Hattusa Boğazkale, Yazılı Kaya, and Alaca Höyük are archeological sites east of Ankara and north of Yozgat. Boğazkale, the double walled city above the present village of Boğazköy, was known as Hattusas and was the capital of the Hittite Old Kingdom around 1700 B.C. The Hittites were perhaps the earliest Indo-European peoples to invade central Asia Minor along with the Luwites about 2000 B.C.
The area was already settled by proto-Hatti people who spoke an agglutinated language like Sumerjan and produced gold ornaments of remarkable artistry. Yazılı Kaya, with its bas-reliefs on the living rock, was one of the religious centers of the Hittites and nearby was the burial ground of the people. Alaca Höyük was a royal residence in pre-Hittite times (2400-2200 B.C.). Many silver, bronze and gold objects have been found there, some being household items; some such as sun discs and figures of stags were objects of worship. These can be seen in the above-mentioned museum in Ankara.
Twelve Hittite gods of the Underworld in the nearby Yazılıkaya, a sanctuary of Hattusa
Hattusa,
We in the West don't know enough about the Hittites and the size and power of their kingdom. Viewing the 3000 year old ruins, the magnificent outdoor sanctuary and then being able to go on to Ankara and see many of the items, that had been removed from the city to preserve them, at the Museum of Anatolian Culture completed…
Visit the covered bridge/tunnel looking over the previous Hittite land area. Plenty of walking…so bring good walking shoes. No facilities in the area. Way out of any city. Lots of historical sites to view and to hike to.
Very nice and well preserved, worth to visit but go early to avoid queues and traffic jams. A piece of the country history.
A collection of sites from what used to be an immense Hittite settlement around 1500 BC and on. Impressive stone gates are still in place, house sites, temple spaces, collections of immense sunken pots for wine and grain, all scattered over a hilly countryside. The signs are helpful, but a good guide or guidebook can really bring it alive, especially…
The site of Hattusa sits up the hill from the adjacent town of Bogazkale. Its a vast site about 7km round circuit with 2-3kms of uphill walking. When we arrived at Hattusa ( the 's' is pronounced with a 'sh' sound), it was -11'C, we had hired a car to drive around Turkey, but unfortunately the little car just couldn't…
As the capitol of the Hittite empire, this is the best place to go and see Hittite ruins. The area is a long drive to get to, but is worth it. You can drive through the ruins, and hike around if you desire. It is generally quieter with few visitors compared to the more popular tourist sites, which makes it…
Of course, that could be said for many places in Anatolia. To enjoy an excavated site like this one has to (1) know a little history and (2) exercise a lot of imagination. This is not a Disneyland version where they fill in and prettify the sights. Some would see simple piles of rock and low stone foundations. So you…
The site is enormous, drive it, don't try and walk as we started to do. Always a shame that so much (probably all) has been removed as everywhere and you can't see it in situ so was pleased we went to Anatolian Civilizations Museum first. The reality of their achievements comes home to you with force. An early Bronze Age…
Be sure to buy one of the guidebooks. They cost about 25TL and will make your visit much more meaningful. There are two parts. One is the rock sanctuary at Yazilikaya, which is my favorite. You really feel you are in a holy place. The other is the circuit of the ruins of the capital, with the great temple, the…
First, do not expect too much as the city is not well excavated. Ongoing excavations continue to reveal new treasures and many artifacts were removed to be housed in other museums in Turkey and other countries.
While mainly foundations, floors, streets and a few entry portals, the huge site is well worth a visit if you are anywhere near the…