Hattusa

Hattusa is the archaeological site of the ancient Hittite capital located near modern Boğazkale in Çorum Province, central Turkey. It was a major political and religious centre during the Late Bronze Age and is recognised for its extensive masonry, gates and rock reliefs.

Highlight features include massive stone city walls and gates, royal precincts with temple remains and large carved rock sanctuaries with Hittite iconography. The site is a key source for understanding Hittite administration, religion and international relations in the second millennium BC.

Hattusa was established as the Hittite capital in the 17th century BC and remained important through the 13th and early 12th centuries BC when the Hittite state declined. Archaeological investigation began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with continued excavations revealing palaces, archives and ritual sites.

The ruins sit on a plateau in central Anatolia, roughly 200 kilometres northeast of Ankara, with the modern village of Boğazkale adjacent to the site and serving as the usual base for visitors.

• World Heritage status: The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its importance as the capital of the Hittite Empire and for well-preserved archaeological remains.
• Access point: The main excavated ruins and the nearby rock sanctuary lie close to the modern village of Boğazkale, which serves as the access point for visitors.

What to See #

• Royal citadel and city walls: A fortified inner city with surviving stone walls, gates and defensive towers that marked the Hittite political centre in the Late Bronze Age.
• Yazılıkaya sanctuary: An open-air rock sanctuary with carved reliefs of Hittite gods and ritual processions located a short distance from the archaeological site.
• Monumental gates and temples: Prominent gateways and monumental stone carvings remain in-situ, including the so-called Lion Gate and the Great Temple precincts.