Authorities on Feb. 7 banned people from visiting the area.

Gendarmerie officials were dispatched to the site after locals alerted them on the issue. The troops cordoned off the area, an empty lot, and brought in experts from the local culture and tourism authorities. 

“We've never seen anything like it in our life,” the owner of the field where the monolith appeared, Fuat Demirdil, said on Feb. 6, adding that they encountered the structure when they woke up in the morning. "We do not know what it is," Demirdil added, and asked authorities to reveal what happened.

Göneklitepe is in the World Heritage List of UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), and hosts thousands of tourists from around the world.