A NETFLIX ORIGINAL SERIES
Have you ever felt like you were stuck in purgatory?
Neither here nor there.
In the middle of the unknown.
Have you stood on that threshold?
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I crossed that threshold.
I stepped through doorways that opened on to different possibilities.
I met people there.
Some became my friends.
And some became…
my enemies.
I've stood on many thresholds in my life.
Like a snake shedding its skin, like a bird rising from the ashes,
I transformed, I changed, I grew.
Now, I'm standing on a threshold again.
I'm letting a new life embrace me.
And yet, I know that the biggest mystery I've ever encountered is my daughter.
Tell me about my daughter, Ozan.
How can I help you?
I want to learn how to protect my daughter.
You saw what Aden saw, didn't you?
That's why you came here.
It was like a moment shared between me and a stranger.
Look.
There's so much in Aden's mind.
All that life experience…
Göbekli Tepe…
So, if you already know…
and you claim you've been protecting my own daughter from me all these years,
then tell me, how could such a thing have happened?
How could I have done such a thing?
Wait. Don't move. I'll go.
Hello, Erhan?
Hi. Umut and I have arrived in Mardin. I wanted to let you know.
We're investigating that recording.
Okay.
I'm at Ozan's. I wanted to talk to him again.
Aren't you going to say anything?
I'm here for our daughter.
Okay then.
Take care.
You too.
I have a theory about Göbekli Tepe. Would you like to hear it?
Tell me.
You know the purple stones in the underground cave?
According to some studies,
those stones are used to open the third eye.
I mean, it's not much of an archaeological theory, of course.
Many resources say that the people who built Göbekli Tepe
had a perception far superior to ours.
Look who I'm talking to.
They even say that they had an exceptional connection with nature…
and they had telepathic powers.
You're making those eyes on those beads for a reason.
I don't know. Maybe I don't draw them.
If you think about it, Atiye's visions, my dreams,
the third eye, the pineal gland, I don't know, the sixth chakra…
Actually, they're all different words for the same thing, aren't they?
Shall we go?
Can we get the check?
What time does Mor Hananyo open?
That's it. I don't have anything else to tell.
Ozan, this can't be all you know.
Nobody kidnaps a child based on so little information,
or raises them for years.
I did.
Why? How did they convince you?
You…
really don't realize Aden's power.
She's searching, right?
An answer to a question, a mystery.
What does my daughter want?
She wants you, Atiye.
Ever since I first held Aden, almost every day,
especially at night, I waited by her side.
Because she wouldn't sleep.
Even though we did everything by the book, she still wouldn't sleep.
But then, in time, I realized it was her own dreams that were bothering her.
But then she slowly got over it. You know how?
She started drawing the same symbol you drew everywhere.
I think…
you can guide her.
Aden?
Aden, where are you?
This is the place from the voice recording.
Something happened here once.
Something important enough to make people talk.
-But what? -Indeed.
They built this as a temple during the Mesopotamian period.
The Sun Temple.
Then it became a Roman castle.
Now it's an Assyrian monastery.
Let's go through that courtyard.
This symbol took you to Göbekli Tepe.
You were looking for an answer to something that is 12,000 years old.
Right?
Aden may be looking for something similar.
Should we go there?
That's where everything started, after all.
The temples.
I don't get it.
How can a mother do this to her daughter?
I think that's a bird, but what is that one?
I think it's a goat.
These must be the animals on Noah's ark.
Of course!
The ones that escaped the flood.
Interesting.
This place has been standing since the fifth century.
Who knows what these walls have witnessed?
Yes, I guess they're good at keeping secrets.
I was sure we would find something here. This was our last chance.
Actually, there is something.
It might be useful.
Come with me.
Once upon a time, a great bird called Simurgh
lived on top of the Tree of Life.
This bird was so old
that it had witnessed the world's destruction and rebirth three times.
Simurgh carried all the knowledge of the universe in its mind.
