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Anatolian Black Tents
anatolian nomad black tentClockwise: carding wool on a wooden carding comb with iron spikes to clean the wool and parallel fibers prior to spinning; preparing tulum peyniri, sheep’s milk cheese preserved in a specially preserved goatskin; spinning wool for a kilim using a kirman (spindle) with a crossed wood whorl; not shown a woman is sewing a dress for her daughter on a much prized hand-driven sewing machine. Instanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art. Image by L. M. Clancy. Instanbul Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art. Image by L. M. Clancy.

Anatolian Black Tents are woven of goathair by female nomads or urban centers’ male weavers. Women set up and dismantle the tents. It takes about an hour to unload the camels, erect the tent and arrange the inside. After this the women can dutifully continue: baking bread; preparing food; making clothes; spinning; milking; etc. An average tent is 5-6.5 m long and 4-5.5 m wide, supported by 3 poles; larger tents require 4 and exceptionally 5 poles. The top is made of 75-80 cm sections sewn together. The sides are attached to the top by wooden or metal pins. Inner reed screens keep out wind and dust. The front and right side can be lifted for ventilation.

Possessions are stored in alacuval, woven sacs with vertical sumac weave decoration. Alacuval are piled at the rear of the tent as a comfortable and attractive wall for visitors to lean against. Alacuval are oft woven in pairs for loading onto camels. Sumac weave styles are Alyanak, Göklüaya and Kirkbudak. Spatial arrangement is strongly conserved.

Side Arrangement
Left Kitchen and food storage.
Back Bedding and then alacuval sacs, forming a single row.
Right Usually kept free. Occasionally storage space.
Front Kept free, except in evenings when there is oft a fire and tea kettle.
Center Bedding covers the whole center in the evening.
Palaians

Palaians drifted into north and northwest Anatolia during the second half of the 3rd millenium BC. Also entering Anatolia were the Luvians (south and west) and Hittites (central).

Luvians

Luvians drifted into south and west Anatolia during the second half of the 3rd millenium BC. Also entering Anatolia were the Palaians (north and northwest) and Hittites (central).

Timeline of Phrygia

Founded in the 8th cent BC in the Sangarius Region, the Phrygian kingdom (750-546 BC) was one of three major Anatolian kingdoms founded in the first half of the 1st millennium BC along with Lydia (west) and Urartu (east). Phrygians were Indo-European nomads that entered Anatolia via Thrace toward the end of the 13th cent BC. At its peak, Phrygian hegemony extended to the Euphrates river in the east, Afyon in the west, Samsun (Amisos) in the north and Burdur in the southwest.

Period or Event King Time-Frame Overview
Phrygian Kingdom The first king was Gordias and the Phrygian capital was established at Gordion. Phrygians worshipped the Mother Goddess Cybele and her lover Attis. Burials of kings, lords and nobles included tumuli and monumental tombs cut into natural rocks. Peasant burials included small tumuli, pits and pethos.
Gordias The first king of the Phrygian kingdom.
Midas Late 8th Cent BC Phrygian power peaked under Phrygian king Midas.
Cimmerian Invasion Early 7th Cent BC Heralding from the Caucasus, the Cimmerians invaded and destroyed the already weakened Phrygian kingdom.
Late 7th Cent BC Small Phrygian municipalities endured while dominated by the Lydian kingdom.
Collapse 545 BC Phrygians their independence to the Persians in 545 BC.
Ottoman Empire: Iconography
Image Artifact Date Overview
constantinople istanbul turkey icon orthodoxy

Icon of the Triumph of Orthodoxy. About 1400. Constantinople. Egg tempera, gesso, wood, linen, gold-lead. British Museum. PE 1988.0411.1. Purchased with the aid of The Art Fund. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/13.

Icon of Triumph of Orthodoxy About 1400 In AD 730 the Byzantine Emperor Leo III forbade the use of icons within the empire. The judgment was not universally popular and Empress Theodora restored their use in 843. This icon celebrates the ‘Triumph of the Orthodoxy’ over iconoclasm. It shows the empress (top left) and her son, Emperor Michael III, with saints and religious leaders. On an altar is an image of the Virgin Hodegetria (‘she who knows the way’) which was believed to have been painted by St. Luke from life. The notion of St. Luke as a painter was crucial to the argument that icons had existed since the birth of Christ.
constantinople istanbul turkey icon st john saint john

Icon of St. John the Baptist. About 1300. Constantinople. Wood, linen, gold-leaf, gesso, paint. British Museum. PE 1986.0708.1; purchased with the aid of The Art Fund, British Museum Publications Ltd and S. Niarchos. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/13.

Icon of St. John the Baptist About 1300 St. John, the cousin of Jesus, was seen as the last of the prophets. This depiction of the saint shows him in a prophet’s robes holding a scroll. His unkempt hair and the hint of a camel hair skirt under his red tunic are an allusion to his life as a hermit. St. John’s intense gaze invites a certain intimacy which, combined with the small scale of this icon, indicates it was probably used for a private devotion.
constantinople istanbul turkey icon st peter saint peter

Icon of St. Peter. About 1320. Constantinople. Cedar, linen, gold-leaf, gesso, paint. British Museum. PE 1983.0401.1. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/13.

Icon of St. Peter About 1320 This icon is of the highest quality. It depicts St. Peter as an elderly man carrying a scroll. The scroll bares a Greek inscription which is a plea for celibacy. This subjects indicates that the icon may have been painted for a community of monks. The icon was originally much larger and it was probably designed to be viewed at a distance as a prominent piece of public devotional art.

