fantastic tour. Khadija was a phenomenal guide - so friendly and easy to spend time with. She was very knowledgeable about not only Catal Hoyuk but about Konya, Anatolia and other sites in Turkey. It was so valuable having her guide us, she worked to our timetable and interests. Through her we met one of the site managers for Boncuklu Hoyuk as well as someone excavating at Catal Hoyuk. Pick up was easy and everything very straightforward. Highly recommend

A fantastic tour, with Çatalhöyük as the highlight. The well-planned itinerary allows plenty of time to explore the site. It also includes the Archaeological Museum in Konya, which displays several artifacts from Çatalhöyük. The guide, Hussein, was excellent—knowledgeable and full of stories that brought the tour to life. Highly recommended!

A fantastic tour, with Çatalhöyük as the highlight. The well-planned itinerary allows plenty of time to explore the site. It also includes the Archaeological Museum in Konya, which displays several artifacts from Çatalhöyük. The guide, Hussein, was excellent—knowledgeable and full of stories that brought the tour to life. Highly recommended!

hussein was fantastic, knowledgeable, funny and friendly. he made sure the trip was memorable for our group and went beyond to make it extra special.

This guided tour was excellent. We were picked up from our hotel promptly and taken to Catalhoyuk in a comfortable vehicle. We had a guided tour of the museum and ancient ruins. Our guide was both knowledgeable and entertaining and we thoroughly enjoyed the tour. We then visited Boncuklu Hoyuk, an even older settlement, which was also fascinating. The third trip was to Konya Archeological museum, which was also very interesting to visit. Our guide was very informative and brought the exhibits to life. We were dropped back at our hotel at the end of the tour. I can thoroughly recommend this tour to others.

Wonderful and amazing place. And 9000 years old. Incredible. Hard to fathom how old this place is. The bus was easy and fast and gives plenty time to visit the site.

It was my second visit to the site, allowing me to compare it before the construction of the visitor center and now, with the new center. I like the location very much. The excavation sites are accessible (although the south excavation is currently closed), and the new museum-visitor center provides sufficient information for the curious visitor.

This was an amazing tour that we took from Sille, near Konya, to archaeological sites nearby. The guide and driver picked us up in a very comfortable and safe vehicle from our hotel and took us to Catal Huyuk, Burcu Huyuk (an even older site - about 12,000 years old) and ended with a trip to the really impressive Konya archaeological museum. The guide was very knowledgeable and they took very good care of us. On the way back, they dropped us at the Mevlana Museum. All in all, really great value for what we saw and I’d highly recommend it!

This was an AMAZING tour that everybody interested in archaeology must do! We were picked up at our hotel in Sille with a guide and driver, and went to Catal Huyuk, Bocu Huyuk (an even older site), and the Konya Archaeological museum. The guide was excellent and we learned so much, the transport was safe and comfortable, and we had tons of fun. I would high recommend Mete and Husain. Thank you!!!

Very exciting especially if you are interested in the origins of human society. The guide couldn't be better. Exceptionally knowledgeable. I know a thing or two about this subject, but she knew more which I appreciated very much.

wonderful tour company owner, Mete who scheduled my airport pick up as well as my day with tour guide Fatima and driver Fatih. The experience of seeing these ancient mound sites on the road from Konya are mind-blowing. We first stopped at Boncuklu Hoyuk, which is even older than Çatalhöyük. The visitor center at Çatalhöyük is truly stunning, and Fatima's guide skills were excellent. highly recommend!

