Hittite sites
Encyclopedia
The geography of the Hittite Empire is known from Hittite texts
on one hand, and from archaeological excavation on the other. Matching philology to archaeology
is a difficult task, and only a handful of sites are identified with their ancient name with certainty.
The Hittite
kingdom was centered around the lands surrounding Hattusa
and Neša
, known as "the land of the Hatti
" (URUHa-at-ti). After Hattusa was made capital, the area encompassed by the bend of the Halys River
(which they called the Marassantiya) was considered the core of the empire, and some Hittite laws make a distinction between "this side of the river" and "that side of the river", for example, the reward for the capture of a runaway slave after he managed to flee beyond the Halys is higher than that for a slave caught before he could reach the river.
To the south of the core territory was the land of Kizzuwatna
in the area of the Taurus Mountains
.
To the west, the confederacy of Arzawa
.
To the north, the mountain people of the "Kaskians".
To the east, the Mitanni
.
After the incorporation or association of Arzawa and Mitanni (under Suppiluliuma I
), the Hittite sphere of influence under Mursili II
bordered on the "Hayasa-Azzi
" to the east, on the "Ahhiyawa" and the newly-forming Assuwa league to the west, on Egypt
-controlled Canaan
to the south, and on Assyria
to the south-east.
Hittite texts
The corpus of texts written in the Hittite language is indexed by the Catalogue des Textes Hittites...
on one hand, and from archaeological excavation on the other. Matching philology to archaeology
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
is a difficult task, and only a handful of sites are identified with their ancient name with certainty.
The Hittite
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
kingdom was centered around the lands surrounding Hattusa
Hattusa
Hattusa was the capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age. It was located near modern Boğazkale, Turkey, within the great loop of the Kızıl River ....
and Neša
Nesa
Nesa may refer to:* Neša, ancient city in Anatolia* Nisa, Turkmenistan, also transliterated as Nesa* Nesa , a genus of gossamer-winged butterfliesThe acronym NESA can stand for:* NESA, the National Eagle Scout Association...
, known as "the land of the Hatti
Hattians
The Hattians were an ancient people who inhabited the land of Hatti in present-day central part of Anatolia, Turkey, noted at least as early as the empire of Sargon of Akkad , until they were gradually displaced and absorbed ca...
" (URUHa-at-ti). After Hattusa was made capital, the area encompassed by the bend of the Halys River
Halys River
The Kızılırmak , also known as the Halys River , is the longest river in Turkey. It is a source of hydroelectric power and is not used for navigation.- Geography :...
(which they called the Marassantiya) was considered the core of the empire, and some Hittite laws make a distinction between "this side of the river" and "that side of the river", for example, the reward for the capture of a runaway slave after he managed to flee beyond the Halys is higher than that for a slave caught before he could reach the river.
To the south of the core territory was the land of Kizzuwatna
Kizzuwatna
Kizzuwatna , is the name of an ancient Anatolian kingdom in the second millennium BC. It was situated in the highlands of southeastern Anatolia, near the Gulf of İskenderun in modern-day Turkey. It encircled the Taurus Mountains and the Ceyhan river. The center of the kingdom was the city of...
in the area of the Taurus Mountains
Taurus Mountains
Taurus Mountains are a mountain complex in southern Turkey, dividing the Mediterranean coastal region of southern Turkey from the central Anatolian Plateau. The system extends along a curve from Lake Eğirdir in the west to the upper reaches of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in the east...
.
To the west, the confederacy of Arzawa
Arzawa
Arzawa in the second half of the second millennium BC was the name of a region and a political entity in Western Anatolia, the core area of which was centered on the Hermos and Maeander river valleys, corresponding with the Late Bronze Age kingdoms of the...
.
To the north, the mountain people of the "Kaskians".
To the east, the Mitanni
Mitanni
Mitanni or Hanigalbat was a loosely organized Hurrian-speaking state in northern Syria and south-east Anatolia from ca. 1500 BC–1300 BC...
.
After the incorporation or association of Arzawa and Mitanni (under Suppiluliuma I
Suppiluliuma I
Suppiluliuma I was king of the Hittites . He achieved fame as a great warrior and statesman, successfully challenging the then-dominant Egyptian empire for control of the lands between the Mediterranean and the Euphrates....
