Discover a Powerful Political Organization in Ancient Turkey
The Hittite Empire was a super state from the 2nd millennium B.C. that ruled for 600 years. The Hittite cuneiform tablets from Bogazkoy are the only record this civilization.
Friendship letter of Naptera (Nefertari) to Puduhepain Akkadian (2nd Millennium B.C.)UNESCO Memory of the World
Hittite Tablets from Bogazkoy
The Hittite cuneiform clay tablets from Bogazkoy Archives contain the only surviving recorded material about the Hittite (ancient Hattusas) civilization, one of the most powerful political organizations of the Middle East during the 2nd Millennium B.C.
The border agreement tablet between Tudhaliya IV and Kurunta (2nd Millennium B.C.)UNESCO Memory of the World
Hittites and History of Turkey
The Hittites, thought to come from the Caucases (Armenia, Azerbajian, Georgia, and Southern Russia) to Central Anatolia (Anatolia, known as Asia Minor, makes up the majority of modern-day Turkey), established a powerful state within the bend of the Kozolomak (ancient Halys). Their capital was Hattusas (Bogazkoy).
Yearbook of Ḫattušili I (2nd Millennium B.C.)UNESCO Memory of the World
Hittite Empire and Super State
During the 2nd millennium B.C., the Hittite Empire became one of the two super states of the period and ruled in Anatolia for nearly 600 years.
Liver Shaped Fortune Tablet (2nd Millennium B.C.)UNESCO Memory of the World
Chronicle of the Hittite's
There are nearly 25,000 cuneiform clay tablets archived at Bogazkoy. They are mostly on the political, military, social, commercial, religious, and artistic lives of the Hittites and their neighboring nations.
Feast Ceremony 1 (2nd Millennium B.C.)UNESCO Memory of the World
Political and Legal Systems
The Hittite Empire was a strong power of military genius, political organization, legislation, and the administration of justice. They were primarily concerned with the preservation of law and order.
Feast Ceremony 3 (2nd Millennium B.C.)UNESCO Memory of the World
Hittite's Diplomatic Relations
The Hittite Empire’s military, political, social, and commercial relations with the neighboring countries were all recorded and kept in the Archives meticulously.
Religious Ceremony (2nd Millennium B.C.)UNESCO Memory of the World
King Not Known as a God
The Hittite Empire’s central government was headed by the king, who was also the commander of the army, supreme judicial authority, and the chief priest but he wasn’t deified. For the first time in the history of the ancient east the king possessed no divine attributes.
Agreement between Šuppiluliuma II and Alashiya (2nd Millennium B.C.)UNESCO Memory of the World
An Independent Queen
A unique feature of the Hittite monarchy is the strongly independent position of the queen. She played a prominent part in state affairs and was regularly associated with her husband in all state documents. The Quadesh Treaty testifies that she possessed her own official seal.
Property donation certificate (2nd Millennium B.C.)UNESCO Memory of the World
National and International Treaties and Law Codes
The Archive also includes sets of tablets on national and international treaties, as well as correspondence regarding law codes.
The Flood Tablet, relating part of the Epic of Gilgamesh (-699/-600)British Museum
Treaty of Quadesh – a Treaty of Eternal Peace
The tablets of Treaty of Quadesh, signed between Hittites and Egypt, were a treaty of "eternal peace" that guaranteed security throughout the area.
Letter from Burnaburiash to Amenhotep IV (-1350/-1350)British Museum
United Nations Recognition of the Quadesh Treaty
Due to the international importance of its depiction of “eternal peace," a copy of the Treaty of Quadesh adorns the walls of the United Nations Building in New York.
Clay tablet with a cuneiform letter and its envelope (-1920/-1740)British Museum
Law Code regarding the Human Rights of Servants
The tablets on law code contain many clauses on treating servants as persons, protecting their lives, and their bodily integrity. These are significant in the history of human rights.
Polyglot Hittite Empire
From the tablets, it’s possible to distinguish the existence of eight different languages, which indicate the polyglot nature of the Hittite Empire. Yet two languages only – Hittite and Akkadian – were used by the Hittite kings for their official documents.
Feast Ceremony 2 (2nd century)UNESCO Memory of the World
Epic and Mythological Literature
The Archive includes tablets of many literary works, chiefly of an epic and mythological character. Some of the most important of these tell the story of the exploits and quarrels of the gods, which in their essential features differ little from those of other Middle Eastern peoples.
Religious Ceremony (2nd Millennium B.C.)UNESCO Memory of the World
1,000 Gods
The religion of the Hittites was polytheist and shows the complex nature of their civilization. Together with their own gods and goddesses they had the deities with Hurrian and Mesopotamian origin. So much so that the Hittites were known as “the people of the thousand gods.”
The border agreement tablet between Tudhaliya IV and Kurunta (2nd Millennium B.C.)UNESCO Memory of the World
History of Asia Minor
Most of our knowledge relating to that period of history in Asia Minor and partially in the Middle East come from the cuneiform tablets found at Bogazkoy.
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