The Hittite Capital of Hattusa
Boğazkale, Turkey
October 19, 2008
Boğazkale, Turkey
October 19, 2008
Nestled in the hilly landscape just east of the Turkish capital of Ankara, is an unassuming little town called Boğazkale. Just outside the town, spread over several kilometers of hillside are the remains of the capital of the Hittite empire who ruled this land in the 3rd Millenium BC. As far as ruins go there’s not terribly much to see – stone building foundations, an interesting cave carved with cuniform script, city gates guarded by a pair of well-worn sphinxes, a relief of rock-carved Gods. Compared to the magnificent structures at Ephesus or Pergamon, Hattusa just looks like rubble.
On the other hand, it’s very old and historically important rubble. UNESCO seemed to agree when they inscribed Hattusa on their list of World Heritage sites. That recognition made it worth a look even though it’s located in the opposite direction to where I was headed. As it sometimes turns out the bus connections made heading in the wrong direction a more convenient choice that day so off I headed.
I arrived late in the day with a plan to get up early to see the site and move on before noon. Consequently I was at the ticket office at opening time and I had the entire site to myself. The main ruins are spread out over rolling countryside and typically visited by driving around a circular road and stopping at the interesting parts along the way. I was on foot which meant 2-3 hours of walking but it turned out to be a great way to see the place. Scrambling up hillsides and over ancient city walls gave me ample time to appreciate the landscape and the ghost-town atmosphere. It was a grey, almost-winter day but occasionally the sun would make an appearance and turn the landscape a warm green against and almost-blue sky. I didn’t see another soul until I made it back to town only to discover I’d missed the last minibus out. I spent the next hour negotiating with a local taxi driver and eventually left the Hittite capital behind me as I continued my journey onwards towards Syria.