), the Hittite sphere of influence under Mursili II
Mursili II
Mursili II was a king of the Hittite Empire ca. 1321–1295 BC .-Family:Mursili II was the younger son of Suppiluliuma I, one of the most powerful rulers of the Hittite Empire...
bordered on the "Hayasa-Azzi
Hayasa-Azzi
Hayasa-Azzi or Azzi-Hayasa was a Late Bronze Age confederation formed between two petty kingdoms of Anatolia, Hayasa located South of Trabzon and Azzi, located North of the Euphrates and to the South of Hayasa...
" to the east, on the "Ahhiyawa" and the newly-forming Assuwa league to the west, on Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
-controlled Canaan
Canaan
Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...
to the south, and on Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
to the south-east.
List of Hittite sites
- Acem Hüyük
- Tell Açana
- AdanaAdanaAdana is a city in southern Turkey and a major agricultural and commercial center. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 30 kilometres inland from the Mediterranean, in south-central Anatolia...
- Tell Ahmar
- Akar Çay
- Aksu Çayı
- Alaca HöyükAlaca HöyükAlacahöyük or Alaca Höyük is the site of a Neolithic and Hittite settlement and is an important archaeological site. It is northeast of Boğazkale , where the ancient capital city Hattusa of the Hittite Empire was situated...
- AleppoAleppoAleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
- Alishar HüyükAlishar HüyükAlishar Hüyük was an ancient Near Eastern city. It is near the modern village of Alisar.-History:Alishar Hüyük was occupied beginning the Chalcolithic Period, though...
- AmasyaAmasya- History :Its location in this steep valley makes the city a mountain stronghold, easy to defend, and thus Amasya has had a long and prominent history.-Antiquity:...
- Andaval
- AntakyaAntakyaAntakya is the seat of the Hatay Province in southern Turkey, near the border with Syria. The mayor is Lütfü Savaş.Known as Antioch in ancient times, the city has historical significance for Christianity, as it was the place where the followers of Jesus Christ were called Christians for the first...
- AntalyaAntalyaAntalya is a city on the Mediterranean coast of southwestern Turkey. With a population 1,001,318 as of 2010. It is the eighth most populous city in Turkey and country's biggest international sea resort.- History :...
- Arslantepe-MalatyaMalatyaMalatya ) is a city in southeastern Turkey and the capital of its eponymous province.-Overview:The city site has been occupied for thousands of years. The Assyrians called the city Meliddu. Following Roman expansion into the east, the city was renamed in Latin as Melitene...
- AsarçıkAsarcikAsarcık is a district of Samsun Province of Turkey. The mayor is İbrahim Yüce ....
- BahçeBahçeBahçe is a rural district and town of Osmaniye Province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. It is located in the Nur Mountains area.-Notable natives:* Devlet Bahçeli, politician and chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party -External links:* *...
- Bakır Çey
- BergamaBergamaBergama is a populous district, as well as the center city of the same district, in İzmir Province in western Turkey. By excluding İzmir's metropolitan area, it is one of the prominent districts of the province in terms of population and is largely urbanized at the rate of 53,6 per cent...
- BeycesultanBeycesultanBeycesultan is an archaeological site in western Anatolia, located about 5 km southwest of the modern-day city of Çivril in the Denizli Province of Turkey. It lies in a bend of an old tributary of Büyük Menderes River ,-History:...
- Beyköy
- Beyşehir Gölü
- BirecikBirecikBirecik , also formerly known as Bir and during the Crusades as Bile, is a town and district of Şanlıurfa Province of Turkey, on the River Euphrates....
- Bobeypınarı
- BodrumBodrumBodrum is a port city in Muğla Province, in the southwestern Aegean Region of Turkey. It is located on the southern coast of Bodrum Peninsula, at a point that checks the entry into the Gulf of Gökova. The site was called Halicarnassus of Caria in ancient times and was famous for housing the...
- BoğazkaleBogazkaleBoğazkale is a district of Çorum Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is located at 87 km from the city of Çorum. Population of the town is about 1,500. The mayor is Ali Rıza Soysat ....
: HattusaHattusaHattusa was the capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age. It was located near modern Boğazkale, Turkey, within the great loop of the Kızıl River .... - Bolkarmaden
- BoluBolu- Places of interest :The countryside around Bolu offers excellent walking and other outdoor pursuits. There are hotels in the town for visitors. Sights near the town include:* The 14th century mosque, Ulu Camii...
- BorBorBor may refer to:* Matej Bor, the pen name of the Slovene poet Vladimir Pavšič *Bor , a location in Afghanistan*Bor , a town in Plzeň Region , Czech Republic...
