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| THE HITTITES - THE PEOPLE OF A 1000 GODS | |
The Hittites
The People of a 1000 Gods
18 January to 9 June 2002
The People of a 1000 Gods
18 January to 9 June 2002
| In the 3rd millennium BC Anatolia was populated by the Hatti, the first inhabitants. They were joined by the Hittites, speakers of an Indo-European language who towards the end of the 3rd millennium and the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC migrated to the region and mingled with the Hatti. Amid further nomadic influences and influxes, there crystallized in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC the empire of the Hittites, incorporating large parts of Anatolia and at times the northern half of modern-day Syria. The Egyptian and Babylonian rulers regarded the Hittites as equals, maintaining diplomatic contact and trade relations with them - and fighting with them over hegemony. |
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Click on any photograph for a full-size image |
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| A unique example of this encounter of
rival forces is the battle of Kadesh (1285 BC) and the treaty concluded
thereafter between Ramses II and Hattusilis III. This is the oldest
known peace treaty in the world; a copy of it is on display as a symbol
of peace in the UN headquarters in New York. With the decline of the Hittite empire at the end of the 13th century BC, marked by the sacking and burning of the urban centres and the loss of countless treasures, the traces of what is still an enigmatic civilization vanish |
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Alacahüyük
Fotos: Peter Oszvald, © KAH |
| The memory of the empire
of the Hittites faded with the passing of the centuries. Their civilization
did not come into sharper focus again until the 20 th century, with
the excavations conducted by Turkish and German archaeologists: large
urban settlements, imposing rock reliefs, rare objects and over 30,000
inscribed tablets stemming from the Hittite palaces provide more precise
information. In 1986, in direct consequence of this untiring research,
UNESCO put Hattusa, the Hittite capital, on its list of World Heritage
Sites. Covering almost two square kilometres in its heyday in the
13th century BC, the capital Hattusa, located about 150 kilometres
east of Ankara, was one of the largest urban sites of the ancient
world. |
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Eflatun Pinar
Fotos: Peter Oszvald, © KAH |
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| The Exhibition This presentation by the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany is the first display outside of Turkey of 160 extraordinary cultic objects from the archaeological museums of Anatolia outside of Turkey. Finely carved stone reliefs, orthostats - large rock slabs with relief sculpture - an impressive spectrum of ceramics of widely varying kinds, expressive and instructive clay tablets and seals, bronze statuettes, and finely-wrought gold offer an unparalleled look at the civilization of the Hittites. Large-sized current photographs of the excavation sites, architectural models of Hattusa and Kusakli (Sarissa) and two models of large-sized reliefs from the Yazilikaya rock shrine make the sites of Hittite civilization come alive again. |
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| The exhibition
transports the visitor to the world of the Hittites by shedding light
on such important aspects as their religious beliefs and rituals,
which have yet to be completely explained. Having a religion with
a great number of deities deriving from syncretistic origins, the
Hittites spoke of "1000 gods". The forms and manifestations of state
and society, art and culture, as well as the relevant historical background,
are other themes that are vividly illustrated by the exhibition. An information room with comprehensive literature enables visitors to explore in depth the advanced civilizations existing at the time of the Hittites, and to perceive cultural connections. |
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Hattusa
Bogazköy Fotos: Peter Oszvald, © KAH |
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| The exhibition
catalogue - about 400 pages long and abundantly illustrated -
includes articles by world-renowned archaeologists, historians and
linguists who document the latest developments in research. Chronologies,
current excavation photos, detailed maps and an extensive bibliography
make the catalogue a standard reference work on Hittite civilization. The Art and Exhibition Hall is producing its own film on the cultural sites of the Hittites. Entitled "Städte, Tempel, Rituale - Im Reich der Hethiter" (Towns, Temples, Rituals - In the Empire of the Hittites), it will be shown in the exhibition and will also be televised on 31 January at 10.25 p.m. on the 3Sat network. |
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| Accompanying exhibition
programme In a series of scholarly lectures, experts will explore different aspects of the empire that endured almost 400 years. There will also be workshops offering practical-pictorial resources and activities. In cooperation with T.C. Ministry of Culture - General Directorate of Monuments and Museums, Ankara |
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