The Hittites

ancient empire · bronze age · turkey

Powerful Bronze Age Empire. The Hittites built one of the world's first great civilizations around 4,000 years ago in north-central Anatolia, which is in modern-day Turkey. At its peak in the 1300s BC, their empire stretched across much of the region and rivaled other powerful kingdoms.

Built Hattusa Capital. The Hittites created a magnificent capital city called Hattusa that served as the heart of their empire. This city was filled with temples, palaces, and impressive architecture that showed how advanced their civilization was.

Fought Great Rivals. The Hittite Empire competed with other mighty powers of the time, including the Hurri-Mitanni and Assyrians, for control of lands and trade routes. These rival empires were constantly vying for power across the ancient Middle East.

Controlled Three Regions. At its strongest point under their great leader Šuppiluliuma I, the Hittites ruled over Anatolia, parts of northern Syria, and areas of Upper Mesopotamia. This made them one of the most powerful forces in the Bronze Age world.

Came from Beyond Black Sea. Historians believe the Hittites may have originally come from lands beyond the Black Sea before settling in Anatolia in the early 2nd millennium BC. They then built their civilization from this new homeland.