Timeline of Anatolia: Ottoman Empire
Period or Event Time-Frame Overview
Opening to Turks 1071/08/26 After the Battle of Malazgirt, Anatolia opened its doors to the Turks.
Timeline of Mesopotamia: Ottoman Rule, Part I: Mamluk Era
Period or Event Time-Frame Overview
Ottoman Conquest 16th & 17th Cent AD Mesopotamia came under Ottoman hegemony and was split into three provinces based on the towns of Mosul, Baghdad and Basra. Tension between the Sunni Ottomans and Shi’i Safavid shahs of Persia led to fragmentation and diminished control from the central Ottoman government in Istanbul. Initiative and power lay with those who could command forces.

Tripp, Charles. A History of Iraq: New Edition.

Bogazkale: Hattusha Lower City

The Lower City (aka Old City) of Hattusha stretched from the northwestern wall bounding the modern village of Bogazkale all the way southeast to the tip of Büyükkale. The the south and southwest, the Lower City is bound by the Postern Wall.

# Structure Time Period Overview
2 Abschnittsmauer

In use during the Hittite empire, the abschnittsmauer was an inner city wall that protected the Great Temple and adjacent settlement. It was 7m thick and adhered to the box system (kasternmauer): an outer and an inner wall (each ~1.5-2m thick) were connected every several meters by transverse walls, forming enclosed box-shaped spaces that were then filled with rubble. Each 20-25m segment of curtain wall was adjoined by a tower that was 3-4m thicker than the curtain wall and protruded at the front.

For security reasons, Hittites kept limited access to their city walls. Only every sixth or seventh tower had a door to get in from the ground outside. Every tower had two doors on its upper story to access the adjacent curtain walls; the curtain walls were only accessible from the towers. Tall rectangular windows were built into the towers on the front, back and two sides protruding from the curtain walls. The tower roofs were accessible via a ladder. To stabilize each story of the towers, an encircling anchorage of large timbers (ringanker) was installed; in the reconstruction, this is visible as a bulging line between each story.

The roof was made of a dense layer of poplar logs, covered by a layer of mud, covered by a 10-12cm thick layer of impermeable earthen çorak. The outer surface of the roof was divided into sections, each slightly sloped to guide rain water to drains. Drains were made of timber halves. These kinds of roofs are still used in Anatolian villages. After heavy rains they require re-sealing and re-sloping; snow must be quickly removed or else trapped melted water will permeate the roof.

hattusha bogazkale mud brick city wall reconstructionReconstruction of the abschnittsmauer. View from outside the city. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/07.
hattusha bogazkale mud brick city wall reconstructionReconstruction of the abschnittsmauer. Tower first story. View from inside the city. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/05.
hattusha bogazkale mud brick city wall reconstructionReconstruction of the abschnittsmauer. Tower second story. View from inside the city. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/05.
2 Reconstruction 2005 – ? Sponsored by JT International, a 65m long section of the abschnittsmauer was reconstructed during eleven months, broken into three campaigns between 2003 and 2005. No original brickwork of Hattusha’s city walls remains. Instead, the reconstruction relied upon clay models from the Hittite period and preserved mudbricks elsewhere in Hattusha. To build the bricks, clay-rich soil, straw and water were mixed in large pits; the straw was a temper to prevent cracking during drying. Wood slats were arranged into a grid of 45×10 rectangles; the mixture was poured into the frame; the surfaces were smoothed; and the frame was removed. The bricks were left in the sun to dry for 10-12 days. This prepared mud bricks of the same average size as those preserved in burnt ruins at Hattusha. Approximately 64,000 bricks were produced for the reconstruction of the wall. Mud bricks are sturdy yet rain-sensitive. The walls were dampened and a thin layer of plaster (the same mixture used for the bricks) was hand-applied. With each brick weighing ~34kg, and the weight of the mortar and plaster, nearly 2500 tons of material was used to reconstruct the mud brick wall.
hattusha bogazkale mud lower city aerial viewAerial view of Lower City. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/06.
hattusha bogazkale mud lower city and brick city wall reconstructionView of the Lower City residences with reconstructed Abschnittsmauer in distance. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/06.
hattusha bogazkale lion basin side viewTemple 1, the Lion Basin. Side view. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/07.
4 Lower City 3rd/2nd MIll BC – ? The oldest traces of settlement in the Lower City date to the Late Early Bronze Age (straddling the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC) by Hattians of local origin. Also excavated were remnants of a karum of the 19th and 18th cent BC. When the Hittites established themselves in the lower city, they built a temple with storerooms, and an adjacent residential area. The residences’ house walls were built of sun-dried mud-bricks partially supported by a timber frame; their flat roofs were made of timbers plastered with mud. These multi-room houses contained ovens, open fireplaces and sometimes even clay bathtubs. Water for consumption was carried from neighborhood fountains. A drainage system whisked away sewage via mains beneath streets and alleys.
5 Temple 1

Temple 1 (Great Temple) is the largest building structure in Hattusha. The temple itself is 65x42m; including its storerooms it is 14,500m2. Its construction date is unknown, but it was likely in use during the Hittite Empire. The Temple Building lacks a staircase, indicating it was only one story. Monolithic doorsills mark doorways, aiding to determine the Great Temple’s 82 ground-floor rooms. The storage depots likely had stairwell access to two or even three stories, meaning the storage magazines contained a maximum of 200 storerooms.

