Hattusas
The ancient city of Hattusas, once the capital of the Hittite empire, was a great centre of trade, war, and cultural beginnings. Today inspiring many visits from world-famous archaeologists like Graham Hancock, the monumental artefacts still on display in Hattusa today are breathtaking as their huge size and intricate handiwork. Modern reconstructions of the castle walls in Hattusa are on display and revive the feelings of what it must have been like to be alive the thousands of years ago when this part of the world was thriving. On a visit to Hattusa make sure to check out the nearby Alacahoyuk neolithic archaeological site, and the serene small town of Bogazkale that are also located in Corum province.
In the centre of the city, where the temples and palaces were built, the only parts still visible today are the parts of the houses built out of the limestone bedrock. Other houses lining the central site, are today disappeared because they were built of mud-bricks, timber, and other non-lasting materials. The castle walls stretched 6 kilometres and were built to withstand even the strongest armies of the time. The remaining parts of Hattusas, leave some really interesting clues as to how advanced the civilization actually was. They carved drainage channels into the rock, door hinges are still visible today as well as sweeping tracks in the floor where the door once opened. The lower city of Hattusa is where the old walls were reconstructed, and ancient Terracotta images were once found when the site was first excavated in the early 20th century.
The lion's gate is one of the most popular sites on display in Hattusa, and definitely one of the more amazing ones. Located at the southwest corner of the palace fortification perimeter, it is hugely impressive how the archway displays two life-size lions carved out of marble and limestone rocks, in gigantic slabs which were once the protectors of the city. The open mouth and the staring eyes were a kind of protective stance taken in the design of the lions, and there were protective stones or jewels originally carved into the eyes of the lions. The advanced stone masonry, as evidenced in the snug interconnected stones reminiscent of the ancient Egyptians or Mayans, further exemplified the advanced nature of this 3,000-year-old civilization.