 Kayalıpınar mound as seen from the west | |
  Kayalıpınar Shown within Turkey | |
| Alternative name | Samuha |
|---|---|
| Location | Sivas Province, Turkey |
| Region | Anatolia |
| Coordinates | 39°36′41″N36°30′40″E / 39.61150°N 36.51117°E /39.61150; 36.51117 |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Cultures | Hittite |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | In ruins |
Kayalıpınar is a village inYıldızeli District, inSivas Province,Turkey.[1] Its population is 66 (2022).[2] It is aHittite archaeological site, under excavation since 2004. It is identified with the ancientSamuha settlement.
The human settlement of Kayalıpınar started already in the 5th millennium BC. During the Middle Bronze Age the settlement grew to become a town. During the earlykārum period, Kayalıpınar/Šamuḫa became a station (wabartum) of ancient Assyrian traders that eventually developed into a trading colony (kārum). The town controlled a bridge crossingKızılırmak River. A palace is also mentioned in the texts.[citation needed]
The presence of ancient Assyrian traders is attested by several seals found in Kayalıpınar and two ancient Assyrian cuneiform tablets, one of which mentions the Anatolian personal name Tamura.[3]
After the kārum period city was destroyed, the Hittites built a new city with a palace complex.[4] This city was destroyed in the Middle Hittite period, probably by an earthquake.[citation needed]
A seal that may belong to the layer of destruction points to the time of KingTudḫaliya I and his wifeNikkalmati, which indicates the date of around 1450 BC. Apparently, the same earthquake destroyed the mountain town ofŠarišša, which was about fifty kilometers to the south-east.[5] The destroyed city and palace were immediately rebuilt.[citation needed]
At the time ofTudḫaliya II, the palace was systematically plundered and burned down. According to the Hittite documents, this may have been done by the "enemy of Azzi", that took the Upper Land and "made Šamuḫa the border". The mining town of Šarišša was also plundered at that time.[6]
Themosque of the village was built in 1883.[7]
At the beginning of the 20th century, the village was a settlement place forAvars andLezgins from theCaucasus.[8]
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