Some of the Great Temple’s wall socles were fashioned out of limestone blocks up to 1.5m high and up to 5m long, weighing 20 tons or more. The walls themselves were timber frame construction filled with mudbrick. They were then covered with mud plaster, in areas worked into designs in relief and likely painted lavishly. The roof was made of timbers sealed with mud. Many dowel holes remain, as do the low sills of large windows. The Great Temple was likely kept shuttered, however, due to its sanctity.

hattusha bogazkale lion basin closeupTemple 1, the Lion Basin. Approaching view. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/07.
hattusha bogazkale mud brick city wall reconstructionTemple 1, gateway to the Temple complex. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/07.
hattusha bogazkale mud brick city wall reconstructionTemple 1, the Green Stone. Büyükkaya in distance. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/07.
Temple 1 Features
Feature # Overview
Lion Basin 1 Originally 5.5m long and carved from a single limestone block. Chisel marks reveal that Byzantine or Roman stonemasons had cut into the block to haul away some pieces. It originally had four lions, one at each corner. Served as either a water basin or base for a large statue.
Gateway 2 The gateway to the temple area has three large thresholds; upon passing through, the thresholds to the left and right must have sheltered the temple guards.
Green Stone 3 A block of green nephrite-type stone common to the region. Once stood elsewhere, as it now is beneath the original surface of the temple storeroom (it is much lower than the nearby doorway). A cruder and smaller green stone is present in Temple 5 in the Upper City.
Water Basin 4 Chiseled from a limestone, perhaps for cultic rituals,
Entrance 5 The entrance to the Inner Court was a narrow passage in the soutwest side. The pivots of doors remain, as well as abrasion from the opening and closing of the heavy wooden doors.
Inner Court 6 At 27x20m, the Inner Court was paved with large flat stones, surrounded by high walls and open to the sky.
Altar 7 Near the far end of the Inner Court is a freestanding socle of gabbro (rather than limestone), a hard blackish-green igneous rock. It likely was an altar.
Stoa 8 A stoa was at the far end of the Inner Court, of which only the gabbro column bases remain. The stoa led to several antechambers and then to the Holy of Holies.
Holy of Holies 9
10
Access to the Holy of Holies was permitted only to the King, Queen, High Prests and certain temple priests. It contained two cult chambers, indicating the Great Temple was dedicated to two deities. These deities were likely the most revered deities, the Weather God of Hatti and the Sun Goddess of Arinna. The gabbro socles were exactly fitted together, sometimes even interlocking. Only the foundations of the western chamber remain; nearly the entire wall socle of the eastern chamber remains, which measures 8x10m.
Other Rooms Other rooms in the Great Temple were likely for rituals, priestly dressing rooms, storage for cultic objects, sacrificial live animals and also bureaucracy. Regarding bureaucracy, the temples were economically important and used wax-covered pieces of wood for archives; there were even wood-roster scribe job positions. These rooms were empty when excavated.
Storerooms 11 The rooms along the northwest side were empty except for the remains of hundreds of large pottery vessels that were sunk into the ground (some of which still remain). Each vessel held up to 2,000 liters are would have included grains, beans, oil and wine for the temple provender. Mane vessels’ shoulders were scratched with indications of their contents and purpose. The storerooms along the opposite side of the Great Temple served as archives, evidenced by the thousands of cuneiform tablets and fragments.
Street 12 A paved street that runs along the southwest side of the Great Temple and led to the South Gate of the inner city wall. Under the street was a sewage canal to service the immediate locale.
Complex 1 13 Complex 1 (aka Southern District) is a 5300m2 building complex that was walled-in with only one entrance. It was completely cleared out when Hattusha was deserted, although cuneiform tablet found in Complex 1 mentions a House of Operations (e-gish-kinti). A House of Operations’ tasks usually involved priests, musicians, singers and bother clay-tablet and wood-roster scribes. Complex 1 likely contained storerooms, cult chambers, workshops and ateliers.
Grotto 14 Just southwest of Complex 1 is a small walled grotto that collected water from a spring. The original lintel is in the Bogazkale Museum. A stele found in the area (now at Museum of Anatolian Civilizations) indicates cultic roles for the spring and grotto.
hattusha bogazkale mud brick city wall reconstructionTemple 1, storerooms with large pottery vessels. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/05.
hattusha bogazkale mud brick city wall reconstructionTemple 1, drain off the Inner Court. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/05.
hattusha bogazkale paved streetPaved street alongside southwest side of Temple 1; leads to South Gate. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/07.
6 House on the Slope ?-13th Cent BC In the Old City of the Hittites there were many structures terraced into the slope between the royal citadel of Büyükkale to the Great Temple. One such structure is the House on the Slope, which was a two-storied 32×36 m structure. One room alone in the upper story measured 13×17 m. This grand scale suggests it had an official use. The building was destroyed by fire at the end of the 13th cent BC. Remnants of the mudbrick walls have survived to present. A comprehensive clay tablet archive was recovered from the ruins of the first story.
7 Kesikkaya Kesikkkaya (meaning cut rock) is a rock outcropping with a natural cleft. A Hittite structure once stood atop it, as evidenced by step-like ledges and rows of bore holes. Kesikkaya was used as a source of stone for the Lower City; Roman and Byzantine quarrying is evidenced by scarring high up Kesikkaya.
hattusha bogazkale house on the slopeHouse on the Slope. Southwest view. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/05.
hattusha bogazkale kesikkayaKesikkaya. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/07.
hattusha bogazkale kesikkaya close upBore holes and steps atop Kesikkaya. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/07.
8 Postern Wall 16th Cent BC – ? The oldest fortification of Hattusha is the Postern Wall, which protected the Lower City on the south and southwest. It followed the valley’s natural contours all the way up to Büyükkale. The Postern Wall was likely erected by Hittite king Hantili, as a tablet from Hattusha’ cuneiform archives alleges that he built fortifications for Hattusha which “earlier had no protection whatsoever” — this likely meant that his fortifications paled earlier attempts. In typical Hittite fashion it was built with casemate walls. Eight posterns beneath the wall were situated 70-180m form each other to connect the inside to the outside. The posterns were of corbeled masonry. Their precise function is unclear, although they have been sally ports; postern is from Latin posterula, meaning back- or side-door). The Postern Wall was renovated and remodeled in the centuries after its construction.
8a Grain Silo Old Hittite Era – ?

