A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Hattusa was the capital of the kingdom of the Hittites in the late Bronze Age. In the 2nd millennium BC, the kingdom stretched from the Aegean across Anatolia, Turkey, northern Syria, and to the Euphrates River.
Sphinx Gate entrance of the city. Hattusa, Turkey. Image credit: Bernard Gagnon - CC BY-SA 3.0
In ancient times, it was a great city, and even today, its magnificent ruins attest to its greatness. The old capital's population is estimated to have been up to 50,000.
Hattusa has a rich history, with six-kilometer walls surrounding the ancient city, monumental gates, a 71-meter-long underground passage, and 31 temples unearthed so far. Impressive landmarks include the Lion Gate, the King Gate, and the Yazılıkaya Open Air Temple.
The first settlement around Hattusa began in the 6th millennium BC during the Chalcolithic period, when small, widely scattered hamlets appeared, especially on mountain slopes and rocky outcroppings. Late in the 3rd millennium BC, towards the end of the Early Bronze Age, a Hattian settlement developed, marking the beginning of continuous occupation at the site.
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See also:
The Hittites – Rise And Fall Of An Ancient Powerful Empire
Ur: One Of The Largest And Most Important Cities Of Ancient Mesopotamia
