Hattusas Tour

Alacahoyuk (Alacahuyuk) is located 36km to the north-east of the Hattusha (Bogazkale) in north central Turkey in the Corum province. It was first excavated by Makridi Bey in 1907, but proper researches started in 1935 by the Turkish Historical Association. The excavations were made by H.Z.Kosay and R.O.Arik. Currently Prof.Dr.Aykut Cinaroglu of Ankara University is working on the site since 1997.

Alacahoyuk was an important city in pre-Hittite times, but after the Hittite conquest it remained in the shadow of the nearby capital Hattusa. The most important findings of the location are the artifacts from the pre-Hittite royal tombs dating from about 2500 B.C. But most of the standing monuments are from the Hittite times. The town walls with their carved orthostats have inner and outer gateways with ramps for archers. The southern outer monumental gateway, erected by the Hittite after they reoccupied Alaca was set between two towers, guarded by two great sphinxes. In the doorjambs are 13 foot hight monoliths carved to create each seven foot high sphinx. Inside the Sphinx Gate was a large Hittite building complex that still requires excavation. The bases of the two towers by the Sphinx Gate are decorated with several orthostats. Most of the reliefs and spinxes date from 14th centurty BC.