In the Old Hittite Period a subterranean grain silo was built next to the Postern Wall (note that Büyükkaya is home to a separate silo). The complex was ~118m long and 30-40m wide, containing two rows each containing 16 compartments. The walls (but not floors) were made of ~1.5m thick mud-brick tiles; outside surfaces were insulated with thick layers of clay to keep out moisture. The compartment was then lined with a thick layer of straw. Grain was poured up to the rim of the compartment. Atop this was placed straw and then loamy soil to create a hermetic seal. Though the height of the compartments is unknown, though their capacity was realistically 7-9,000m3. This could suffice 20-30,000 people for a year (barring beer brewing) and must have served as not just a reserve, but as a treasury important to the Hittite king’s economic power.

During the 16th cent BC the silo complex was engulfed in flames that consumed exterior structures. Some grain burned, but due to low oxygen levels much of it was just charred. Excavations not only uncovered preserved mud-bricks, but also layers over one meter thick of preserved grain, the only find of its kind in the ancient Near East. Most of the grain was barley, but various seeds of weeds and other plants were also present; these likely grew in the fields and made their way into the harvest.

hattusha bogazkale postern wallPostern Wall, view of the postern nearest to Kesikkaya. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/07.
hattusha bogazkale grain silo preservedGrain silos. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/07.
hattusha bogazkale kizlar kayaKizlar Kaya. Southwest view. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/06.
9 Kizlar Kaya Kizlar Kaya (Maiden’s Rock) gained its name by a rumor of a relief of a young girl on the rock face. Roman and Byzantine masons removed stone blocks from Kizlar Kaya, though its configuring is largely preserved. Atop Kizlar Kaya is a platform with bore holes, benches and altar-like spaces that indicate a structure may have existed.
10 Lower West Gate Hittite Empire The West Gates are part of the west side of the Upper City fortification wall. However, they are more proximal to the Lower City. Unlike the gates in this fortification — the Lion and King Gates — these West Gates have no aesthetic other than attractive parabolic arches. The Lower West Gate is atop a street that runs parallel to the Postern Wall, indicating that the path was in use during the Old Hittite Period long before the West Gates were actually built.
11 Upper West Gate Hittite Empire The Upper West Gate accessed to a high ridge of the Upper City that has not been fully excavated.
hattusha bogazkale lower west gate southeast viewLower West Gate. Southeast View. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/06.
hattusha bogazkale lower west gate doorLower West Gate. Door pivot. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/06.
hattusha bogazkale lower west gate fossilLower West Gate. Fossil on northeast corner. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/09/06.
Seeher, Jürgen. 2006. Hattusha Guide: A Day in the Hittite Capital. Ege Yayinlary: Istanbul. (also available online)
Bogazkale: Timeline
Period or Event King Time-Frame Overview
Paleolithic Very few traces of civilization in any of northern Anatolia
Mesolithic Very few traces of civilization in any of northern Anatolia.
Neolithic Very few traces of civilization in any of northern Anatolia’s mountainous and forested geography. However there are traces in the south, for example in Catal Huyuk and the Konya Plain.
Chalcolithic 6000-3000 BC First settlements include one on the Büyükakaya ridge and near Yarikkaya. Settlement across northern Anatolia increased very slowly.
Early Bronze Age 3000-2000 BC Coherent zones of habitation with trade were established. Toward the end of the Early Bronze Age a Hattian settlement was established at Bogazkale, beginning the site’s continuous occupation. Remnants of Hattian settlements have been found under the fill of the Hittite Lower City, and on the high ridges of Büyükkaya and Büyükkale.
Middle Bronze Age
aka Karum Period
2000-1700 BC Fortifications were laid out on Büyükkale, indicating this is where the Hattian rulers lived. Hattian settlement stretched from the slope of Büyükkale to the area where the Great Temple of the Hittites was later erected. Hattian occupation grew to the point that an Assyrian karum was established sometime in the 19th/18th centuries BC just to the north. This was one of several at Hattian centers. The Assyrian traders kept their residential quarters separate from the Hattians, although the Assyrians were nonetheless protected and taxed by the Hattian rulers. With the Assyrians arrived writing (Akkadian cuneiform) as business necessitated documentation. Transactions were recorded on tablets, along with the name of the Hattian city Hattush.
Hattusha Destroyed ~1700 BC At the start of the 2nd mill BC, Central Anatolia saw frequent conflict between the autochthonous Hattians and immigrant Hittites seeking to consolidate their power. A ~1700 BC burn layer at Hattush is corroborated by an inscription by King Anitta of Kushar, describing his defeat of King Piyushti of Hattush: “At night I took the city by force; I have sown weeds in its place. Should any king after me attempt to resettle Hattush may the Weathergod of Heaven strike him down” 2.
Old Hittite Kingdom ~1650-1400 BC Heralding from Kushar, in ~1650 BC the Hittite king Hattushili I chose to preside from Hattian Hattush, marking the beginning of the Hittite Hattusha 1. Hattushili reintroduced cuneiform writing, which had fallen out of use when the Assyrian trade network disintegrated, thus ensuring a legacy of 30,000 clay tablets spanning laws, contracts, correspondences, cult procedures, oracular prophecies and ancient Near East literature.
Hattusha Destroyed 1400 BC Under the reign of Hittite king Tudhaliya III the city “was burned to the ground” according to a cuneiform text 3. This is contemporaneous with a recension of Hittite power, the extent of Hittite hegemony contracting to just the Central Anatolian plateau 1.
Hittite Empire 1400-1180 BC Hittite king Shupiluliuma I led the Hittites to defeat the Mitanni, their mighty opponent straddling north Mesopotamia and south Anatolia.
Shupiluliuma I
Bogazkale: Yazilikaya Overview

Yazilikaya (written rock) is the largest known Hittite rock sanctuary. It may have been a place for celebrating the arrival of the New Year each spring. It was established in its present form by Hittite king Tudhaliya IV.

