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Yalburt Hittite Pool

This monument is located 23 km northwest of Ilgın town of Konya, at the location known as Yalburt. The site was coincidentaly discovered in 1970 when a bulldozer was cleaning a hillside. It has been excavated in early 1970s by Raci Temizer, the director of the Anatolian Civilizations Museum.

The rectangular shaped pool has a line of 22 stone blocks with a hieroglyphic script. Dimensions of the pool is about 13 meters by 8 meters. Three sides of the pool (South, West and North) have rock blocks with a series of inscriptions. It is not clear whether the fourth, Eastern side ever had similar blocks. The name cartuche of King Tudhaliya IV with its winged sun is clearly visible in the first block of the script. Massimo Poetto believes the block 16 is misplaced and should come after block 1, along with a partially missing fragment that completes the left side of block 16. Inscription introduces Tudhaliya (IV) and describes his campaing. The monument was possibly a pool or reservoir similar to other water monuments of the Hittites, such as Eflatunpınar.

38°27'16.6 N - 31°58'44.5 E Google Earth location (exact)


Click on pictures for a larger image.

Yalburt Hittite Pool
South Wall West Wall East Wall
South Wall
block 1 block 2 block 3 block 4 block 5
West Wall
block 6 block 7 block 8 block 9 block 10
North Wall
block 11 block 12 block 13 block 14 block 15 block 16 block 17 block 18 and 19



Image sources:
Horst Ehringhaus. Götter, Herrscher, Inschriften. 2005, Zabern. ISBN 3805334699.