[2945] Sphinx Gate, Hattusa, Türkiye

The Hittites (/ˈhɪtaɪts/) were an Anatolian people who played an important role in establishing first a kingdom in Kussara before 1750 BC, then the Kanesh or Nesha kingdom (c. 1750–1650 BC), and next an empire centered on Hattusa in north-central Anatolia around 1650 BC. This empire reached its height during the mid-14th century BC under Šuppiluliuma I, when it encompassed an area that included most of Anatolia as well as parts of the northern Levant and Upper Mesopotamia.

 

Hattusa (also Ḫattuša or Hattusas /ˌhɑːttʊˈsɑːs/; Hittite: Ḫa-at-tu-ša, Hattic: Hattush) was the capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age. Its ruins lie near modern Boğazkale, Turkey, within the great loop of the Kızılırmak River (Hittite: Marashantiya; Greek: Halys).

 

Hattusa was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1986.

 

Ref: Wikipedia

 

The Sphinx Gate in Hattusa (the capital of the Hittite Empire in the Late Bronze Age) was part of the city's fortifications. The Sphinx's Gate, is one of the three most notable gates of Hattusa's Upper City fortifications, other two being King's Gate, the Lions' Gate.

 

The inner doorway was adorned with sphinxes that were almost three dimensional, not only the front of their bodies looking towards the city but also with high wings on the sides and long upright tails. Only one original Sphinx is still in place while two others are kept in the local museum. All four door jambs of the gate bore representations of Sphinxes.

 

Ref: Sphinx Gate (Hattusa). Madainproject.com. (2022). Editors of the Madain Project. Retrieved on January 06, 2023, from madainproject.com/sphinx_gate_(hattusa)

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