The Hittites and their Capital City - Hattusa

The Hittite civilisation could potentially be considered somewhat obscure in regards to overall world history. This could be due to the fact that there used to be a considerable divide over how people viewed this ancient nation.

The Hittites were mentioned over fifty times in the old testament of the Bible, causing many critics to claim that this was evidence that the civilisation was a myth. For a long time, this belief was compounded by the fact that both historians and archaeologists had very little information or physical evidence for their footprint. However, over the last century, a wealth of archaeological finds has not only proven the Hittites existence but also how influential they were as a culture.

Hittite Empire Map — _{This map shows the area of the Hittite Empire at its greatest extent under Suppiluliuma I(c.1350–1322) and Mursili II (c.1321–1295). - Source: Javierfv1212/Wikipedia}

Who were the Hittites?

The Hittites, named as such because of their association with the biblical Hittites, were an ancient civilisation of Indo-Europeans who began to settle in the area now known as Turkey in approximately 1900 BCE.

They share a language with modern-day cultures in the Americas, Europe, and parts of Asia. Although the Hittites thrived during the Bronze Age, they were more instrumental in the Iron Age due to their skills at forging Iron tools which were significantly more efficient than previous ones made out of Bronze.

It is thought that the Hittites were pluralistic, thus, they worshipped a variety of gods, and - like other pagan cultures - engaged in rituals such as sacrifice. For this reason, many Christians believe that this brought down the wrath of God on the Hittites, resulting in their destruction with the aim of eliminating pagan practices. However, their actual downfall was more likely due to their split into many independent “Neo-Hittite” city-states, some of which even continued until the 8th Century BCE.

Hittites at war — _{Hittites speeding into battle at Kadesh (Credit to Osprey Publishing).}

Similar to many other Indo-European cultures, the Hittites domesticated horses which meant that were capable of long-distance journeys and therefore migration and settlement in distant lands. For this reason, the Hittite Empire was able to grow and flourish into one of the most powerful civilisations of ancient times.

For a long time, this was debated by scholars, as they thought the Hittites were more likely a humble nation, however, the archaeological discovery of Hattusa – a city which was previously believed to be a myth – was evidence of the Hittites prowess.

Soon after the discovery of Hattusa, the treaty of Kadesh in Egypt was uncovered, as well as other important historical artefacts such as documents and tablets. However, it is the nucleus of this civilisation, Hattusa, which reveals the truth about the Hittites great empire.

Their Capital City, Hattusa

The great city of Hattusa wasn’t uncovered until 1834, thus, for many years it was thought to be mythological.

Excavated close to the Kizil river and a large forest, it is clear to see why the area was ideal for establishing a city as the land was suitable for agriculture and the nearby hills were appropriate for pasturing livestock.

Furthermore, several tributary rivers provided plentiful water for the Hittites, but as they were too small for ships, most of the transportation within the confines of the city was by land.

Although archaeologists are still uncovering facts about the Hittites and their capital, they have been able to answer many questions about this fascinating civilisation.

Excavations uncovered an archive of royal annals, chronicles, lists of rulers, deeds, codes of law, treaties, mythological and religious texts, as well as a variety of other writings and astrological predictions. These detailed clay tables are known as the Bogazkoy Archives, named after the city of Bogazkoy in which they were found, within the site of Hattusa.

Hattusa has also shown signs of remarkable urbanisation for a civilisation of this period. It was fortified against invasion by a city wall which was eight kilometres in length and decorated by a variety of ornate features including the Lion’s Gate, the Sphinx Gate, and the King’s Gate.

_{Lion Gate at Hattusa, the ancient capital of the Hittite Empire (Credit to Bernard Gagnon)}

During this period, these three gates were surely a formidable and imposing sight to behold. Hattusa also had a labyrinth of internal walls which divided the city into distinct districts. Furthermore, extraordinary architecture such as the Grand Temple and an open-air temple called Yazilikaya which was adorned with statues of Gods and Goddesses are also indicative of how advanced the Hittite culture was.

In fact, Hattusa is a perfect example of a thriving ancient civilisation and its people, and it remains a testament to how powerful and influential the Hittites were.