SE-5 · Hattuşa
Located in the Boğazkale district of Çorum, Hattuşa was the capital of the Hittite Empire in the 2nd millennium BCE. One of the most important ancient civilisation centres in Anatolia, the city remained the political, religious and cultural centre of the Hittites for centuries.
With its extensive city walls, temples, royal buildings and monumental gates, Hattuşa had a well-developed urban layout. Among the most remarkable structures in Hattuşa are Aslanlı Kapı, Kral Kapısı and Sfenksli Kapı. These monumental entrances, distinguished by their stonework and reliefs, are important surviving examples of Hittite art. The Büyük Tapınak (Great Temple), located in the Lower City, offers insight into the religious life of the Hittites. Thousands of cuneiform tablets uncovered during excavations have provided valuable information about Hittite state administration, diplomacy, law and beliefs.
Located approximately two kilometres northeast of Hattuşa, the Yazılıkaya Açık Hava Tapınağı (Yazılıkaya Open-Air Temple) is one of the most impressive examples of the Hittite belief system, with its reliefs of gods and goddesses carved into the rocks. The archaeological site and its surroundings are of great importance for understanding the architecture, art and social structure of the Hittite civilisation. Hattuşa was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986, recognising it as part of the common cultural heritage of humanity.
Official sources+
Source titles are given in their original language.
- UNESCO Dünya Miras Merkezi – Hattuşa: Hitit Başkenti
- T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı, Kültür Varlıkları ve Müzeler Genel Müdürlüğü – Hattuşa (Boğazköy)
- – Hitit Başkenti (Çorum)
- T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı, Türkiye Kültür Portalı – Hattuşa
- T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı, Türkiye Müzeleri – Boğazköy-Hattuşa Örenyeri
