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Yazılıkaya Hittite Rock Sanctuary

Yazılıkaya is a Hittite rock sanctuary located about 1.5 km northeast of Hattuša. It consists of two open-air chambers surrounded by natural rock formations. There is no indication that the top of the chambers were ever covered. The rock walls of the larger main chamber (Chamber A) contains relief carvings of a multitude of Hittite deities. The male deities on the left side of the walls and the females on the right are headed by Storm-god Teshup and Sun-goddess Hepat, who meet at the center of the scene. The sanctuary may have served as a place for the celebration of the arrival of the new year each spring. Chamber B is accessible via a narrow passage and it was probably a memorial chapel for Tudhaliya IV, dedicated by his son Šuppiluliuma II at the end of the 13th century BCE.




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General view of chamber A and the entrance of the chamber B on the far right


Chamber A
Chamber A Main scene Rock relief of King Tudhaliya IV Some of the Gods on the left side Some of the Goddess on the right side
Chamber B
Entrance of Chamber B Chamber B Nergal (the god of the netherworld) King Tudhaliya IV in the embrace of the god Sarruma The row of twelve gods Detail from twelve gods relief



Image sources:
Bora Bilgin, Ertuğrul Anıl, Ercüment Süer, Cüneyt Süer, 2011.