Authorities in Turkey's southeast are trying to unravel the secret behind a mysterious monolith, or metal slab, that recently appeared in Gobeklitepe, home to the world’s oldest temple site, in Sanliurfa province.

The metal pillar is 3 meters tall (9.8 foot) and one meter wide (3.2 foot), and was found on Friday almost 20 kilometers away from the city center.

The block is carved with words in Gokturk, the Old Turkic script, which mean, "Look at the sky if you want to see the moon."

While many citizens visited the site to see the metal pillar, residents of the neighborhood said they are afraid, and expect the officials to find more about it.

An investigation is underway to find out who brought the metal slab in the middle of the empty field.

Sanliurfa Governor Abdullah Erin also came to the spot to learn more details on the incident./aa