City of a Thousand Gods

Another cool thing we wouldn't have seen on our original itinerary is Hattuşa (or Hattusha), the capital of the Hittite empire during the Bronze Age (c. 3300-1200 BC). It's been called, rather romantically, "the city of a thousand gods."The Hittites, as I may have mentioned, had a thing for lions. (Seems like all those ancient cultures did--the Phrygians may have inherited it from them?)Archaeological excavation is ongoing. A steadily ascending road road leads you up to a series of old city gates with some pretty spectacular views.We walked down this tunnel to a path that hugged the city wall on the outside (see previous group photo)."Does it recommend a good place for lunch?"Speaking of lunch, I may have mentioned in an earlier post that we were visiting Turkey during Ramadan, a time when devout Muslims do not eat or drink while the sun is up. This often made something as seemingly simple as lunch into a proper challenge. Thankfully, on this particular afternoon we found a very kind restaurant owner back in the little town who was willing to open up just for us. (Those poor guys, sitting at a neighboring table watching us as we devoured big plates of salad and fresh bread!)After our meal we hired a taxi to Yazilikaya for some kick-ass Hittite reliefs. This was a holy site for those who lived in "the city of a thousand gods," some of which are depicted in these reliefs. It's still a very peaceful place.Next posts: CAPPADOCIA, woo hoo!