Çatalhöyük — Attraction in Karatay

In this write-up, I will not talk about the historical aspects of Çatalhöyük. You can read about this on the internet. I will try here to shed light on grey areas that might be important to prospect visitors. I thank my daughter who encouraged me to fly 170 miles and visit this gem. This place is about a 50-minute drive S-E from Konya. The road is paved. Mind the few road humps when you get close to Çatalhöyük. Please use a car having good conditions with a good spare tire. It will be very difficult if you face a car breakdown on this road where traffic is scarce, particularly if you don’t speak Turkish. Have a working GSM phone anyway. Come back before dark. There is no street lighting. You might have read about a museum location and an excavation location. To clarify, note that Çatalhöyük is a single site with a single-entry point. The museum part is a recent new add-on. There are toilets outside, to the right of the main entrance door. You will first enter a perfectly crafted wood-glass structure built to top-notch standards. Front desk personnel will give you a warm greeting. When I went there (Dec. 2023), the entry was free and the visiting hours are 9 AM to 5 PM (entry to the excavation sites is not possible after 04:40 PM) and the place is closed on Mondays. To the right of the front desk is the Souvenirs Shop, and to the left is a corridor leading to the museum. When you’re finished with the museum, you can exit the building at the end of the corridor and walk towards the excavation sites. There are two excavation sites in Çatalhöyük (two ancient colonies on two separate hills, a few 100 meters apart). Only one excavation site was open on my visit day. Excavation works in the second site were still on-going. We were offered a free English-speaking guide to walk us through the museum. I accepted and soon realized that the guide is essential if you want to understand all what’s displayed in the museum. Thank you Miss Büşra for the wealth of information you provided. We had no clue about Çatalhöyük when we arrived but reached a good level of knowledge by the time we finished our museum tour. The contents of the museum are impressive. The hi-tech aspect of information presentation is amazing. The contents must have been put together by a professional firm in this filed. There are 5 rooms to go through (about 1 hour with the guide). When the guide left, we took pictures then exited from the end of the corridor. It is worth noting that many of the actual excavation finds (e.g. skeletons) are not displayed in Çatalhöyük museum. Only replicas are shown there. The actual skeletons are in other museums in Turkey, some in Konya’s Archaeological Museum (I saw them there) and some in Ankara’s museums. Outside you will find toilets, a cafeteria building, and a conference building. The espresso and the hot chocolate we had in the cafeteria were very tasty. Halfway between this area and the excavation site, replica houses identical to those revealed by the excavation are constructed to give the perfect picture to visitors. You can enter and experience the feeling of having lived there 9,000 years ago. Don’t miss entering those rooms and taking plenty of photos. Finally you head towards the excavation site to be amazed by the beauty of this precious find. You are standing in one of a handful of similar sites in the entire world, with this one being the richest in content. It is true that older ones were discovered elsewhere (e.g. Göbeklitepe, 14,000 years old) but these were religious sites, not living communities. You exit by returning back to the entrance point. The items available to buy in the souvenirs shop are unique, of a good quality, and found only there. Don’t miss buying some before you leave. Conclusion: visiting this place is not to be missed. It is slowly gaining celebrity and will soon become a main touristic destination on a worldwide scale, particularly when the second (richer) excavation site is opened to public. If you find my review useful, please...

Somewhat disappointing for someone who came all the way to Türkiye to see sights like this. Not sure if the other reviews are paid or incentivized or just have lower standards for world heritage sites.

First—It’s not free, the cost is 5 euros. The price is not a problem at all, but there are no English guided tours and no audio guides.

I would have gladly paid more for a great English speaking tour guide, but nada.

The first stop, the interactive museum, is big, but repetitive and half of the “interactive displays” that I tried are already broken and it seems they don’t bother to fix them.

A site like this MUST provide context well. Without it, it just looks like a dig hole. They did not achieve this in my experience.

The museum has virtually none of the original objects or artifacts from the site. That’s all in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara (maybe a few in Konya). The replicas here look chintzy compared the real ones there. I’m guessing most people writing these “amazing” reviews don’t even realize it.

The recreated houses outside are cool to go in. This was a nice experience.

The actual site where you can see the ruins is smaller than it looks in the picture. The other half is closed and they don’t bother to say this on their website or before you buy the ticket, which is sort of scammy.

At the open site, you don’t see much except walls and floor. There is one security guard but no one to even ask questions to. Is it an important archaeological site? Absolutely. Is there much to see? No. Is management lacking? Absolutely. It’s worth it if you are already in Konya, but otherwise just watch the documentaries on YouTube about it and save the hassle of going so far to look at a half broken museum and a few housing frames with no guide to give context or bring it to life.

It looks like they spent A LOT of money and time making the interactive museum part. It’s a tragic shame no one is managing it to make sure it’s all still works as the information is so important for enjoying the site and understanding this truly epic world history site.

Had the museum been honest about its near 50% site closure and done a better job maintaining the interactive exhibits, I would give it more stars for sure. I don’t understand how hard it is to simply put on the website what is closed and what is open so people can make informed decisions before flying out.

Turkish people seem to be very tolerant of these fumbles, but most Europeans and Americans don’t like to feel tricked. It will continue to frustrate people and it’s an easy fix. We just ask for honesty and to get what we paid for as stated in the website or in the ad.

Türkiye is such a beautiful country and has so much to offer, from amazing people to world class sites, don’t let it slip away by lazy management that...

I want to share my wonderful experiences during my visit to the Çatalhöyük Excavation Area Welcome and Introduction Center. This center is a fantastic destination for history and nature enthusiasts.

First and foremost, the cleanliness of the toilets impressed me. The well-maintained and tidy facilities provide a comfortable environment for visitors. The attention to hygiene standards enhances the satisfaction of the visitors.

The wooden architecture of the building is a beautiful reflection of respect for nature. The choice of wooden material demonstrates a commitment to environmental sensitivity and sustainability. This modern wooden structure offers visitors a unique atmosphere to understand and experience the history of Çatalhöyük.

The staff members are extremely friendly and helpful towards the visitors. They patiently answered my questions and made my visit more enjoyable. The hospitality of the staff makes the center a visitor-friendly place.

The cafe is wonderfully integrated into the building and provides quality service. In a serene environment, immersed in history and nature, you can enjoy a delightful snack or beverage. The variety of options they offer and their commitment to quality service make your visit even more special.

The ease of transportation to the excavation area is a significant advantage for those considering a visit. The road signs are clear, and the parking areas are well-organized. This makes it easy to reach these magnificent historical sites comfortably.

In conclusion, the Çatalhöyük Excavation Area Welcome and Introduction Center combines elements such as cleanliness, environmental awareness, hospitality, quality service, and easy accessibility, offering visitors an unforgettable experience. I highly recommend it...