Boğazkale: Hattuşa, Yazılıkaya and the Boğazköy Museum

Hattuşa was the first capital of the Hittites and is located in Boğazkale. Together with Yazılıkaya, the Boğazköy Museum and a section of the Hitit Yolu hiking trail, the town offers various starting points for planning a trip. If you are looking for a hotel in Boğazkale, you can first consider whether you are particularly interested in the architecture of the archaeological sites, the finds in the museum or a hike.

Hattuşa and the Hittite city complex

Hattuşa preserves temples, royal residences and fortifications. These different types of buildings offer insights into the various functions of an ancient city and make the site feel like more than a single monument. Aslanlı Kapı lies along the southwestern fortification line. It is a monumental passageway, with two lion figures guarding its entrance. The gate connects a specific structure to the larger fortification system while also presenting a striking image.

Yazılıkaya and its rock chambers

Yazılıkaya lies northeast of Hattuşa. It is an open-air temple with two natural chambers carved into the bedrock. Here, the geological formation of the rock meets its archaeological use as a temple. Yazılıkaya can therefore be considered a distinct site alongside the temples, residences and fortifications of Hattuşa, without equating the two sites.

The history of the designation also links the two archaeological sites: Hattuşa and Yazılıkaya in Boğazkale were declared a national park on October 2, 1998. This date provides a specific historical reference for the sites being named together.

Finds at the Boğazköy Museum

The Boğazköy Museum is located in the center of Boğazkale and displays artifacts from the excavations at Hattuşa. These include a relief of the goddess Ištar from Yazılıkaya. The exhibits offer a different perspective on the archaeological sites: rather than focusing on the structures themselves, attention is directed to finds from the excavations. The museum and the sites thus represent different topics to explore during a stay in Boğazkale.

The Hitit Yolu hiking trail and regional context

A section of the Hitit Yolu hiking trail begins at the open-air temple of Yazılıkaya. After a 2 km descent, it continues along the valley east of Hattuşa. On this section, the elevation difference between Hattuşa and the lake is up to 220 m. These figures describe different things: the two kilometers refer to the descent, while the elevation figure refers to the difference between Hattuşa and the lake. This makes it possible to consider the route and terrain separately. Seasonal conditions can affect trail accessibility, so check the conditions for your planned hiking date.

The Hitit Yolu is also part of a regional route network. Its backbone consists of the ancient cities of Alacahöyük, Boğazkale-Hattuşa and Şapinuva, as well as the old hiking trails between them. Taking these cities and trails as reference points broadens the perspective beyond the section near Yazılıkaya described here. When planning your trip, you can therefore consider whether to focus on Hattuşa, Yazılıkaya and the museum, or to include a section of the route network as well.

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Go to the main travel overview: Çorum.