Göbekli Tepe Structure Profile
Enclosure B
Enclosure B is one of Göbekli Tepe's major round buildings. It has two central pillars, Pillars 9 and 10, both marked by fox imagery. Between them, excavators found a terrazzo floor, an embedded stone bowl, and a small channel. A porthole stone lay south of the central pillars, but its original placement remains uncertain.
At a glance
- Site
- Göbekli Tepe
- Structure
- Enclosure B
- Known For
- classic Göbekli enclosure with compact but high-value evidence
What you're looking at
Enclosure B is a round Göbekli Tepe monumental building known for its central fox pillars, terrazzo floor, embedded bowl/channel feature, and an unresolved porthole-stone context.
Why it matters
- Two central pillars and eight surrounding ring-wall pillars were known in the main source overview.
- The central pillars are Pillars 9 and 10.
- Both central pillars carry fox imagery.
- A terrazzo floor was exposed between the central pillars.
- A stone bowl was embedded in the terrazzo in front of Pillar 9.
- A small channel ran toward the bowl.
What to notice first
- two central pillars, Pillars 9 and 10
- large fox imagery on both central pillars
- terrazzo floor between the central pillars
- embedded stone bowl in front of Pillar 9
- small channel running to the bowl
- porthole stone lying on the terrazzo floor south of the central pillars
- ring-wall pillars with secondary-use and reworking leads
- Round Building
How to read it
- Round Building: Enclosure B is a round Göbekli Tepe building nearly 10 metres across, with two central pillars and a ring of surrounding pillars.
- Central Fox Pillars: The central pillars, Pillars 9 and 10, both carry fox imagery, making foxes the main visual signature of Enclosure B.
- Terrazzo Floor And Bowl: Between the central pillars was a terrazzo floor. A stone bowl was set into it in front of Pillar 9, with a small channel running toward the bowl.
- Porthole Stone: A porthole stone lay on the floor south of the central pillars. It may relate to entrance architecture, but its original placement remains unresolved.
How the space works
- The main source overview describes Enclosure B as round, with an internal diameter of nearly 10 m, two central pillars, and eight surrounding ring-wall pillars discovered at the time of publication.
- The central pillars are Pillars 9 and 10. Both carry fox depictions, making fox imagery the dominant Enclosure B visual anchor.
- A terrazzo floor was exposed between the central pillars. In front of Pillar 9, a stone bowl was embedded into that floor, with a small channel running toward the bowl.
- round enclosure plan; internal diameter nearly 10 m; two central T-pillars; eight surrounding ring-wall pillars known in the source overview; terrazzo floor exposed between the central pillars; stone bowl embedded in the terrazzo; small channel running to the bowl; porthole stone lying on the terrazzo floor south of the central pillars
Spatial details
- round plan nearly 10 m internal diameter
- two central pillars, Pillars 9 and 10
- large fox imagery on both central pillars
- terrazzo floor between the central pillars
- embedded stone bowl in front of Pillar 9
- small channel running to the bowl
- porthole stone lying on the terrazzo floor south of the central pillars
- ring-wall pillars with secondary-use and reworking leads
Important objects
Enclosure B is a round Göbekli Tepe building nearly 10 metres across, with two central pillars and a ring of surrounding pillars.
The central pillars, Pillars 9 and 10, both carry fox imagery, making foxes the main visual signature of Enclosure B.
Between the central pillars was a terrazzo floor. A stone bowl was set into it in front of Pillar 9, with a small channel running toward the bowl.
A porthole stone lay on the floor south of the central pillars. It may relate to entrance architecture, but its original placement remains unresolved.
The central pillars are Pillars 9 and 10. Both carry fox depictions, making fox imagery the dominant Enclosure B visual anchor.
Images to follow
- fox on Pillar 9; fox on Pillar 10; shallow boar and three dogs below Pillar 10 fox, probably later added; Pillar 6 quadruped and snake, research-only because of backside placement and secondary-use issue; Pillar 14 possible quadruped/fox, research-only because largely covered
Research layer limits
- Use reported wording where exact pillar counts, animal identifications, or construction phases remain open.
- Do not turn layout, imagery, or fill evidence into one settled ritual interpretation.
- Do not claim the porthole stone's original placement is known.
- Do not make ritual function of the bowl/channel a settled public fact.
- Do not over-identify uncertain quadrupeds on ring-wall pillars.
- Do not treat later shallow engravings on Pillar 10 as part of the original central-pillar imagery without caveat.
- Do not turn secondary-use leads into public-facing clutter.
- foxes as a decoded myth or fixed deity