'encompassing both the euphrates and tigris rivers, the area gave birth to the first cities, states, bureaucracy and written communication in history,' explains ferdi slici, director and founder of ouchhh. 'in other words, civilization originated in the fertile crescent. 'göbeklitepe is, in many ways, the epicenter of history. 'the temples, adorned with animist figurines reflecting the religious faith of prehistoric people, have made göbeklitepe one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of recent times. 'until recently, it was thought that monumental structures of this size were only possible given more advanced stages of human settlement.