Büyükkale

Büyükkale (Turkish for big castle) is a rocky ridge in the Hittite capital Ḫattuša, located in modern-day Turkey. It was inhabited from the late 3rd millennium BC during the early Bronze Age through to the Roman period. Prior to the arrival of the Hittites, a fortified settlement existed during the time of the Hattians, as well as during the period of the Assyrian trade colonies (the Karum period). During the Hittite Empire, the ridge was extensively developed and fortified, serving as the administrative seat of the Hittite Great Kings in the second half of the 2nd millennium BC. Fortified settlements also existed on Büyükkale during later Phrygian, Hellenistic, and Roman times. Since the early 20th century, the ridge has been thoroughly excavated, primarily by German archaeologists. The fortress is significant in Hittitology due to the discovery of numerous cuneiform tablets found in the building remains, written in Hittite as well as other languages.

The French traveler Charles Texier, who discovered the ruins near Boğazköy in 1834 and identified them as the remains of ancient Pteria, marked the fortress on his city plan as the Esplanade. The British geologist...