The "World Neolithic Congress" will be held in Şanlıurfa from November 4-8, featuring nearly 1,000 academics from over 64 countries and 487 institutions. Organized by Istanbul University and Harran University, with support from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Turkish Tourism Promotion and Development Agency, the congress aims to develop new perspectives on understanding Neolithic cultures.
The opening will be conducted by Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Nuri Ersoy. The congress will take place at the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences at Harran University and will focus on traditional theories of the Neolithic period, social hierarchies, identities, beliefs, environmental factors, bioarchaeology, dating methods, physical anthropology, and geoarchaeology.
The congress will also feature memorial talks for prominent figures such as Klaus Schmidt, Harald Hauptmann, and Bruce Howe, who contributed to archaeological excavations in Şanlıurfa. Participants will have the opportunity to visit significant Neolithic sites in the region, including Göbeklitepe, Karahantepe, Sayburç, Çakmaktepe, and Sefertepe.