Turkey’s Beren Saat, Gobeklitepe to lead Netflix series

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s Gobeklitepe, the world’s oldest temple, will be the center of the new Netflix series The Gift, the mystery drama’s star actress Beren Saat told reporters Tuesday.

“This is a story born in this part of the world, and Gobeklitepe plays the leading role in this narrative,” said Saat, who is best known for her roles in series such as Aski Memnu and Fatmagul.

Her comments came during a press screening for The Gift in Istanbul.

Describing Gobeklitepe as “a very important discovery for humanity,” the 35-year-old actress said: “We are helping to revive this story".

"The lead role in this story is actually Anatolia,” she said, referring to the Turkish heartland.

Gobeklitepe, declared an official UNESCO World Heritage Site last year, was discovered in 1963 by researchers from the universities of Istanbul and Chicago.

The German Archaeological Institute and Sanliurfa Museum have been carrying out joint excavations at the site since 1995. They found T-shaped obelisks from the Neolithic era towering 10-20 feet (3-6 meters) high and weighing 40-60 tons.

Video streaming company Netflix’s second Turkish original series will be launched worldwide on Dec. 27.

The show focuses on the story of an artist, Atiye -- played by Saat -- who lives in Istanbul. Her life changes after a discovery at the ancient site of Gobeklitepe.

A book adaptation, the eight-part mystery drama also stars Mehmet Gunsur, Basak Koklukaya and Civan Canova.

One of the directors of the series, Gonenc Uyanik, said he was proud as their show focuses on “the story of a powerful woman.”

Netflix’s first original Turkish series, The Protector, was released in December last year and stars Cagatay Ulusoy as a young shopkeeper who learns he is connected to a secret, ancient order tasked with protecting Istanbul.

In November, the streaming company announced a third Turkish original series by Turkish playwright and actor Berkun Oya. The untitled project will be set in Istanbul.