- Bursa
- Büyükmenderes Nehir
- Büyüknefes
- Çagdin
- Çalapverdi
- Çankırı in Paphlagonia
- ÇekerekÇekerekÇekerek is a town and district of Yozgat Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. According to 2010 census, population of the district is 27,690 of which 10,953 live in the town of Çekerek.-External links:* *...
- Ceyhan Nehir
- ÇorumÇorumÇorum is a landlocked northern Anatolian city that is the capital of the Çorum Province of Turkey. Çorum is located inland in the central Black Sea Region of Turkey, and is approximately from Ankara and from Istanbul...
- DarendeDarendeDarende is a district of Malatya Province of Turkey. The mayor is İsa Özkan .Darende is in Malatya.Darende is a city that is a centre of science and culture, on the ancient silk road. The city center of the charm on the East Anatolia Region is a statue of door which is the entrance of city...
- Dazmana
- Delice Su
- Demirci-deresi
- Devrez Çayı
- DidimDidimDidim, home of the antique city of Didyma with its ruined Temple of Apollo, is a small town, popular seaside holiday resort and district of Aydın Province on the Aegean coast of western Turkey, from the city of Aydın.-Geography:...
- DivriğiDivrigiDivriği is a town and a district of Sivas Province of Turkey. The town lies on gentle slope on the south bank of the Çaltısuyu river, a tributary of the Karasu river....
- EfesEfesEfes can refer to the following:* Efes is the Turkish name for the ancient Greek city of Ephesus.* Efes Beverage Group is a Turkish beer company.* Anadolu Efes S.K. is a basketball club in İstanbul sponsored by the above company....
- Eflatun Pınar
- Eğirdir Gölü
- Eğrek
- Eğriköy
- ElbistanElbistanElbistan is a district in Kahramanmaraş Province in southern Turkey. Elbistan city center's population is 85,642 ....
- EmirgaziEmirgaziEmirgazi is a town and district of Konya Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 14,698 of which 5,562 live in the town of Emirgazi.-External links:* * *...
- Ereğli
- Erkilet
- ErmenekErmenekErmenek is a town and district of Karaman Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. According to 2000 census, population of the district is 42,643 of which 15,509 live in the town of Ermenek.-Name:...
- EskişehirEskisehirEskişehir is a city in northwestern Turkey and the capital of the Eskişehir Province. According to the 2009 census, the population of the city is 631,905. The city is located on the banks of the Porsuk River, 792 m above sea level, where it overlooks the fertile Phrygian Valley. In the nearby...
- Eskiyapar
- Tell al-Fakhariyeh
- Fasiler
- Fraktin
- Gâvur Kalesi
- GaziantepGaziantepGaziantep , Ottoman Turkish: Ayintab) previously and still informally called Antep; ʻayn tāb is a city in southeast Turkey and amongst the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres northeast of Adana and 127 kilometres by road north of Aleppo, Syria...
- Gediz Nehir
- Gilindere
- GiresunGiresunGiresun is the provincial capital of Giresun Province in the Black Sea Region of northeastern Turkey, about west of the city of Trabzon.-Etymology:...
- Gök Irmak
- Gök Su
- GülnarGülnarGülnar is a district of Mersin Province of Turkey, south-west of the city of Mersin.-Geography:The town of Gülnar is inland on a plain high in the Taurus Mountains, attractive countryside known for its vineyards and its green meadows used for summer grazing. Gülnar is a small town providing high...
- GürünGürünGürün is a town and a district of Sivas Province of Turkey. The mayor is Mehmet Aktaş .-External links:*...
- HamaHamaHama is a city on the banks of the Orontes River in west-central Syria north of Damascus. It is the provincial capital of the Hama Governorate. Hama is the fourth-largest city in Syria—behind Aleppo, Damascus, and Homs—with a population of 696,863...
- Hanyeri
- Hatip
- Havuzköy
- HisarlıkHisarlikHisarlik , often spelled Hissarlik, is the modern name for the site of ancient Troy, also known as Ilion, and is located in what is now Turkey...
: WilusaWilusaWilusa was a city of the late Bronze Age Assuwa confederation of western Anatolia.It is known from six references in 13th century BC Hittite sources, including... - Hüseyindede TepeHüseyindede TepeHüseyindede Tepe is an Early Hittite site in the Sungurlu district of Turkey's Çorum Province, about 2 km south of a town called Yörüklü...
