Promoting cultural heritage in a virtual environment: An interactive application example of the Göbeklitepe archaeological site

Continuous and evolving technology plays an important role in preserving, promoting, and transmitting a country's cultural and historical heritage to future generations. Many countries are making efforts to digitize and make their cultural and historical artifacts accessible by using digital technologies. These initiatives also provide an opportunity for the artworks to be visited by art enthusiasts without the limitations of time and space. Furthermore, the digitization of cultural and historical artifacts ensures their protection from environmental impacts during display, their physical preservation, and thus, their longevity. Virtual museums help to make cultural heritage more accessible to a wider audience worldwide. This can contribute to the discovery of cultural richness by a broader audience, the promotion of tourist attractions and cultural richness, and the development of the region's and country's economy. The Göbeklitepe archaeological site is considered one of the most significant cultural heritage discoveries in our country and even in the world to date. The fact that designing the Göbeklitepe archaeological site as a virtual museum will greatly contribute to the promotion of our country's and our cultural richness worldwide has been the main rationale for this work. The study covers the stages of creating a virtual museum, process management, potential issues, and the crucial topics that need to be emphasized. In this study, the theoretical stages of designing the Göbeklitepe archaeological site as a virtual museum are explained and implemented practically.