Çatalhöyük is 10 kilometres east of Konya’s Çumra Township. The tumulus is a hill with two flat areas with different altitudes. Because of these two elevations, it is called “çatal,” meaning fork. Çatalhöyük was first discovered by J. Mellaart in 1958. There were a number of excavations here in 1961-1963 and 1965. The studies made on the western slope of the hill revealed 13 layers. The earliest settlement in the first layer dates back to 5500 B.C. This dating done by examination of style was also proved using the Carbon 14 dating method. The first settlement was a centre that sheds light on the history of humanity with the first house architecture and remains of the first sacred structures. (more…)

Adada, an ancient city in the Pisidia region, is near the village of Sağrak of İsparta’s Sütçüler township. The city rests to the south-east of İsparta and the Lake Kovada. You can reach Adada after driving 50 kilometres past Eğridir on the road that goes to Sütçüler. It is also possible to reach Adada from the Kovada-Eğridir junction on the new Aksu road that connects İsparta and Antalya, but some parts of the road are as yet incomplete. The ancient city is surrounded by hills blanketed by pine and juniper trees. Adada is one of the few ancient cities in Turkey that has managed to survive to our day with very little damage. This place is called the Karabavlu Valley by the locals. The old names for Sütçüler, Baulo and Karabaolu or Karabavlu, are believed to originate from the name St. Paul. These two settlement areas on the Eprge-Antioch (Yalvaç) road were travelled by St. Paul. (more…)

Alacahöyük is located 45 kilometres south of Çorum and 17 kilometres northwest of the Alaca township. The Alacahöyük village is 34 kilometres away from Boğazköy and 210 kilometres away from Ankara.

This tumulus, or mound, was first introduced to the world of science by W.C. Hamilton in 1835 and after that time, it became a place frequented by scientists who visited Central Anatolia. In 1861, G. Perrot stopped by this tumulus and discovered the plan of the square tower on the left and right of the door and one of the orthostats. After this study, Perrot became the first to argue that these reliefs belonged to the Hittite period. (more…)

Claros is a prophecy center of Colophon, one of the twelve Ionic cities. Claros is built between two cities; it is 13 kilometers south of Colophon and two kilometers north of Notion. The Temple of Apollo here was a very important center of prophecy as in Delphi and Didim. The oldest information about this sacred site goes back to the sixth and seventh centuries B.C. through the Homeric Hymns. A sacred cave near the Claros Temple of Apollo, which was an important place both in the Hellenistic and Roman eras, points to the existence of a Cybele cult in earlier periods here. (more…)

This city is in the Çavdarhisar township, 57 kilometres from Kütahya’s city centre. The city experienced its golden age in the second and third centuries AD and became the centre of episcopacy in the Byzantine era. The city has a temple built for Zeus which is the best-preserved temple in all of Anatolia. There is also a large theatre and a stadium adjacent to theatre. There are two Turkish-style baths, one of them decorated with mosaics, plus a gymnasium, five bridges on Kocaçay which are still used today, an old dam, a trading building, and avenues with columns on both sides, necropolis areas and the sacred cave of Metre Steune. The German Institute is still carrying out excavations in the city. (more…)

Yazılıkaya which is located 2 km to the northwest of Hattusas historical site was the Open Air Shrine of the Hittite Empire. It was built of a natural rock and consists of two rooms and a Hittite temple in front of it which and reflects the characteristics of the Hittite architecture.

In Yazılıkaya open air shrine there is a Big Gallery named Room A, and the Small Gallery, named Room B both of which are built into natural rock. (more…)

The historical site of Boğazköy (Hattusas) is located at 82 km to the southwest of Çorum and it is 208 km from Ankara. Boğazköy (Hattusas) site which was located at the core region of the Hittite state is at the southern end of the Budaközü River valley, at an elevation of 300 metres from the plain surrounded by numerous rock masses and the separations of mountain sides and deep cliffs to the north and west. The city is open towards the north and surrounded by city walls on all sides except the north. (more…)

Archaic Laodikeia city that is 6 km to the north of the Denizli Province is established at a very suitable point from the geographical point of view in the south of the Lycos river.The name of the city is mostly referred to as “Laodikeia” at the side of Lycos” in the archaic references. In accordance with the historian Pliny, Laodikeia has been constructed on the ruins of a village that was first called as Diospolis “City of Zeus” and then as Rhoas. The name Diospolis is a symbol of the importance given to Zeus cult there. The name Rhoas may belong to any of the native Anatolian languages. (more…)

Magnesia

Magnesia ad Meandrum is located on the Ortaklar - Söke Highway, within the borders of Tekin village in Ortaklar quarter of the Germencik District of Aydın. According to the ancient resources and the myths, the city was established by a tribe which came from Thessalia and were called the Magnets. Nobody knows the exact location of first Magnesia, which was founded by Magnets who landed at today’s Bafa Lake that was a small bay under the leadership of Leukippos and divination of Apollo; but it was estimated that it was located at the edge of the Menderes River. (more…)

It is 25 km to the east of Denizli Province, and 2 km to the north of Honaz District.

The highway going to Honaz from the Organized Industrial Region that is at the 16th km of Denizli - Ankara Highway passes through Colossae city.
The archaic city is established in the north of Honaz (Kadmos) mountain, on the shore of the Aksu Brook. It is on the south-east way that had been used since the Archaic Period. It is one of the most important centres in Big Phrygia. In accordance with Ksenophon, it is one of the 6 big cities of Phrygia. (more…)