Feature Overview
Building A substantial building blocked outside entrance to Chamber A.
Chamber A Chamber A was carved in high relief with the Hurrian Pantheon. It depicts two processions, with male deities on the left (two exceptions) and female deities on the right. Luwian hieroglyphs provide each deity’s name above its projecting hand. The two processions meet at the back wall at Chamber A’s main scene, a meeting of the Storm God Tesup and the Sun Goddess Hepat. Opposite the main scene is the largest relief in the chamber, a portrayal of Hittite king Tudhaliya IV.
Chamber B Through a narrow passage is Chamber B, a late 13th cent BC memorial dedicated to Tudhaliya IV by his son Supiluliuma II. Chamber B was buried until the late 19th cent, keeping its reliefs well-preserved. The Chamber B reliefs depict: the 12 Gods of the Underworld; Nergal, god of the Underworld; a cartouche with the name of Tudhaliya IV; and the god Sarruma guiding Tudhaliya IV. The limestone block near the entrance was likely a base for a statue of Tudhaliya IV. Niches in the chamber could have held offerings.
Kadesh Treaty
Kadesh Treaty, ~1269 BC. Akkadian on Terracotta from Hattusa. Museum of the Ancient Orient Bo. 10403+6549+6674. Image by L. M. Clancy, 2009/08/28.

The Kadesh Treaty was established ~1269 BC between Hittite king Hattusilis III and Egyptian pharaoh Ramses II, and is the earliest known equitable peace treaty. Ramses II’s reign began with hostility against the Hittite Empire, culminating in the mutually devastating Battle of Kadesh. The overextended Hittites lost the critical Mitanni region; and Egypt’s defeat prompted its Levantine vassals to revolt. Nearly six years after the Battle of Kadesh, Egypt and the Hittites allied for: non-aggression to avoid further ruin; and mutual military aid to thwart the encroachment of the Sea Peoples.

Two Egyptian and three Akkadian versions of the treaty are known to exist. One Egyptian version was carved into the walls of the temple of Amon at Karnak; another was carved into the walls of the Ramesseum, though it embellished Egypt’s peacemaking role. The three Akkadian versions are much closer to the formal agreement; these were excavated at Hattusha by joint Turkish and German teams (led by Hügo Winckler and Teodor Makridy). One of these Hittite tablets are at Staatliche Museen zu Berlin; two are at the Istanbul Archaeological Museums. Below are excerpts from the treaty:

Treaty of Rea-Mashesha-Mai Amana the great king, the king of the land of Egypt, the valiant, with Hattusilis, the great king of the Hatti land for establishing good peace and good brotherhood worthy of great kingship forever.

These are the words of Rea-Mashasha-Mai Amana: Now I have established good brotherhood [and] good peace between us forever. In order to establish good peace [and] good brotherhood in the relationship of the land of Egypt with the Hatti land forever.

Thus: Behold, as for the relationship between the land of Egypt and the Hatti land, since eternity the god does not permit the making of hostility between them because of a treaty [valid] forever.

If an enemy from abroad comes against the land of Egypt and Rea-Mashesha-Mai Amana, the king of the land of Egypt, your brother sends to Hattusilis, the great king of the Hatti land, his brother saying: “come here to help me against him” to Hattusilis, the king of the Hatti land shall send his footsoldiers [and] his charioteers and shall slay my enemies.
Timeline of Hittite Kingdom, Part II: Middle Hittite Kingdom
Period or Event King Time-Frame Overview
Lands south of the Taurus and distant territories to the south and east of Anatolia were captured from the Hittites by the Mitanni. Attacks of marauding Kashkan tribes living in the northern mountains of Central Antaolia became a direct threat to Hattusha. Hattusha was destroyed in 1400 BC under the reign of Tudhaliya III; a cuneiform text explains, “Hattusha, the city, was burned to the ground and only [ . . . ] and the Heshti-House of [ . . . ] remained standing” 2. Hittite hegemony was limited to the Central Anatolian plateau 1.

1
p 173-
Seeher, Jürgen. 2006. Hattusha Guide: A Day in the Hittite Capital. Ege Yayinlary: Istanbul.

2
p 175

Timeline of Hittite Kingdom, Part I: Old Hittite Kingdom
Period or Event King Time-Frame Overview
Arrival of Hittites < 2000 BC Hittites drifted into central Anatolia from the Caucasus during the second half of the 3rd millenium BC. They retained the name Hatti from their land but called their language Neshian. Also entering Anatolia were the Luvians (south and west) and Palaians (north and northwest).
Old Hittite Kingdom 1650-1400 BC
Hattushili I Hattushili I built an empire via military campaigns in Central Anatolia and to the south in northern Syria. He re-introduced cuneiform writing into the derelect Hattian site of Hattush when he chose it for the Hittite capital Hattusha.
Murshili Murshili continued Hattushili I’s southward campaigns, delving further south in an effort to seize the Mesopotamian trade routes. The Hittites conquered Aleppo and even reached Babylon to topple Hammurabi’s dynasty. Murshili was murdered.

1
p 173-
Seeher, Jürgen. 2006. Hattusha Guide: A Day in the Hittite Capital. Ege Yayinlary: Istanbul.

