Hattusha: the Hittite Capital


World Heritage Identification Number: 377

World Heritage since: 1986

Category: Cultural Heritage

Transboundary Heritage: No

Endangered Heritage: No

Country: 🇹🇷 Türkiye

Continent: Asia

UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America

Map

Hattusha: A Glimpse into the Ancient Hittite Civilization

The archaeological site of Hattusha, located near modern Boğazkale in Turkey, offers a captivating window into the ancient Hittite civilization that thrived in Anatolia and northern Syria during the second millennium BCE. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986, Hattusha, formerly known as Ḫattuša, Hattusas, or Hattusha, served as the capital of the Hittite Empire during two distinct periods.

More to come…

UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

The archaeological site of Hattusha, former capital of the Hittite Empire, is notable for its urban organization, the types of construction that have been preserved (temples, royal residences, fortifications), the rich ornamentation of the Lions' Gate and the Royal Gate, and the ensemble of rock art at Yazilikaya. The city enjoyed considerable influence in Anatolia and northern Syria in the 2nd millennium B.C.

Encyclopedia Record: Hattusa

Hattusa, also Hattuşa, Ḫattuša, Hattusas, or Hattusha, was the capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age during two distinct periods. Its ruins lie near modern Boğazkale, Turkey within the great loop of the Kızılırmak River.

Read more on Wikipedia

Additional Site Details

Area: 268.46 hectares

UNESCO Criteria: (i) — Masterpiece of human creative genius
(ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape

Coordinates: 40.01389 , 34.62056

Image

Image of Hattusha: the Hittite Capital

© Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)

About World Heritage Explorer

World Heritage Explorer is an independent educational project designed to uncover and share the richness of our world’s cultural and natural heritage. Dive into detailed site profiles, immersive imagery, interactive maps, and tools that help you explore UNESCO World Heritage Sites across the globe. Drawing extensively on open data sources, the project delivers authoritative, well-structured information for learners, educators, travelers, and younger explorers alike.

Learn more

Nearby World Heritage Sites

Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia
151 km — Türkiye
City of Safranbolu
214 km — Türkiye
Gordion
229 km — Türkiye
Neolithic Site of Çatalhöyük
304 km — Türkiye
Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği
308 km — Türkiye

Country Information: Türkiye

Flag of Türkiye

Official Name: Republic of Turkey

Capital: Ankara

Continent: Asia

Population (2024): 85,518,661

Population (2023): 85,325,965

Population (2022): 84,979,913

Land Area: 769,630 sq km

Currency: Turkish lira (TRY)

Country Data Sources

Last updated: January 18, 2026

Portions of the page Hattusha: the Hittite Capital are based on data from UNESCO — World Heritage List Dataset and on text from the Wikipedia article Hattusa, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes made. Additional original content by World Heritage Explorer (WHE), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. WHE is not affiliated with UNESCO or the World Heritage Committee. Legal Notice. Privacy Policy.

Open Data for an Open World