79
ISTANBUL
The Arslantepe Mound, located in Malatya, eastern Türkiye and part of UNESCO’s World Heritage List, boasts a deep history of some 7,000 years.
It is believed to be the site where the first state emerged, and it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in July 2021.
The mound’s embankment is 30 meters (98 feet) high, and the mound was inhabited between 5000 BC and the 11th century AD.
At the mound site, more than 2,000 stamp seals, a statue of King Tarhunza, and two late Hittite period lion statues have been found.
The temple of the mound dates from 3600-3500 BC.