Hattusa, the ancient capital of the Hittite empire in Turkey, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Hittite Empire thrived from the 18th to the 12th century BC, and Hattusa served as its capital for most of that time. The site contains many attractions, including the Great Temple and well-preserved tombs. The discovery of clay tablets has provided insight into Hittite daily life and literature, including a peace treaty with Egypt. Visitors can easily reach Hattusa by bus and taxi from Ankara.
Hattusa was the ancient capital of the Hittite empire, in present-day Türkiye. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has been since 1986. The site was largely unexplored until the late 19th century, but has since been extensively excavated.
The Hittite Empire arose in Anatolia during the 18th century BC, reaching the height of its power in the 14th century BC The Empire continued to thrive until the 12th century BC, when it split into many smaller kingdoms and city-states, some of which survived for centuries.
Indigenous people settled in the region that would become Hattusa well before the Hittite Empire arose, with archaeological evidence dating back as far as 6000 BC In the 19th century BC a number of Assyrian merchants established a trading sector in the city which had developed in the area .
In the 18th century, not long after Hattusa was burned by an Annite king of Kushar, a Hittite king took control of Hattusa and claimed it as his capital. This first king was named Hattusili I, which simply means one of Hattusa. This was to begin a tradition of Hattusa as a capital that would encompass nearly thirty Hittite kings.
Two exceptions to Hattusa’s role as seat of kingdom and later empire occurred under the rules of Tudhaliya I and Muwatalli II, both of whom relocated the capital to protect it from hostile forces. Mursili III restored Hattusa as the capital, however, and it remained the center of the Empire until the dissolution of the Hittites in the 12th century BC
Since the rediscovery of Hattusa in the late 19th century, more than 19 clay tablets have been discovered. These tablets record an enormous amount of the Hittite state’s daily bureaucratic and religious activities, consisting of contracts, messages between officials, prophetic declarations, ceremonial instructions, and legal codes. Some tablets also record Hittite literature, providing an important insight into the traditions of the time. One of the more fascinating tablets is a peace treaty between the Egyptians and the Hittites, dating back to the early 13th century BC, and which acts as one of the earliest known peace treaties in the world.
The Hattusa site contains a number of visitor attractions. Perhaps the most popular is the Great Temple, which is the first enclosure one reaches upon entering Hattusa. The Great Temple is dedicated to Teshub, the god of storms. There are also other gods worshiped in the temple, such as Hepatu, the sun god. Another popular artifact is the large green rock, donated by Pharaoh Ramses II in honor of the peace treaty between the Egyptians and the Hittites. Spreading out, other sites of interest include the Southern Fort, a series of well-preserved tombs with hieroglyphics on the walls, the Lion’s Gate and the Yellow Castle. The nearby town of Bogazkale also has a museum which can be a good complement to the site itself.
Reaching Hattusa is quite easy. You take a bus from Ankara to Sungurlu city. From there you can hire a taxi to go directly to Bogazkale which is immediately adjacent to Hattusa itself.
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