2
p 175

Mausoleum at Halikarnassos

The Mausoleum at Halikarnassos was the tomb of Karian governor Maussolos, serving as the etymological root of the modern word for a monumental tomb. The Mausoleum was designed by Pytheos and Satyros. Mausollos may have overseen its early construction but died before its completion. Its construction continued until (perhaps after) his sister-wife Artemisia’s death in 351 BC.

Roman writer Pliny the Elder described the Mausoleum at Halikarnassos as having a peristyle of 36 columns and a stepped pyramid roof crowned with a marble quadriga, giving the structure a height of 140ft. The high podium is a Lykian aesthetic; the pyramid an Egyptian style; and the overall design Ionian Greek.

Timeline of Anatolia: Byzantine Empire
Period or Event Time-Frame Overview
Siege of Doppio 1658/09/03 The Ottoman Empire began its siege of Doppio Castle
Republic of Turkey: Current Era
Period or Event Time-Frame Overview
PKK + Turk Fighting Erupts 1984 In southeastern Turkey, Kurdish guerrillas led by the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK) began fighting with the Turkish army. The death-toll exceeded 20,000 by 1996.
Massive Earthquakes 1999 08 17 Two powerful earthquakes, measuring 6.7 and 7.4 on the Richter scale respectively, hit northwestern and western Turkey, killing about 18,000 people and affecting hundreds of thousands of others.
Bingol Earthquake 2003 05 01 At least 167 were killed and over 500 others injured when a quake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale hit Turkey’s eastern province of Bingol.
Eastern Earthquakes 2004 03 A 5.1-magnitude quake jolted eastern Turkey on March 26 2004, leaving at least 9 dead and 46 others injured. Another quake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale in the same region injured 12 people on March 28.
Bingol Earthquake 2005 03 12 An earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale jolted Turkey’s eastern province of Bingol. No casualties were reported.
Northwestern Earthquake 2006 10 24 An earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale jolted northwestern Turkey, but caused no casualties or serious damage.
Eastern Earthquake 2007 02 21 A 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted eastern Turkey, causing slight damage but no casualties.
Bala Earthquake 2007 12 20 A 5.5-magnitude earthquake shook Bala town, but caused no casualties.
Ankara Earthquake 2007 12 27 Quake hit the Turkish capital of Ankara, damaging 945 buildings.
Explosives Discovered 06 2007 Cache of explosives discovered; ex-soldiers detained
Coup Organizers Arrested 07 2008 20 arrested, including two ex-generals and a senior journalist, for “planning political disturbances and trying to organise a coup”
AK Party Escapes Ban 07 2008 Governing AK Party narrowly escapes court ban
Southeast Earthquake 2008 09 03 A 5.1-magnitude earthquake shook southeastern Turkey, damaging some houses in the region. No casualties were reported.
First Ergenekon Trial 2008/10 86 go on trial charged with “Ergenekon” coup plot
Second Ergenekon Trial 2009/07 56 in dock as second trial opens
PKK Kidnappings 2009 10 The Turkish daily Sabah reported that the intelligence unit of Tokat Governor’s Office said at the end of October that a 20-people PKK group in the region headed towards Tunceli province, and that some of the members of the group were missing. This indicated that this group might launched the attack Resadiye/Tokat.
PKK Attack 2009 12 07 The military command of the PKK, the HPG, claimed responsibility for the attack in Tokat on 7 December, which killed 7 Turkish soldiers. “The action in Tokat is a retaliation action, which has carried out by one of our units on its own initiative.” Earlier before it was still unclear who was behind the attack.
Mediterranean Earthquake 2009 12 22 Quake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale shook Turkey’s Mediterranean region, damaging some buildings.
Coup Plot Exposed 2010/01 Reports of the alleged sledgehammer plot first surfaced in the liberal Taraf newspaper, which said it had discovered documents detailing plans in 2003 to bomb two Istanbul mosques and provoke Greece into shooting down a Turkish plane over the Aegean Sea.
Coup Plot Convictions 2010/02 After a week of high drama at the state security court in Istanbul, the judges have almost completed their assessment of the 49 military suspects detained on Monday. Thirty-one officers, among them seven navy admirals and four army generals, have been charged with conspiring to provoke a military takeover in the months following the AKP’s first election victory in 2002. That makes this the most ambitious attempt yet to prosecute armed forces personnel in civilian courts. Three other officers, including the general who allegedly masterminded the plot, are still being questioned. For the once untouchable military the week’s events will have been a humbling experience. But it could have been worse; last night the three most senior officers among the 49 were released.
Gul Reassures Turkey 2010/02/25 On Thursday, Turkish President Abdullah Gul sought to reassure the country, saying tensions over an alleged military coup plot would be resolved within the “constitution”. The alleged sledgehammer plot was first revealed by the liberal Taraf newspaper. Gul made the statement after meeting the head of the armed forces, Gen Ilker Basbug, along with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey’s military has overthrown or forced the resignation of four governments since 1960 – most recently in 1997 – though Gen Basbug has insisted that coups are a thing of the past. (link)
Earthquake Hits East 2010 03 08 Fifty-seven people had been killed by the quake, which caused the most deaths in six villages around the epicenter in the Karakocan town of the eastern province of Elazig, the newspaper quoted Karakocan mayor as saying. The quake struck Basyurt region of Karakocan town at a depth of 5 km at 4:32 a.m. local time (0232 GMT), said the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute of Turkey’s Bogazici University. Tremors were also felt in neighboring provinces of Tunceli, Bingol and Diyarbakir, said Hurriyet Daily News. The institute has so far reported 27 aftershocks and more are expected over the next hours and days, according to the newspaper. The Turkish Red Crescent had sent 500 tents and foodstuff to the quake zone, while State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Cemil Cicek and other senior officials had left the capital Ankara for Elazig, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported. (link)
Withdraws Ambassadors 03 2010 Turkey withdrew its ambassadors to Washington and Stockholm after a U.S. congressional committee and the Swedish parliament passed the non-binding resolutions.
Armenian Deportation Threat 16 03 2010 Asked during an interview with the BBC Turkish service in London on Tuesday what he thought about the resolutions, Erdogan said: “There are currently 170,000 Armenians living in our country. Only 70,000 of them are Turkish citizens, but we are tolerating the remaining 100,000. If necessary, I may have to tell these 100,000 to go back to their country because they are not my citizens. I don’t have to keep them in my country.” The majority of Armenians in Turkey live and work in Istanbul. Many came after an earthquake in their homeland in 1988 and work illegally and send remittances home. (link)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8538484.stm

