22. Hittite Ruins

The rest of the story. The wind picked up while we were here. It is breezy and cool. Glad I didn't pack my jacket or hat in my checked luggage.

Hattusa
Hattusa was the second capital of the Hittite nation. From this location, the Hittites expanded as far as India. It was known as the "City of a Thousand Gods."

Reconstructed Fortification Wall
We started our visit at the fortification wall. The walls are ~ 23 feet tall. The watchtowers are 12 feet higher than the walls. Calculations indicate it would take a workforce of 1,000 men a full year to build a wall this size the length of 1 km.
These walls are covered with plaster to protect them from erosion (snow and rain). It was impressive to stand near them. Sometimes it is hard to envision scale when all you see are foundational remains. Cylindrical seals were used to shut the gates.

This reconstruction is ~ 1% of the total walls that protected Hattusa.

Herb Harvest
In a nearby field, kerchief-covered women were sprawled on the ground picking a herb that they can only harvest during May. The leaves were a little less than 1/4" in length. One lady had been working steadily and had almost filled a small blue bag. They must REALLY like it to take that time to pick something so small.

Orhan explained that this herb, which tastes like mild spinach, is served in salads.

Temple & Surrounding Structures
The Hattians, predecessors of the Hittites, settled the Lower City by end of the 3rd millennium BC. The great temple is dedicated to the god of storms and Arinna, the goddess of the Sun. Temple walls were made of timber-frame and mud bricks of which there aren’t any remaining. The roof was flat and sealed with mud. Dowel holes secured the timber-frame onto the stone foundation. A gate led into the large Inner Court, which was open to the sky. Two cult chambers held the images of the deities.

The open air Inner Court. Just beyond the back wall were two rooms which housed the idols (cult images).

The temple is surrounded by storehouses. Storerooms held offerings, food and clay tablets written in cuneiform. Clay vessels that held up to 2,000 liters were used to store wine, oil and grain.

The rectangular areas are temple storehouses. Home foundations are visible between the stores and the wall.

The House on the Slope existed from 16th – 13th century BC, when it was destroyed by fire. A comprehensive archive of clay tablets was recovered in the ruins of the lower story.

The size of the House on the Slope suggests an official function. Above an artist's concept.

Ferrell gets his shot

It was a tad chilly. A bundled-up Orhan is prepared.

The Royal Citadel of Buyukkale

Lion's Gate
One of the original lions is left in situ. The one on the left is a reconstruction. The decorative lines are precise and fluid. I wonder what the panting tongue symbolized.

Reconstructed lion.

One of the original lions.

Lion's Gate is monumental. I was impressed entering it.

Artist's rendering.

Marcia was here.

Yerkapi, "Door in the Ground"
Yerkapi, an artificial rampart, is the crown of the city along the southern fortification wall. A 70m long tunnel, or postern, runs underneath it. After we walked down the tunnel, we discovered we were outside another section of the walls. We walked up 70 stone steps and through the Sphinx Gate in order to return to our bus.

We went 70 m down throught the postern. The light at the end looked itty bitty.

Brian, Kim and Dr. Dan walk into the sunlight.

View of the valley below. Feeling on top of the world.

We're going back up those? 70? Who needs aerobics when you have Ferrell's study tour.

Ladonna takes it all in.

From a top the rampart looking down on a gaggle of photographers.

Brad and sphinx.

The Sphinx Gate. The originals are in the Bogazkale museum.

An easy climb for Ernestine.

King's Gate
The best preserved of the gates. It had two towers and an inner and outer doorway.

A god is represented as a Hittite warrior at the King's Gate.

Candy and Trena stroll through.

Upper City
The footprint of the old and new cities combined was massive. The view of the valley below was picturesque and obviously made this location a strategic stronghold.

There are 30 temples in the Upper City.

Sheep and goats mingle on the grassy slope.

Lunch break in Bogazkale
Stopped to get pictures of sculpture in city center. Then lunch. I had a cool coca-cola and cheese pide. Others chose mincemeat pide, hot dish, cold dish or combined buffet. Ed opted for the buffet. His face was priceless. He said the stew was cold (he likes his stew hot) and the cherry juice was warm ("surprisingly," he likes it cold).

Statue honoring Hattusa in the center of Bogazkale.

Yazilikaya Open Air Temple
Yazilikaya, “rock with writing,” is the largest known Hittite rock sanctuary. Weather worn bas-reliefs hint of grandeur in ancient days. Were they painted?

Memorial Chapel for Tudhaliya IV (Chamber B)

This chapel was dedicated by the king's son, Supiluliuma II.

This entry gate is actually a crevice.

A row of twelve gods wielding sickle-shaped swords.

A carving of a large sword. Nergal, god of the underworld is the pommel. Four lions form the hilt.

The small king is being held in the left arm of Sarruma, the son of the storm god Tesup.

Niches for offerings.

Location for New Year Festival? (Chamber A)
Hittite New Year was in our month of March. The gods were carved on the left and the goddesses on the right.

This is the gods' side of the mountain.

The goddesses have long skirts.

Back In Ankara

Luggage Update
I can only suspect that my luggage decided to have a separate vacation from me. Wherever you are, I hope you are having fun. I would prefer to picture you flitting between Paris, Brussels and London than to picture you lying alone and busted open on a tarmac in NYC. But since I don't know when you and I will be reunited I decided to do some shopping before dinner.
Candy and Ladonna offered to accompany me to the 3-storied indoor mall next to the Ankara Sheraton. There were no less than 8 formal wear stores. For a minute I pictured myself in a sequined gown taking off at sunrise in a balloon. Although amusing, I thought it wouldn't be practical.
Instead we found the only casual store for women. The sales clerk was extremely helpful. He handed me slacks that were exactly the right size (remember European sizes are different). Then I began the process of selecting a shirt. I went through a couple of options. With each he took one look and shook his head "no." He looked through the rack and held up a shirt. I tried it on, walked out of the dressing room, and he nodded his head with an emphatic "Yes!" He was right. Sold! We were only 5 minutes late to dinner. Power shopping at its best.

Engagement parties and weddings are formal affairs.

Dinner
My dinner companions were Ferrell, Elizabeth, Ernestine, Dan and Wayne. Ferrell always has wonderful stories. He told me that the airline should pay for part or all of these new clothes. The question is which one: American or Lufthansa?
Appetizers: Water borek with a shot of hot tomato juice
Entree: Meatballs and rice
Dessert: Fruit cup that included 2 kinds of gooseberries (according to Steve)

Double boiled water borek (left). Delicious meatballs served alongside charred pepper and tomato.