Pain and trauma are passed on through the generations.
You feel it, even without experiencing it yourself.
Aden carries the pain of past generations as well as their knowledge.
Maybe that's what she's trying to deal with.
We pay for the sins of the people who are supposed to protect us, who raise us.
Isn't it strange?
Ozan, your father made some big mistakes.
But he was chasing a dream.
To reunite with your mother.
He searched for her in other dimensions too. He wanted to reunite you all.
And he really regretted it.
One day, a group of birds started out on a journey to find Simurgh.
Having faced many challenges on the way, they finally reached a lake.
And there…
They were faced with their own reflections.
And they understood…
that Simurgh is not a sacred bird…
but themselves.
The wisdom they were looking for wasn't someone else's, but inside themselves.
And the real journey is the one where we realize we are all one.
Simurgh is a wonderful story.
Welcome, Umut.
Auntie.
I'm glad to be here.
-I missed you very much, dear one. -Me too.
-Hello. -My auntie.
-Welcome, son. -Erhan, my friend.
Why didn't you tell me she was your aunt?
She's not my real aunt, by the way, but she raised me.
Thank you.
There's a woman.
Ever since you met her, your life has been turned upside down.
-Thank you for the story. -Thank you.
We actually came here to ask you something.
A sad event once took place in the Sun Temple.
Do you know what it was?
You mean the massacre?
Massacre?
Why? It isn't mentioned in the history books.
Indeed it isn't.
It's been erased from all records and hidden from humanity.
You only know about it if you were born here,
and have lived here,
and listened to your mother's tales at night.
I remember.
There was a story you told me.
It was a dark, scary story.
I didn't like it. It gave me nightmares.
How about now? Do you want to hear it now?
We do.
Yes.
Some tales are not told in order to scare children.
They are told in order to leave a mark in their minds and hearts,
so they'll come back to ask about it when they grow up and the time is right.
This massacre happened thousands of years ago.
When these lands were called Mesopotamia.
The most forward-thinking, enlightened people of Mesopotamia,
who believed in wisdom and knowledge, were slaughtered.
These people also shared the same lineage as the people who lived in Göbekli Tepe.
Why were they killed?
Because they were the protectors.
They protected the ancient secrets throughout the generations.
Ancient secrets that were deeply rooted in these lands.
They were killed by people who wanted to possess them.
They've existed for thousands of years.
They exist because these secrets exist too.
Ever since the first human.
Son, these secrets are so strong
that they cause whoever goes after them to lose their way eventually.
There are always people who are willing to die to protect them,
and willing to kill to get hold of them.
And there always will be.
Do you know who the people who committed the massacre worked for?
Or why they did it?
They didn't just steal ancient knowledge from the protectors.
They stole their language, too.
She taught you this protectors' language, didn't she?
Well…
She helped me and studied with me,
but it was as if I always knew it.
Auntie, something doesn't add up here.
I've listened to it many times,
and it doesn't seem like they're talking about something old.
You listened to it too. What do you think?
Is there something you're not telling us?
You said you told me those tales
so that I'd ask about them when the time was right.
This isn't about something that happened thousands of years ago, is it?
You're a protector too, Umut.
Just like your mother.
What do you mean, I'm a protector?
That recording doesn't talk about
a massacre that took place thousands of years ago.
It talks about a disaster that happened when you were a little baby.
I don't get it, Auntie.
Her parents were the ones that were killed, right?
No, Auntie. You told me they'd gone away.
You said, "They abandoned you. They left you with me and went away."
Yes, I did. To protect you.
Your mother's lineage had a very important task, Umut.
Protecting the ancient information.
Your father joined her too.
But one day, her entire family was massacred.
The secrets they kept were looted.
You were the only one who survived that painful day.
All my dreams…
My nightmares…
Those theories I came up with to make some sense of it…
Auntie, everyone called me crazy!
Is that why?