- Ilgaz Dağı
- Imamkulu
- İnandık
- Iskendenru
- IslâhiyeIslahiyeIslahiye is a town and district of Gaziantep Province in southeastern Turkey. It is a railway border crossing into Syria.The train station of Islahiye is the last stop on the railway to Damascus in Syria...
- Ispekçür
- IstanbulIstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
- IvrizIvrizIvriz is an Iron Age archaeological site of a Neo-Hittite rock-relief monument and cult place in south-central Anatolia . The rock relief depicts the late 8th c...
- Izgın
- İzmirIzmirIzmir is a large metropolis in the western extremity of Anatolia. The metropolitan area in the entire Izmir Province had a population of 3.35 million as of 2010, making the city third most populous in Turkey...
- İzmitIzmitİzmit is a city in Turkey, administrative center of Kocaeli Province as well as the Kocaeli Metropolitan Municipality. It is located at the Gulf of İzmit in the Sea of Marmara, about east of Istanbul, on the northwestern part of Anatolia. The city center has a population of 294.875...
- İznikIznikİznik is a city in Turkey which is primarily known as the site of the First and Second Councils of Nicaea, the first and seventh Ecumenical councils in the early history of the Church, the Nicene Creed, and as the capital city of the Empire of Nicaea...
- Jekke
- Jerablus
- Jubayl
- Karabel
- Karaburçlu
- Karaburna
- Karahüyük by Elbistan
- Karahüyük by Konya
- Karakuyu
- KaramanKaramanKaraman is a town in south central Turkey, located north of the Taurus Mountains, about south of Konya. It is the capital district of the Karaman Province. According to 2000 census, the population of the province is 231 872 of which 132,064 live in the town of Karaman. The district covers an area...
- KaratepeKaratepeKaratepe is a late Hittite fortress and open air museum in Osmaniye Province in southern Turkey lying at a distance of about 23 km from the district center of Kadirli. It is sited in the Taurus Mountains, on the right bank of the Ceyhan River...
- Karga
- KaşKasKas is the brand name of soft drink produced by PepsiCo. It comes in grapefruit, orange , lemon , bitter , and apple flavors. Kasfruit juices are also offered in multiple flavors...
- Kayalıpınar
- KayseriKayseriKayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...
- Tell Kazel
- Kelkit Çay
- KemahKemahKemah may refer to:* Kemah in Galveston County, Texas, United States* Kemah in Erzincan Province, Turkey, a United States Navy patrol vessel in commission from 1918 to 1919...
- Kilise Tepe
- Kinet Hüyük
- Kızıl Irmak
- Kızıldağ
- KonyaKonyaKonya is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. The metropolitan area in the entire Konya Province had a population of 1,036,027 as of 2010, making the city seventh most populous in Turkey.-Etymology:...
: TarhuntassaTarhuntassaTarhuntassa is an as-yet undiscovered Bronze Age city south of Hattusa. Speculations of its site include Konya, Rough Cilicia, the Gok Su valley, and the vicinity of Kayseri. The site of Kilise Tepe has also been proposed for it. Still others speculate that Tarhuntassa may be a Kaskan name for the...
? - Korucutepe
- Kötükale
- Köylütolu
- Küçükmenderes Nehir
- KültepeKültepeKültepe is a modern village near the ancient city of Kaneš or Kanesh , located in the Kayseri Province of Turkey's Central Anatolia Region...
: Kaneš - Kürtoğlu
- Kurubel
- KuşaklıKusakliKuşaklı is an archaeological site in Turkey. It is 4 km east of the village Basören/Altinyayla, 60 km south of Sivas. Excavation continues under the direction of Andreas Müller-Karpe....
: Sarissa - Lésvos
- Mahalıç
- Malkaya
- ManisaManisaManisa is a large city in Turkey's Aegean Region and the administrative seat of Manisa Province.Modern Manisa is a booming center of industry and services, advantaged by its closeness to the international port city and the regional metropolitan center of İzmir and by its fertile hinterland rich in...
- Mar'aş
- Maşat Hüyük
- Menderes Çayı
- MersinMersin-Mersin today:Today, Mersin is a large city spreading out along the coast, with Turkey's second tallest skyscraper , huge hotels, an opera house, expensive real estate near the sea or up in the hills, and many other modern urban...
- Meskene
- Milet
- el-Mishrifeh
- Mitlini
- Mut
- NiğdeNigdeNiğde is a small city and the capital of Niğde Province in the Central Anatolia region of Turkey. The population is 109,724 per the 2010 statistics...