Tour guide picked us up from our hotel in Konya, we visited Chatalhuyuk at 60km from the big city, then traveled to another much smaller and 2000-3000 years older village (another great candidate for unesco) that is not yet an official site and will open in 1-2 years for visitors. Then we drove back to the archeological museum in Konya. Guide was very knowlegeable and explained very interesting things. Chatalhuyuk site was with a very nice visitor center, but the site itself is not kept very well. 95% of the ancient village is still untouched under the 2 huge tells. At the site and 100km radius there is more human civilisation history than on the entire north american continent, but turkish government is not yet modern enough to recognise the tressure they walk over and don't invest properly. Short story is some ethiopians crossed red sea about 10000-13000 years ago, lived in vilages like the first one the guide showed us for another 10-20 centuries, then moved near the place where two rivers combine (chatal in turkish) and at that place they thrived for 25 centuries (yes, they lived there longer than most mofern countries can trace their history back). At that period they developed square houses, farming, bread (the oldest dated bread is found there) and some other technologies. Didn't have a idea for chimneys and streets yet. Due to drauth rivers disappeared and these people then moved to Europe (Latvia/Estonia acc. to dna) Trip is worth it if you are curious even with the long travel. We took a pplain to Istanbul and then a high speed train for 5h to Konya

Such an educational, accessible and user-friendly experience that makes you really appreciate the actual archaeological site when you finally enter it. The digital interactive displays convey the significance of this settlement and its wider context. The building itself is also impressive. And for €5 per person, with a cheap bus ride from Konya, it is very affordable.

The visitors centre and Catalhuyuk is excellent and very informative, and seeing the site for ourselves really helped put the objects and artefacts we saw in the museums in Ankara and Konya into perspective. However, for the high price, this tour did not meet expectations. We received limited additional insight from what we could already read for ourselves in the visitors centre. Save your money and just get transport out to Catalhuyuk, and make the most of the visitors centre.

We had a very good visit to Cathalhuyk. Excellent guide knowledge and pleasant driver. The site museum is very well laid out and the site itself is good Highly recommendes

An incredibly important site in the story of humankind! Ms. Fatma made this experience very enjoyable, comfortable, and interesting. We also went to Sille to see the historic church :)

A relatively unknown, less popular tour but surprisingly turned excellent due to the warm behaviour of the owner and a knowledgeable guide. Of course, seeing the catalhuyuk archaeological site i.e. world's oldest settlement with my own eyes was thrilling enough, but getting a warm welcome at one of the local man's farmhouse which the guide surprised me with and then being offered a complementary lunch and a personal see off from one of the owners who was driving us along, were all such nice gestures that made this tour a memorable one for me. Will definitely recommend everyone to take this tour with Mete, the owner, at least once if they are in Konya.

Looking forward to returning. Everything about this visit was perfect, and the careful planning from Selene Travel was very appreciated. Visiting Catalhuyuk and seeing all of the work at this site was incredible; that can be an overused word, but in this case it fits. Since being designated a UNESCO site, there is a new visitor's center, and the work that has gone into this is worldclass. You will be amazed at the layout and information. Top notch. The best part, though, was the thoughtful guidance from Mete Bey and Fatma Hn. Informed, knowledgeable and just great people. You will be so glad you connected with Selene Travel.

I have travelled over the world and have been to several countries but the visit to Catal huyuk, where one can see the houses where people lived at the dawn of civilization, was one of the intellectually most profound and emotionally most moving experiences I had in my life. Sakir, my guide from Get your guide, who accompanied me, was most knowledgeable, patient and friendly.

Our guide, Musafa, did an incredible job of bringing us around to the sites and was very informative about what we were seeing. The four places that we visited we outstanding in demonstrating how people lives in this area over thousands of years. Certainly it is an UNESCO-site that I recommend for others to visit!

The trip to Catalyuk Archeological Site is a must while you are in Konya! The oldest of the old is gold! I was amazed to know that there still exist remains of dwellings 8000+ years old!!!! WOW! And the way these people from that time lived was so unique that I was blown away! Selena tours not just took great care of me and showered me with love and kindness, but the information along the way, at the stops and on my way back was just non-stop!! I was kept engaged every minute of my time on this tour! I highly recommend Selena tours for everything you want to experience in Konya - from whirling dervishes to meeting and chatting with a Sufi to even recommending you with stay, food, hidden gems etc! The best part about them is that they offer personalised tours too! I went to Sille village and few other hidden gems that I highly recommend checking out. Speak to them and they are happy to help you all the way and make you feel so loved! Well, I was definitely made to feel like a part of their family! I truly am in love with the owner, his wife and this company! They have set the bar really high in terms of service and personalisation!! I highly recommend them and this tour!