What's this?
The key to the home you were born in.
Go home, Umut. You'll find the answers you're seeking there.
Umut.
Sorry.
I didn't think anybody would be here.
-I don't want to disturb you. -Come join me.
Come and have a drink, as you're here.
Okay.
Sorry.
What should I do now?
I mean…
Should I search for my parents' killers?
Or should I look for that ancient knowledge,
since my lineage has such an important mission?
Should I try to protect that? What should I do now?
Didn't you go all the way to Göbekli Tepe, chasing your dreams?
You almost died there.
But still, you didn't give up.
Because you're strong. You're a strong woman.
Do you really think that?
Do you think I'm strong?
It doesn't really matter what I think.
The important thing is what you think. What you feel.
Your heart knows.
I'm so sorry.
-It's okay. -I…
-Stop. Come here. Don't go. -What am I doing?
It's okay.
I'm really sorry. I just…
-You were talking about dreams, and… -It's okay, really.
I'm sorry.
What I mean is, today might be your new beginning.
Today might be the start of your new life.
Think of it that way.
Ozan?
Mom, about going to Göbekli Tepe…
I think I can convince Atiye.
She trusts me.
-Good. -Should I move on to the next phase?
Go ahead.
Okay.
Mom, I want to ask you one more thing.
This…
Can I call you back, Mom?
You've got a nerve! You're here all the time.
I just don't get it.
I'll check on Aden and leave.
You'll leave? Go on, then.
I'm used to it.
It's who you are.
I was wondering…
What happened the other day? Did you chicken out?
Of taking two more steps and facing me?
Because it was easier to run.
What did you tell me at my door three years ago?
-What did I say? -Be quiet.
What did you say? You came over with flowers.
You said, "Give me another chance, Cansu. I've grown up. I'm a man now."
The fuck you are!
Of course, I gave you that chance.
For probably the 1,500th time.
You must be an idiot to give someone that many chances, right?
God damn me!
What? What are you looking at?
I'm not looking. Okay.
You're not to look at me. You're not to answer, or to talk.
You'll listen like an idiot. Got it?
I'm leaving, anyway. I don't care about you. I bought a ticket.
-Really? -Really. Are you surprised?
No. Are you surprised?
-Who made me buy that ticket? -Who?
-Who made me buy it? -Did I?
Of course you did.
Because I'm sick of you. I'm sick of your lies.
I'm sick of waiting, clinging to hope.
"Maybe he'll change and be a man."
But you won't be shit. You're nothing, got it?
Do you think we're very different?
Are we really that different?
What are you saying, Ozan?
Things are difficult, and what are you doing?
Who's running away now?
Ozan.
Get the fuck out of here.
Okay.
She's talking to Seher.
To Seher?
Aden is talking to Seher?
Mom, my aunt guided me as well.
Now, she's calling us.
We need to answer that call.
Alright.
Okay. Tell me, what do I need to do?
Come here, sit.
Mom.
Mom!
Let me look at you.
It's been so long.
Mothers want their children to be better people than they are themselves.
You are better than me.
And Atiye is better than you.
And this little one…
She's going to change the world.
A child…
is the reflection of their family.
Are you ready to take on that responsibility?
I'm ready, Grandma.
Then it's time for you to know.
You committed the first sin.
The earth began to dry up because of that sin.
Bonds were broken.
We were broken.
But now,
we have started to heal.
Go to the hill. Find our roots.
When the time comes…
our roots will open up to her.
My symbol…
My symbol is back.
-Atiye. -Mom?
Find the sprouting seed.
She told me to go to it.
Who said that?
Seher whispered it in my ear.
She told me to go to it.
When the time comes,
a new age will begin with the sprouting seed.
Grandma said to go to the hill's roots.
Did she mean the tree in Göbekli Tepe?
What's troubling you?
Someone I don't trust very much said the same thing.
Sorry. I need to take this. You go ahead.
Hello?