- Nur Dağları
- Ortaköy, ÇorumOrtaköy, ÇorumOrtaköy is a town and district of Çorum Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey, located at 57 km from the city of Çorum. The mayor is Ali Ergin .-Archaeological sites:...
: SapinuwaSapinuwaSapinuwa was a Bronze Age Hittite city at the location of modern Ortaköy in Turkey. It was one of the major Hittite religious and administrative centres, a military base and an occasional residence of several Hittite kings... - PalangaPalangaPalanga and beautiful sand dunes. Officially Palanga has the status of a city municipality and includes Šventoji, Nemirseta, Būtingė and other settlements, which are considered as part of the city of Palanga.-Legend:...
- Porsuk Çay
- PozantıPozantiPozantı is a small city and a large district in Adana Province of Turkey, on the main road from the city of Adana up across the Taurus Mountains. Pozantı stands in the foothills, at the bottom of a rare pass through these high mountains...
- Qalat el-Mudiq
- Ras Shamra
- Restan
- SaidaSidonSidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
- Sakarya Nehir
- SakçagözüSakçagözüSakçagözü is a village in the Nurdağı of Gaziantep, Turkey. There are Hitite ruins in the village. Population was 3900 in 1999.The "Coba Tumulus" was first discovered in 1883 by Karl Humann and Felix von Luschan...
- Samsat: SamosataSamosataSamosata was an ancient city on the right bank of the Euphrates whose ruins existed at the modern city of Samsat, Adıyaman Province, Turkey until the site was flooded by the newly-constructed Atatürk Dam....
- ŞarSAR- Organizations :* SAR Records, an American record labels* Scholars at Risk, a network of academic institutions organized to support academic freedom* School for Advanced Research, an anthropological/archaeological research center in Santa Fe, New Mexico...
- SartSartSart is a name for the settled inhabitants of Central Asia which has had shifting meanings over the centuries. Sarts, known sometimes as Ak-Sart in ancient times, did not have any particular ethnic identification, and were usually town-dwellers.-Origin:There are several theories about the origin...
- Şebin Karahısar
- Selgin
- Seyhan Nehir
- SilifkeSilifke-Antiquity:Located a few miles from the mouth of the Calycadnus River, Seleucia was founded by Seleucus I Nicator in the early 3rd century BCE, one of several cities he named after himself. It is probable that there were already towns called Olbia and Hyria and that Seleucus I merely united them...
- Sipylus
- Sirkeli
- Sivas
- Sivasa
- Sivri Hisar
- SultanhanıSultanhanıSultanhanı is a town in Aksaray Province, Turkey. It is named after the famous han within the town.- Geography :Sultanhanı is at at . The distance to Aksaray is about and to the south coast of Lake Tuz is .The population of the town is 10330 as of 2010 making it one of the most populous towns of...
- Tell Tainat
- TarsusTarsus (city)Tarsus is a historic city in south-central Turkey, 20 km inland from the Mediterranean Sea. It is part of the Adana-Mersin Metropolitan Area, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in Turkey with a population of 2.75 million...
- Tasçın
- Tekir
- Tell Nebi Mend
- Topada
- TorbalıTorbaliTorbalı is a district of İzmir Province of Turkey.An ancient Ionian city, famous for its wines and religious sites, it has three sancuaries in marble dedicated to the Roman Emperor Augustus and his foster child Germanicus, in an ancient theatre which dominates the valley. Pieces of art found during...
- TurhalTurhalTurhal is a town and a district of Tokat Province in the Black Sea region of Turkey. It is 48 km in the west of Tokat Province. Turhal is situated on a fertile plain fragmented by the Yeşil Irmak river. It has an elevation of approximately 530 m. The city is best known for its sugar beet...
- Tuz Gölü
- Tyre
- Yağri
- YazılıkayaYazilikayaYazılıkaya was a sanctuary of Hattusa, the capital city of the Hittite Empire, today in the Çorum Province, Turkey....
- ZileZile', also known as Zela, is a city and a district of Tokat Province, Turkey. Zile lies to the south of Amasya and the west of Tokat in north-central Turkey...
- ZincirliZincirliSam'al was a Hittite and Aramaean city located at Zincirli Höyük in the Anti-Taurus Mountains of modern Turkey's Gaziantep Province.-History:thumb|200px|right|Historical map of the Neo-Hittite states, ca...