In the southeast of the Konya plain, near the district of Çumra, lies Çatalhöyük, one of the first settled human communities in history and one of the world’s most important archaeological sites. It consists of 18 Neolithic settlement layers built on top of each other dating between 7400 and 6200 BC on the East Mound and the following Chalcolithic period (6200–5200 BC) West Mound, showing traces of uninterrupted habitation in the same area for around 2,000 years.
The findings uncovered at the mound shed light on critical stages such as the transition to sedentary life, the beginning of agriculture, and the shift from hunting-gathering to a productive economy. One of Çatalhöyük’s most striking features is the contiguous layout of houses forming a streetless city with entrances accessed via the roofs. The striking wall paintings, reliefs, figurines, and cult objects decorating the house walls indicate that 9,000 years ago there was a developed system of art and beliefs in these lands. Due to these unique features, Çatalhöyük was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2012. Many artifacts unearthed from excavations are exhibited in museums, especially the Konya Archaeology Museum, and there is a visitor center at the mound site.
Day trip: The distance from Sillehan Boutique Hotel to the Çatalhöyük site is approximately 60 km (about 1 hour by car). A visit to Çatalhöyük usually takes half a day. Optionally, after your Çatalhöyük tour, you can also visit the 1001 Churches (Binbirkilise) site near the Konya-Karaman provincial border; the distance from Çatalhöyük to Binbirkilise is about 55 km. Our hotel can assist with professional guided tours upon request.