Hattusha
Hattusha is the old capital of the Hittites, a people that lived during the period of the Egyptian pharaohs.
Its heydays were from 1375 to 1200 BC. The WHC named as reasons for the inscription: its urban organization, the types of construction that have been preserved (temples, royal residences, fortifications), the rich ornamentation of the Lions Gate and the Royal Gate, and the ensemble of rock art of Yazilikaya.
The Hittites built their capital on a site that could be well defended. It was surrounded by a wall, to fortify it even more. The wall was decorated with two gates, the Kings Gate in the southeast and the Lions Gate in the southwest.
Map of Hattusha
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Visit July 1992
Hattusha only is an interesting place to visit when you know its history. The remains are really old, so not much is left. Also, the heat on this plain can be burning.
For more interesting examples of Hittite culture, visit the Anatolian Museum in Ankara.
Community Reviews
Peter Day
Visited in August 2008. The Hittite building style was stone foundation topped with mid-brick walls - in 2500 years the mud-bricks have disappeared so you need a good guide book and a good imagination. But the sheer scale of the site is incredible - you can't walk round it, you drive. Make sure you visit the other Hittite sites nearby with some beautiful stone reliefs
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Site Info
- Full Name
- Hattusha: the Hittite Capital
- Unesco ID
- 377
- Country
- Turkey
- Inscribed
- 1986
- Type
- Cultural
- Criteria
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1 2 3 4
- Categories
- Archaeological site - Near Eastern
- Link
- By ID
Site History
2006 Name change
From "Hattusha" to "Hattusha: the Hittite Capital"
1986 Inscribed
Site Links
Unesco Website
Official Website
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The site has 15 connections
Constructions
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World Heritage Process
Visitors
63 Community Members have visited.