Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±

Aslanlı Kapı

Central Anatolia


At Aslanlı Kapı, two stone lions (one rather poorly reconstructed) protect the city from evil spirits. This is one of at least six gates in ±á²¹³Ù³Ù³ÜÅŸ²¹'s 4000-year-old defensive walls, though it may never have been completed. You can see the best-preserved parts of ±á²¹³Ù³Ù³ÜÅŸ²¹'s fortifications from here, stretching southeast to Yer Kapı and from there to Kral Kapı.

The walls illustrate the Hittites' engineering ingenuity, which enabled them to either build in sympathy with the terrain or transform the landscape, depending on what was required. Natural outcrops were appropriated as part of the walls, and massive ramparts were built to create artificial fortresses.


Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions

Nearby Central Anatolia attractions

1. Yenıce Kale

0.16 MILES

Upon the top of this rock outcrop are the remains of the Yenıce Kale, which may have been a royal residence or small temple. You can climb to the summit…

2. Sarı Kale

0.31 MILES

About 250m south of the lower city and temple ruins the road forks; take the right fork and follow the winding road up the hillside. On your left in the…

3. ±á²¹³Ù³Ù³ÜÅŸ²¹

0.32 MILES

In the Bronze Age, the Hittite kingdom encompassed an area that stretched west to the Aegean Sea and south into Syria with its command centre here in the…

4. Upper City Temple District

0.43 MILES

Best viewed from atop the mound of Yer Kapı, ±á²¹³Ù³Ù³ÜÅŸ²¹'s upper city temple district was once a grand centre of 24 temples dedicated to the Hittites' many…

5. ±·¾±ÅŸ²¹²Ô³Ù²¹ÅŸ

0.43 MILES

At ±·¾±ÅŸ²¹²Ô³Ù²¹ÅŸ a rock with a faintly visible Hittite inscription cut into it narrates the deeds of Suppiluliuma II (1215–1200 BC), the final Hittite king.

6. Yer Kapı

0.43 MILES

±á²¹³Ù³Ù³ÜÅŸ²¹'s star attraction is this postern gate complex with an artificial mound pierced by a 70m-long tunnel. The Hittites built the tunnel using a…

7. Güney Kale

0.56 MILES

Immediately opposite ±·¾±ÅŸ²¹²Ô³Ù²¹ÅŸ, a path leads up to the excavated Güney Kale with a fine (fenced-off) hieroglyphics chamber with human figure reliefs.

8. Büyük Kale

0.57 MILES

Although most of the Büyük Kale site has been excavated, many of the older layers of development have been re-covered to protect them, so what you see…