City of a Thousand Gods

Like a disembodied spirit floating in the nether world, certain ghostly fragments of past knowledge have the power to beckon images to appear. So without consciously knowing anything about a somewhat esoteric name – like Hittite - a tingle of familiarity may touch you. As the ancient Hittites appeared in the pages of the Bible, the name may conjure a vague image of Old Testament antiquity. Although the small tribe, that is mentioned in certain parts of the Bible, certainly are not responsible for the ruins of the civilization that the archaeologists are unearthing in central Anatolia. These are the ruins of a powerful civilization whose peace treaty with Egypt hangs on the wall of the United Nations building in New York as the first known document of peace between rival empires. They were the rulers of one of the first kingdom in history to have dominion over a vast territory, sharing superpower status with the other major power of the day, Egypt; and they are the builders of a capital city, Hattusha, that was perhaps the largest and greatest city of the time.

But the most unusual, and for me, most attractive of their characteristics is the relatively humane conduct of their affairs; a trait weaving them into a multi-dimensional net, scattered through time and space, of benevolent leaning empires. Unlike their contemporaries, the Assyrians and Egyptians, the Hittites expected compassion of their rulers, deeming heirs to the throne to be unfit if lacking in this trait. Their art depicts only religious ceremonies, completely lacking are scenes that glorifying war fare or human brutality, their kings were subject to the rule of law and the scrutiny of the community of nobles; their laws rarely called for corporal punishment even in the case of murder; and their kings ruled merely as aristocrats, unlike their eastern neighbors, they were not gods incarnate, the kings were deified but only after death, they never ruled as theocrats.

But I knew nothing of their conduct when I first became smitten with them – what first captured me was their shoes. Perhaps not just their shoes, but their art, which is not nearly as monumental as their contemporaries either in quality or size; rather it is more human in an everyday humble, even cuddly hobbit–like way; especially their shoes. Once you have seen a Hittite relief and noticed their shoes you will ever after be able to look at their work and immediately identify it as Hittite – their shoes had curled up toes.

After my first meeting with the Hittites and their art, in the Ankara Archaeological Museum, I felt compelled to enter their world and began seeking out books on their history and culture, reading everything available from the public library, never dreaming that the remains of a 2^nd millennium civilization, a superpower that rivaled ancient Egypt, were completely accessible to a mere traveler. I assumed I would only read about these people and their culture but never walk in their footsteps and see the land that they saw. Then one day I clicked on a website and discovered that the ruins of their capital city, Hattusha, are an UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Turkey – this was for me akin to discovering that not only was the Land of Oz real, but that you can visit the Emerald City and be given the key to the city. Here is a vast archaeological site completely open for exploration by an ordinary traveler without a guide. The lure of possessing firsthand sight of this treasure began sparkling in my mind; and like a cat attracted by the glimpse of a shiny light, I pounced on a bus to Hattusha.

My first view of the city was actually a bit disappointing. Not because the ruins are rarely above waist height and require active imagination to see them as having been temples and palaces, I was aware of their withered state, but because the archaeologists have built a recreation of the city walls. Which in its pristine unblemished condition felt artificial and Disneylandish; but if I was willing to give myself over to imagining life among the ruins why not on the parapets of the recreated wall as well. So, as I returned to the city the next day, I allowed myself to see them as an approaching enemy seeking entry. What I saw before me was a formidable barricade made of sun dried mud-brick walls interspersed with tall massive block towers whose long rectangular windows warned that armed guards would be watching for intruders. Sitting atop the whole structure are the typical Hittite triangular crenellation, providing additional places for warriors to fire at an enemy. It is said that these walls were the models for the walls of Troy; perhaps this was the vision that Homer had when he spoke of the strength and beauty of the walls of Troy. These particular walls protect the lower city behind which lies the cities grandest temple used at the height of Hittite power in the 13^th and 14^th century BCE.

On entering the city, the temple complex begins to beckon even in its much-diminished state. Without signs marking the way to the entrance of the temple complex, I was naturally led to its gates and passed through the portal of a typical Hittite gate flanked by guard's rooms. Pausing in the passageway to absorb the moment of entering a place that was sacred to people some 3500 years ago, I counted myself honored to walk on this ancient sacred ground. Then with only one breath separating me from the Hittite world, I stepped onto the paved street of stones, smoothed and rounded by the stream of human footsteps both ancient and modern. Immediately taking the fork in the road that headed up a slight incline, I was now unable to rein in my excitement- I was finally standing in the Great Temple Complex of the Hittites after so many days posed over books, maps and websites - I rushed past the small rectangular storerooms, found in most temple complexes in ancient Anatolia, in search of the temple proper.

Once again although nothing was marked, I naturally came to the courtyard gate whose stone blocks are abraded by the heavy wooden doors swinging open and closed and pierced with the dowel holes on which the doors pivoted. Like petrified plants frozen in time these humble acts and seemingly insignificant objects have left an enduring imprint of their passing on earth. The space of the courtyard, while lacking in the grandeur of its past, has a purposeful presence amid the cluttered maze of the store rooms; it is restful and feels deliberately designed to invite pause. From the Hittite's text we know that most celebrations taking place here were presided over by members of the court and attended by brightly dressed spectators with colorful banners while music and incense floating in the air. Animal sacrifice was also part of these Hittite religious ceremonies and in a corner of the courtyard -crafted from the hard gabbro stone, reserved for sacred buildings rather than the limestone used for secular construction - stands what is believed to be an altar for performing these sacrifices.

Still driven to enter the heart of the temple, the cult chamber, my impatience would not allow me to linger in the court yard with the summit so close; I rushed on to the opposite side of the court yard. Frustrated at being unable to identify the open stoa that was supposed to be on the back wall of the courtyard and the front of the cult chamber; I quickly abandoned the pursuit, knowing that my ultimate goal was right before my eyes. I need only pick it out of the confusion of stones. After twisting my way through a number of doors in what had become a jigsaw puzzle of stones, the pieces suddenly fit and the puzzle fell into place: At last, I stood in the Holy of Holies breaching a threshold that 3500 years ago only the King and Queen and a few select priests could cross. Here stood, as described in my various guide books, the pedestal of the cult statue against the outer wall surrounded by two long and slim rectangular windows whose sills are still clearly visible as they are cut into the foundation stones (socles) and almost touch the ground. Through these windows could be seen the rocky outcropping of Büyükkaya, Big Rock, just as it was pictured in 1834 when Charles Texier first discovered the Great Temple of Hattusha - I had indeed entered the cult chamber of one of the mightiest gods of the thousands of Hittite gods.

But Hattusha is a large city dwarfing all other late Bronze Age Cities and I was only in the lower city so I still had real heights to reach.