The history of Çatalhüyük is mind blowing. Our guide Fatima was excellent in describing to us the history of the site and also an even older archeological site nearby. Thanks too to our driver Isa. A brilliant tour and we highly recommend.

We had a great time with our guide Hüseyin. He was very knowledgeable about the history and he spoke english well. Part of the site was closed and a lot of archeology is moved to museums which you see in Konya. He recommended a very good and affordable restaurant as well for lunch afterwards.

çatalhöyük, located about 50 km southeast of konya province in the central Anatolia region of Turkey, does not have any problems with transportation.you can reach it very easily.you should definitely see the excavations of this Neolithic settlement, consisting of 2 Hills about 20 meters high.now I want to tell you about the Neolithic period and çatalhöyük. Çatalhöyük (Catalhoyuk) mound Open-Air Museum of the Neolithic period Çatalhöyük consists of 2 Hills belonging to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic period ,located on both sides of çarşamba Creek ,located in the center of the Anatolian peninsula, located at the crossing point of 3 major continents, about 50 km southeast of konya province. çatalhöyük was discovered in the late 1950s and excavations were started in the early 1960s. it has been used as a settlement area continuously for about 2000 years and is like an open-air museum that allows us to understand the settled Society of the Neolithic and Chalcolithic period consisting of about 20 different layers with all the Found artifacts. The first settlement at Çatalhöyük was Neolithic about 9400 years ago. It happened in the age. In an area of 13.5 hectares on the edge of old Konya Lake Çatalhöyük settlement, which was founded and is thought to have been inhabited continuously for about two thousand years, is dated to the Neolithic period “Doğu Çatalhöyük " (B.C.7400– 6200) and “West Çatalhöyük” dated to the Chalcolithic Period (B.C. 6200–5200) it consists of two mounds. Homes abandoned over time, new arrivals as a result, they built new houses on it, filling it with soil it rose in layers and formed a 21-meter peak. çatalhöyük has made the Neolithic period commemorated with art with its unusual finds. Weaving, woodworking, mining, Obsidian craftsmanship, murals and reliefs, stone and clay figurines shed light on the art aspect of the period. The temple in the settlement and the statuettes it contains have developed a religion, the birth of architectural and conscious planning, the economy of advanced agriculture and animal husbandry and a large number of captured it is possible to witness the progress in the trade of raw materials with imported materials. in addition to various items, superior jewelry works were obtained from forged copper or rare Stones. çatalhöyük houses, which have a regular city plan, are used for pantry and food production in addition to the main room 1 or It consists of side rooms ranging from 3. Main rooms entered from the roof a staircase is used to enter from the roof, and a stove is located below the staircase. The point where the ladder is located is also the exit point of the smoke coming out of the stove. The main room was often repainted, probably due to smoke coming out of the hearth. During the day, light comes from the stairwell to houses that are dark. and because of this, the main room is quite bright. For better reflection of light, the walls were painted white with limestone. A painting of rooms White another reason is to eliminate the heat generated by the stove. At home on cold winter nights the time spent has contributed to people's socialization. adjacent planned structures it is seen to be built in a honeycomb shape, conjoined and closed outwards. Çatalhöyük houses were built of Quadrangular Adobe, a mixture of sun-dried mud and straw, using Reed and wood poles and plaster. Region mudbrick and Reed were easily found, making use of the swamp. Çatalhöyük, which has similar characteristics with the architecture of adobe houses in Anatolia today between the walls of their house are tree plantings. On these pylons incoming beams carry the flat ceiling, while the ceiling top cover is compressed onto the Reed it is covered with white, thin and sticky clay. Çatalhöyük with the addition of the neighborhoods while the buildings around the courtyards create the neighborhoods city established. There are no streets in the city and the people who live here they provided passage through the roofs of the houses and also entered the houses through these roofs. çatalhöyük helps us to understand the belief systems,rituals,symbols and cosmic world of the Neolithic period with its many cult and ritual symbols. wild cattle horns or horned skulls plastered with clay (ancestral cult),skulls(skull cult),goddess(Cybele) statue (Mother Earth,fertility and life cult) are some of the features that make çatalhöyük unique. the male God and the male cult, which dominated the neoltic period and before it, are replaced by the cult of the Mother Goddess along with çatalhöyük. A mural with a Çatalhöyük drawing was found during excavations in 1960 . A large part of this unusual mural was painted on the north wall. The third section is pictured on the eastern edge of the House. Monochrome one the picture is. B. carbon testing pictureC shows that it was built in 6300. On the north wall of the painting on plaster part of it was dismantled in four parts. Three pieces are exhibited in Ankara Anatolian Civilizations Museum Pictured are quadrangular structures, often built in terraces in front it has a total area of. After the city, an erupting volcano is seen, covered with volcanic stones, whose slopes are rolling down. A cloud of smoke and ash sits above it, from the erupting crater similar parts are thrown into the air. Double cone pictorial of the mountain, Konya It depicts the eruption of Mount Hasan, located at the eastern end of the plain. It is believed that this volcano is the extinct volcano of today, Mount Hasan . This picture shows the twin-crested volcanic Mount Hasan rising just beyond the village's borders it shows a view of the village. On a surface out of human hands it is considered one of the earliest paintings ever made. çatalhöyük has opened a new era related to the Neolithic period and continues to open...........

