 Yazılıkaya | |
  Yazılıkaya Shown within Turkey | |
| Location | Çorum Province,Turkey |
|---|---|
| Region | Anatolia |
| Coordinates | 40°01′30″N34°37′58″E / 40.02500°N 34.63278°E /40.02500; 34.63278 |
| Type | Settlement |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | In ruins |
Yazılıkaya (Turkish:Inscribed rock) was asanctuary ofHattusa, the capital city of theHittite Empire, today in theÇorum Province,Turkey. Rock reliefs are a prominent aspect ofHittite art, and these are generally regarded as the most important group.
This was a holy site for theHittites, located within walking distance of the gates of the city ofHattusa. It had two main chambers formed inside a group of rock outcrops. Access to the roofless chambers were controlled by gateway and building structures built right in front of them, however only the foundations of those structures survived today. Most impressive today are therock reliefs of Chambers A and B portraying the gods of the Hittite pantheon. One of the uses of the sanctuary may have involved the New Year's celebrations ceremonies. A 2019 journal article by Rita Gautschy andEberhard Zangger suggested that the place may have served as a time-keeping device, with the carvings serving as markers for lunar and solar movement.[1]
It was in use at least since the late 16th century BCE, but most of the rock carvings date to the reign of the Hittite kingsTudhaliya IV andSuppiluliuma II in the late 13th century BCE, when the site underwent a significant restoration.
The most impressive is Chamber A, which contains rock-cut relief of 64 deities in procession. The left wall shows a procession of male deities, wearing the traditional kilts, pointed shoes and horned hats. Mountain gods are also shown with scaled skirts to symbolise the rocky mountains. The right wall shows a procession of female deities wearing crowns and long skirts. The only exception to this divide is the goddess of love and war,Shaushka (Mesopotamian goddessIshtar/Inanna) who is shown on the male procession with two female attendants. This is likely to be because of her male attributes as the goddess of war. The processions lead to a central scene of the supreme couple of the pantheon: the storm-godTeshub and the sun-goddessHebat. Teshub stands on two mountain gods whilst Hebat stands on a panther. Behind Hebat are shown their sonSharruma, daughterAlanzu and a granddaughter.
The smaller and narrower Chamber B has fewer but larger and better preserved reliefs. It may have served as a mortuary mausoleum or memorial for the Hittite king Tudhaliya IV.
The Hittite practise of assimilating other cultures' gods into their own pantheon is in evidence at Yazilikaya. The Mesopotamian god of wisdom, Ea (Enki) is shown in the male procession and the god Teshub was aHurrian god who was syncretized with the Hittite storm-god. Hebat's original consort was changed into her and Teshub's son (Sharruma) and she was later syncretized with theHatticSun goddess of Arinna. It is believed thatPuduhepa, who was the daughter of a Hurrian priestess and the wife of the Hittite kingHattusili III, also played a role in the increasing Hurrian influence on theHittite religion.
A 2021 study concluded that the sanctuary depicted thecosmos including its three levels: earth, sky, and underworld; in addition to the cyclical processes: day/night, lunar phases, and summer/winter, which served as alunisolar calendar. However, the supreme deities in Chamber A, referred to the northern stars, while Chamber B represented the netherworld.[2]
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