How to visit Alacahöyük, Hittite city (Türkiye): schedules

The visit to the ancient Hittite capital of Hatusa and its main sanctuary, Yazilikaya, cannot be considered complete if we do not approach Alacahöyük, which is located about 35 kilometers away.

Alacahöyük It is a very ancient city, even before the appearance of the Hittites, since it is estimated that the occupation of the place dates back to 3500 BC

However, the great monuments of Alacahöyük correspond to the hittite era.

La Gate of the Sphinxes, which was the main entrance to the city, is for many the most impressive surviving Hittite monument.

If you have reached Hatusa y Yazilikaya, it is worth traveling a few more kilometers to this place.

How to get to Alacahoyük

If you do not have a rented car, which is a good option to travel from Ankara the Hittite remains and the interesting city of Amasya, it is best to take a taxi from Bogazkale, the population that is at the entrance of Hatusa.

There is public transportation, but the tour involves several bus changes, so we don't think it's worth it.

We insist on recommending the excursion to Alacahöyük since in many aspects it is more interesting than Hatusa and the appearance of a hittite fortified city.

Of course, we recommend that before starting the tour of the places in the hittite culture start by visiting the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara, one of the best in the world on ancient cultures.

Curiosities history of Alacahöyük

The archaeological site of Alacahöyük It was discovered in 1835 by the English traveler W.J. Hamilton, but it was not seriously studied until 100 years later.

The work carried out by different teams at many points of Anatolia throughout the 20th century they brought to light the ancient hittite civilization, which had remained completely forgotten until then.

It is, without a doubt, one of the great achievements of archeology in recent times.

As has already been said, Alacahöyük emerged about 5.500 years ago, in the Chalcolithic period. Its first period of splendor corresponds to the Bronze Age, which would be followed by Hittite and Phrygian stages

What to see when visiting Alacahöyük

La Alacahoyük city It was protected by a brick wall with stone foundations that was crossed on the south side through the monumental Gate of the Sphinxes.

These sphinxes, which looked outwards, were the protectors of the place and still impress with their size.

Gate of the Sphinxes in Alacahöyük

Particularly noteworthy is the two headed eagle that appears on one of them, which holds two hares in its claws.

Although barely visible, a goddess rests on the eagle's heads.

El style of this relief It is very different from all the others that we have seen in Hatusa, Yazilikaya and Alacahöyük itself.

El double-headed eagle motif is original from Assyria and came to Anatolia through the Assyrian trading colonies that were very important in the 2nd millennium BC

To the left of the sphinxes, as you see when you arrive, there is a wall covered with monumental reliefs.

From right to left they appear: a bull being worshiped by a king and a queen; the rams that are brought to sacrifice; some priests; some jugglers; and some musicians.

It is surprising the jugglers relief, which represent a man climbing a ladder and another swallowing a saber.

These reliefs are copies since the originals are in the ankara museum.

On the other side of the entrance, the reliefs are original and show the Goddess of the sun being venerated by a series of worshipers.

There is another relief inside with a line of men who are probably also worshiping the aforementioned Goddess of the sun, which would be the main divinity of this city, which was probably called Yes, it is, and would be the equivalent of the goddess Hepat which we find in Hatusa and Yazilikaya.

The city of Yes, it is It is mentioned in different Hittite texts and Alacahöyük It is the only site that meets the details described in them.

When crossing the Gate of the Sphinxes you enter the main street and you feel that you are crossing what was a royal city, something that is very difficult in Hatusa.

The drainage system is visible in many places.

Alacahöyük Great Temple

The most notable structure is that of the great temple of the city, a complex of 5.000 square meters with galleries flanking cobbled patios, a large square room and rooms of different sizes.

In the hittite civilization Temples were always larger and more imposing structures than royal palaces.

At a lower level than the hittite city, on the left as you walk along the main street, 13 royal tombs belonging to the Bronze Age.

La hittite city It was built later and was built on top of the tombs.

Some of the artistic treasures most important of ancient times. They are works in gold, silver and bronze that represent deer and bulls, solar discs and female statuettes as well as gold cups and buckles.

Most are found in the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations in Ankara, although there are also some in the Çorum museum.

There are some copies in the tomb space so we can get an idea of ​​the important archaeological find.

Alacahöyük Tunnel

One of the most curious places in Alacahöyük It is the tunnel that crosses part of the city's underground.

It's not very long, but it would allow you to get in and out of Alacahöyük discreetly, without going through the doors, and could also be used as an escape route in the event of a siege.

This tunnel only allows the passage of people on foot, not carriages of any kind.

Some steps allow you to go down to the level of the tunnel and continue to exit on the other side, for which using the cell phone flashlight will be useful, especially when the tunnel makes a sharp turn at a moment, and that is why upon entering it is not easy to distinguish the exit light.

Be sure to visit the museum located on the site, where you can see interesting objects, for example, a clay bathtub, possibly the oldest in the world.

Furthermore, a model allows you to get an idea of ​​the city as a whole.

Alacahöyük visit schedules

the enclosure of Alacahöyük open every day of the year, with a Time from 10 a.m. to 19 p.m., from April 1 to September 30, and from 8 a.m. to 17 p.m., from October 1 to March 31.

El ticket price to visit Alacahöyük It is 10 Turkish lira. you will go.