Metal monolith appears and then disappears in Turkey

The three metre tall structure was discovered on Friday by a farmer at the UNESCO World Heritage site Gobekli Tepe in Sanliurfa province.

According to reports, inscribed on the side of the monolith, in Gokturk, the Old Turkic script, was the phrase: "Look at the sky, see the moon."

Turkish authorities were investigating the mysterious appearance of the metal structure, and armed guards were present at the site. 

The arrival of the metal monolith caused a stir among locals, and even prompted the province's governor to visit the block. 

"We do not know if the metal block was put on my field for publicity or advertisement purposes. We saw that the metal block was not in its place this morning," Fuat Demirdil, the owner of the field where the monolith was placed, told Anadolu Agency.

Local residents remained puzzled as to how the monolith arrived and disappeared.

Hasan Yildiz, a local in the neighbourhood said that the monolith was there at night, but by morning it had vanished.

Ahmet Kacar, also a local, said: "As the locals of the neighbourhood, we do not know if it was installed for advertisement, but it has been beneficial for the promotion of our region. Actually, we are glad about the attention; but it was taken away this morning."

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Metallic monoliths have sprouted up around the world, with the first discovered in a Utah desert in November.

The sighting sparked comparisons with Stanley Kubrick’s film "2001: A Space Odyssey".

Some have speculated the involvement of aliens from another planet, while others consider the monoliths to be part of an art installation, prank, or savvy marketing ploy. 

Other monoliths have been spotted in Colombia, Romania, the Netherlands, Spain, UK, and New Zealand. 

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