I miss you so much.
You've always been my compass.
You've always shown me the right path whenever I lost my way.
I trust you with all my heart.
And I love you so much.
I love you too.
You know the prophecy talks about a sprouting seed…
I think they're talking about the tree in Göbekli Tepe.
Alright.
Alright?
If you think it's there, that's alright of course.
Actually, head over there now and I'll join you.
Deal.
Okay. Let's meet there. Bye.
My aunt said I lived here with my mom until I was three.
But I don't remember anything.
Let's start investigating then.
You might remember something.
Erhan.
You're a good man.
Trusting Atiye…
Helping me…
I should have said this before, but…
Thank you.
There's something there.
There's something behind this.
Something has been intentionally concealed here.
We need to clear this away.
Cansu, what are you doing?
Let me ask you something. I…
You've been my mother for all these years. You must know me. I hope you do.
For God's sake, please tell me. Do I run away from challenges?
No way. Not at all.
You went to London for your master's degree.
That was for school, Mom.
And the best fashion school was there. What could I do?
Of course.
Of course, honey.
That was seven or eight years ago. After what happened between you and Atiye,
you left us a video, and you went away.
"You left us a video, and you went away." Because that was easy, right?
It wasn't easy to tell my sister everything.
Besides, I wouldn't do it again now.
Of course you wouldn't. You would never do that!
There's also this.
When Aden first went missing, you went away, leaving everything behind.
You left and settled on the other side of the world.
Now, you're leaving too.
I'm running away, right?
I made tea.
Come on.
Because of my own problems, I forgot about my sister's.
They're fine. They're home and safe, right?
They left, Cansu.
Left for where?
For Göbekli Tepe.
Why?
They had to go on that journey, but…
But what?
Mom, tell me. Don't freak me out. But what?
I'm scared too, Cansu.
Not of their journey, but of the person they took with them.
Mom, I want to ask you something about Serdar.
Could he have done something to bring you back? I mean…
Could he have sought other possibilities?
Everything your father did in life, he did for himself, okay?
Not for me, not for you. For himself.
What did I do? I struggled for you my whole life.
I tried to heal the wounds your father caused.
Ozan, have I ever lied to you, son?
-No, Mom. -That's right, son. I haven't.
Come on. Let's not waste any more time.
Okay.
SERDAR YILMAZ 06 JANUARY 1968 - 05 AUGUST 2027
MELEK YILMAZ 15 NOVEMBER 1972 - 12 SEPTEMBER 1998
Thank you very much, darling.
If it weren't for you,
I couldn't have accomplished any of these missions.
These are the same animals as the Göbekli Tepe embossments.
The sun, birth.
Beneath the ground, death.
Simurgh.
And…
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven…
Wait a minute.
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
These doors, these…
This is Dara!
This tree is not in Göbekli Tepe. It's in Dara!
I need to call Atiye.
Hello?
Atiye. I found the tree you're looking for.
And?
That tree isn't in Göbekli Tepe, Atiye.
It's in Dara, Mardin.
Okay, thank you for letting me know.
Atiye?
Ozan, what do you want from us?
I know your father didn't show you enough affection.
Sometimes I think I could have done more for you.
But whoever you believe, whoever you're doing this for,
their reason is not love.
I forgave you.
Forgive me too.
Forgive yourself.
Please slow down. Aden is in the car.
-What?! Didn't you see? You hit a girl! -What?
Your father is waiting for us in Dara. Are you ready?
Welcome to Dara, Professor Erhan.
Hello, Selim. Hi.
-My friend, Umut. -Nice to meet you. Selim.
How can I help you? How was your trip?
Good. We're in a bit of a hurry, Selim.
We're looking for something. A tree.
And we think it might be in Dara.
We'll figure it out. Have a rest first. Have some of our famous coffee.
-Follow me. -Come on.
ANCIENT CITY OF DARA
Where are you, Erhan?