When visiting Cappadocia a few days ago (September 2019) I looked at the map more closely and realised that Göreme was only 3 hours away from a very important archeaological site - Çatalhöyük, near Konya. I had studied archaeology at university (decades ago) and vividly remember learning about Çatalhöyük and the prehistory of the Anatolian Plateau. I talked my husband into changing our travel plans, and found that Selene Travel offer tours to this and an even older site. Selene Travel were great at providing very helpful advice on how to get there, met us off the bus from Göreme, found us a good hotel and everything went very smoothly. Fatima is a great guide, informed, observant and thoughtful. Visiting these sites is much, much better with a guide, you get the context of environmental changes and the differences between earlier and later excavations. We even had bonus sheep on the road - a moment of nostalgia for our home country of New Zealand. This afternoon tour was so informative and useful that we promptly signed up for a tour the next morning - to visit important sites in Konya itself Note to TripAdvisor I would have added photos but got an error message about file types - even though I hadn't selected an image.

Extremely nice and informative guide. Had a Great time and i definetly recommend this/these tours for everyone wgo want a worthwhile tour!

An immersive dive into prehistory with the museum and then the site of Çatalhöyük and the very detailed information of the guide, Mr Huseyin. A thank you to Mr. Hasan who shared his experience in Boncukluhöyük. The museum of archaeology and also remarkable. Our driver Fatih was also attentive and at our service. So I went through prehistory and classical history with this circuit. The professionalism and listening to the stakeholders were remarkable. I strongly recommend this circuit and this company.

Anche se una di noi non si è sentita bene e abbiamo dovuto rinunciare alla visita al sito archeologico, la nostra guida ci ha portato in giro a visitare le attrazioni di Konya vicino al nostro hotel.

Fatima fue nuestra guía y nos encantó por ser muy amable y mostrar mucho conocimiento del tema y de la zona. Nos llevo primero a un asentamiento aun mas antiguo que Çatalhuyük donde pudimos entender como vivian estos pueblos antiguos. Luego pasamos al museo de Çatalhuyük que sirvió como una escuela para ver, tocar y entender la evolucion de estos pueblos y su forma de vivir. Asi cuando vimos las verdaderas excavaciones todo tomo sentido. Muchas gracias a Fatima por sus excelentes explicaciones y su amabilidad. Este es un tour que recomiendo a cualquiera que desee una experiencia arqueológica y cultural.

Just extraordinary for lovers of very ancient history. I was punctually picked up from the hotel and excursion was made to Bonjuklu Huyuk and, of course, to Çatalhuyuk in excellent English. It's amazing how many other unknowns there are in human history. On their return, they stopped by the small Archaeological Museum with very important exhibits.

It''s a trusted agency with the best service in Konya. Equipped with guidance, translations, car rentals... any questions you may have. Highly recommend. Must see historic sites too. Thanks so much to Mr. Mete.