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2010-03/08/c_13202150.htm

Sanctuary of Demeter at Knidos

The Sanctuary of Demeter at Knidos was built amidst the refounding of Knidos in ~350 BC. Demeter was worshipped at the Sanctuary together with Hades, consort of her daughter Persephone. The Sanctuary consisted of a long platform terraced into the acropolis, giving it a magnificent view of Knidos and the Mediterranean Sea. Mostly fragments remain of the sanctuary’s impressive collection of marble sculptures, although the cult statue of Demeter herself remains notably intact. Also excavated were: lamps and glass bottles from ~350 BC to the Roman period; and terracotta figures.

Karum Kanesh

Amorites were mobile pastoralists perhaps living in North central syria near the jumble-bishree. After entering Assur, their commercial ambitions led them to form the colony Karum Kanesh (aka Kanis or Kanes) a few hundred miles north of Assur on the Anatolian plateau. Most of our knowledge of early Assyria is from Karum Kanesh, as Assur is relatively devoid of evidence during this period.

Anatolian Sites: Karia

Karia in southwest Anatolia was ruled for much of the 4th century BC by the Hekatomnid dynasty under Persian control. The Hekatomnid dynasty was a great patron of sanctuaries in many parts of the Greek world. The most famous Hekatomnid ruler was Maussollos, best known for his great tomb the Mausoleum of Halikarnassos. Like other satraps of the period, Maussollos forged links with both Greece and Persia to achieve his own political ambitions.

Anatolian Sites: Ephesus

Ephesus was a wealthy Greek city on the west coast of Asia Minor. It benefited from its fine harbor and the rich hinterland of Lydia. Throughout antiquity, the sanctuary and great temple of Artemis made Ephesus a place of pilgrimage. Before the Greeks arrived, the locals worshipped an Anatolian mother-goddess; the Greeks worshipped her as Artemis, with Artemis’ cult resembling her predecessor’s in its emphasis on vegetation and fertility.

The Basis Built 7th Cent BC An early shrine later incorporated into the first large-scale temple.
First Temple Built 6th Cent BC Croesus, the Lydian king renowned for his great wealth, contributed generously to the cost of the new building, which was among the most richly-ornamented of all Archaic Greek temples. It was on a grand scale with dimensions of 115m by 55m and with a double row of columns all around.
First Temple Destroyed 356 BC The first temple was destroyed by fire. According to tradition, this was one the night that Alexander the Great was born in Macedon.
New Temple Built A new temple was built on the same site.
Anatolian Sites: Didyma

Didyma, near Miletus in Asia Minor, was the site of a famous oracle at the Sanctuary of Apollo. During the 6th century BC, visitors to the sanctuary gave gifts which made it one of the richest in Greece. Didyma was linked with the sea by a Sacred Way. The Sacred Way was lined with monumental statues offered as gifts to Apollo. Most statues represent seated men and women, sometimes identified by inscriptions as members of aristocratic families. The grand scale of the Sacred Way reflects the wealth and power of 6th century Miletus, a great sea-faring city which managed to regain its political independence while surrounding areas succumbed to Lydians and then Persians.

Iznik: Ceramics

In antiquity, Iznik was a settlement important for its prolific ceramics industry. In 1331 Iznik became part of the Ottoman Empire; from the mid-14th to the end of the 17th century it was the Turks most successful and vital ceramics production center in Anatolia. Iznik’s earliest ceramics were produced under Seljuk influence, vessels of red clay and glazed with a single color. Tiles of the Seljuk period are decorated with mosaic, tinted glaze and compositions of yellow, turquoise, white rumi and palmetto on underglaze, usually with a dark blue background.

