Anatolian Civilizations and Historical Sites - TEDA

ANATOLIAN CIVILIZATIONS:10x19 antik kentler 8/1/11 10:50 AM Sayfa
Hattusha-Bo¤azköy
Hattusha, the majestic capital of the Hittites, which is a UNESCO cultural
heritage site like Venice, Jerusalem and Rome, is within the borders of
the Bo¤azkale District of Çorum today.
In a valley surrounded by two streams, with its convenient geography to
ward off attackers, Hattusha is studied under two main sections as the
‘Lower City’ and the ‘Upper City’. The Lower City is situated between the
external rampart, which is to the north west, and the plateau where the
king’s palace is located. The upper city begins at the south of the rampart,
which has a potern, and spans all the way up to the highest point at
Yerkap›.
Hattusha is surrounded by ramparts which reach up to 6 km. in length
and which are still partially standing. In the east and west, these ramparts
lie along with the gorges of the Yaz›r and Büyükkale riverbeds. On the
rocky lands, the ramparts were built on rocks taking advantage of the
elevated areas. However, the southern section, where the land is not
rocky, was raised by silting, laid with stones to prevent land slides, before
the ramparts were built on it.
The reconstruction of walls of the inner rampart can give us good insight
into the ramparts of Hattusha. The internal rampart section measuring
65 m. long and 8 m. high, which separates the Great Temple area from the
residential area, and the 12 m. towers, which are above this section and
are visibly protruding, have been reconstructed.
With a night raid, King Anitta of Kusshara captured Hattusha, laying it to
waste. King Hattushili I of the Hittites (1660-1630 BC), who ascended to
the throne after him, restored the city and made it the capital of the Old
Hittite Kingdom he established. Later, Hantili, who sat on the throne from
1600-1570 BC, said “No one in the Hattian region had commissioned
fortified cities before. I, Hantili, built fortified cities all around the land,
fortifying the city of Hattusha as well.” Despite his claim, there is no doubt
that Hattusha was surrounded by ramparts earlier than his reign too.
Excavations have revealed that there was settlement in Hattusha in
the Chalcolithic Period, around 6500 BC. The Phrygians seem to have
View of the Great Temple.
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