YESTERDAY'S DRIVE SOUTH TO BOGAZKALE, though long, was refreshing; two-lane blacktop winding through rolling hills and freshly sown fields and charming run-down villages. Mustafa was waiting for us with sweet tea at his family’s Hotel Baykul, a short walk from the Hattusa World Heritage Site. It had to be us he was waiting for; we are the only guests.
Bogazkale from Hattusa
Hattusa was the capital of the Hittite Empire from 2000 to 1200 BC in Anatolia and norhtern Syria. Little of substance remains standing but the ruins of palaces, temples, homes and burial sites remind us of this forgotten civilization. A wall spanning more than six kilometers surrounded the city with several entry gates. The most picturesque is the Lion Gate while the most formidable is known as the “Tunnel,” boring 50 meters through the fortification.
Stone carvings at the Sanctuary of Yazılıkaya
Sphinx Gate Alacahoyuk tomb
Nearby the sanctuary of Yazılıkaya, whose walls are decorated with bas-reliefs are a masterpiece of Hittite art. Slightly farther afield we also visited the Alacahoyuk archeological site, with its famous “Sphinx Gate” and plexiglas-covered tombs. The wildflowers and the views of the countryside were every bit as interesting as the ruins.
