It poses problems of conservation of mud brick and wall plaster, and problems of site management which have a wider applicability to many sites in the Eastern Mediterranean. Reconstruction drawing of a house or shrine excavated in the 1960s by James Mellaart Excavated by James Mellaart in the early 1960s, the site has been widely recognised as of unique international significance. The spectacular art provides a direct window into life 9000 years ago, and the site is an internationally important key for our understanding of the origins of agriculture and civilisation. Between Cappadocia and the resorts of the south coast the site could attract a large number of visitors. The museums in the nearby town of Konya receive 1.3 million visitors a year.
Most guide books warn that there is little to see.
The trenches of the excavations are worn away, there are no paintings to see, there is no museum and few visitor facilities. Apart from a very helpful pair of guards, there is little more than an eroded mound. The work aims at extensive uncovering of new areas of the site and the recovery, conservation and presentation of paintings and sculpture. The work is planned to continue over 25 years. The ultimate aim is to provide the Turkish Ministry of Culture with a well planned heritage site.