Ceramics Time-Frame Overview
Miletus Ware Late 14th – Early 15th Cent Mainly plates and bowls from coarse red clay. Coloration is dark blue, turquoise, purple and cobalt blue on a white slip. Designs are simple, often radial lines, geometric design, vegetal motifs and/or animal figures. These vessels were erroneously titled Miletus Ware although their production was later traced to Iznik.
Blue & White Ware Late 15th – Early 16th Cent Tiles and vessels made of fine, hard, white clay and decorated in different shades of blue on transparent underglaze. Hexagonal form was used, particular in early tiles.
Golden Horn Ware 1530s-1550s Variation of Blue & White Ware.
Blue & White Ware
with Turquoise
Early-Mid 16th Cent Turquoise used together with blue.
Damascus Ware 1540-1550 Green and purple use for the first time, together with cobalt blue and turquoise. Precursor to use of many colors.
Polychrome Ware Mid 16th – End of 17th Cent The longest and most successful period, Polychrome Ware was made of hard white clay with designs in soft green and coral red on a lustrous transparent underglaze.
Iznik: Timeline
Period or Event Time-Frame Overview
~2500 BC Mounds: Karadin, Çiçekli, Yügücek and Çakirca reveal Iznik’s history begins at ~2500 BC.
Helikare The settlement was known as Helikare before the arrival of Thracian immigrants.
Thracian Immigration 7th Cent BC
Phrygian Renovation 4th Cent BC The settlement became known as Antigoneia following its renovation by the Phrygian Governor of the Macedonian Kingdom.
Lysimachus’ Capture After 332 BC After the death of Alexander the Great, Antigoneia was captured by Lysimachus, the ex-governor of Thrace, and its name was changed to Nicaea. The name Nicaea was ascribed to Lysimachus’ wife Nike.
Bithynian Capture 293 BC The Bythinian Kingdom annexed Nicaea. Great architecture arose in the city and it became home to a gold coin mint, thus earning it the nickname of Golden City.
Earthquake 123 AD An earthquake devastated Nicaea.
Roman Capture The Romans battled the Bithynian Kingdom for many years before capturing the capital Nicaea and reconstructing it. The city at this point was surrounded by 4,970 kilometer city walls and had 4 main and 12 subordinate gates.
Christianity The Apostle St. Peter introduced Iznik to Christianity. Roman Emperor Constantine I abolished all prohibitions relating to Christianity.
1st Ecumenical Council 325 AD The 1st Ecumenical Council gathered in the palace at Iznik in the presence of Roman Emperor Constantine I. One of the subjects at hand was the debate between Alexandrian priest Arius’ thesis and that of the bishops. Arius held that Jesus Christ was not eternal and was subordinate to God the Gather. The bishops’ view was that Jesus Christ was one of substance with God the Father. After much debate the latter view was accepted and the Council formulated Nicene Creed and 20 canons as well as agreed on the date of Easter.
7th Ecumenical Council 787 AD The 7th Ecumenical Council was held in the Asasofya Church at Iznik.
Prohibitions Lifted 8th Cent AD Empress Irene lifts prohibitions on paintings and statues.
Ottoman Capture 1331 The Ottomans commanded by Orhan Gazi captured Iznik and it became an art, ceramic, tile, trade and culture hub. The Ottoman Period’s first mosque, madrasa and soup kitchen were all constructed in Iznik in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries. Famous Sufis including Davud-u Kayseri, Ebul Fadil Musa and Esrefoglu Abdullah Rumi lived in Iznik.
Iznik: Nilüfer Hatun Soup Kitchen
Period or Event Time-Frame Overview
Construction 1388 The Nilüfer Hatun Soup Kitchen was Built by Sultan Murat I in memory of his mother Nilüfer Hatun. It was the first soup kitchen built with a reverse T-shaped plan.
End of Soup Kitchen Late 19th Cent
Greek Destruction The Greek occupation largely destroyed the structure during the Independence War.
Restoration 1960 The structure was restored in 1960 and re-opened as a museum.
Iznik: Ayasofya Museum
Period or Event Time-Frame Overview
Construction Constructed by the Emperor Justinian over the ruins of a former church dating back to the 4th century.
7th Ecumenical Council 787 AD The 7th Ecumenical Council was held here.
Earthquake 11th Cent Demolished by an earthquake.
Reconstruction Rebuilt in the shape of a basilica with three naves.
Ottoman Conquest 1331 After the conquest of Iznik by Orhan Gazi, the basilica shaped church was made into a mosque.
Expansion Under the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, the mosque was expanded with a minaret on the front and its walls were decorated by the famous architect Sinan.
Iznik: Yesil Mosque (Green Mosque)
Period or Event Time-Frame Overview
Construction 1378-1392 A single-domed mosque built by the architect Haci Musa. Requested by Halil Hayrettin Pasha.
Iznik: Haci Özbek Mosque (Çarsi Masjid)
Period or Event Time-Frame Overview
Construction 1333 The oldest Ottoman mosque in Iznik. Built of hewn stone and brick with a square plan and no minaret, with a dome that is 8m in diameter and covered with roof tiles.
Iznik: Mahmut Çelebi Mosque
Period or Event Time-Frame Overview
Construction 1442 Mahmut Çelebi, a grandson of Hayrettin Pasha, had this mosque built in th district centre. It has a single dome and a minaret. There is an inscription over the entry gate.
Iznik: Seyh Kudbetting Mosque and Tomb
Period or Event Time-Frame Overview
Construction 15th Cent AD Ibrahim Pasha, a vizier of Sultan Bayezi II, requested the construction of this mosque and tomb for Sheik Seyh Kudbettin. Only the minaret of the mosque survives.
Iznik: Yakup Çelebi Dervish Lodge and Tomb
Period or Event Time-Frame Overview
Construction 14th Cent Constructed by Yakup Çelebi, the younger brother of Yildirim Bayezid. There is a single domed tomb in the garden. The tomb of Takup Çelebi is not in this tomb but in the tomb of Murad I in Bursa.
Iznik: Tombs of Iznik
Tomb Overview
Yakup Çelebi Dervish Lodge and Tomb
Seyh Kudbetting Mosque and Tomb
Esref-i Rumî Mosque and Tomb
Kirgizlar Tomb
Sari Saltuk Tomb
Çandarli Hayrettin Pasa Tomb
Çandarli Ibrahim Pasa Tomb
and Soup Kitchen
Çabdarku Halil Pasa Tomb
Huysuzlar Tomb
Ahiveyn Sultan Tomb
Abdülvahap Sancaktari Tomb
Urartu

Urartu (earlier, Uruatri or Biblical Ararat) was a powerful kingdom centered on Lake Van in eastern Turkey. It began as a federation in the Armenian highlands, and during Shalmaneser I’s time it was a loose federation of eight different mountain regions.

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