Sphinx Gate in Hattusa

Submitted by Iza on Fri, 04/11/2025 - 11:03

This text is a fragment of a guidebook to Hattusa: "The Secrets of Hattusa".

The Sphinx Gate (tr. Sfenksli Kapı) in Hattusa is situated in the central part of the fortifications, running along the artificial Yerkapı embankment. Unlike the Lion Gate and the King's Gate, it is not surrounded by towers, but leads directly through the tower.

Ancient Greek tragedy

Submitted by Iza on Fri, 04/04/2025 - 09:16

Text by our correspondent from Didim, Jay Jean Jackson.

In the 6th century BCE, the poet Thespis is reputed to have lept on the back of a cart to recite his poetry, he acted it out as if he were the character in the story, and thus the first known actor was born. According to Aristotle, he was the first to ever appear on stage, and it is from him that we get the word Thespian (actor). The first actor on a stage in any production is still referred to as a thespis, he was also credited with being ‘the inventor of Tragedy’.

Timotheus - new age musician of Miletus

Submitted by Iza on Tue, 04/01/2025 - 13:15

Text by our correspondent from Didim, Jay Jean Jackson.

Timotheus, born in Miletus in 446 BCE, was an Ancient Greek musician and a poet. According to the World History Encyclopaedia, music played an important role during this era in Greece, where the melodies of many instruments were enjoyed. However, it is difficult to imagine that a “new age” of music had been developed, Timotheus had redeveloped the Lyre by adding more strings. Stringed instruments seem to have been favoured by ancient Greek artists because they allowed the performer to sing along to the music they created.

Musician holding a lyre, from the Tomb of the Diver, now in Paestum Museum in Italy

March 2025 in Turkish archaeology

Submitted by Iza on Tue, 04/01/2025 - 10:31

March 2025 saw the completion of the restoration work of the ancient theatre of Laodicea, founded by Seleucid King Antiochus II in honour of his wife Laodice in the 3rd century BCE. Also, the recently restored Side Museum was finally reopened, boasting a rich collection of 3,309 archaeological artifacts. Meanwhile, the archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Assos revealed a remarkable 2,200-year-old mosaic alongside an impressive 1,800-year-old monumental tomb. Finally, a surprising discovery occurred in the Ergani district of Diyarbakir, when an ancient mosaic layer was found during a grave excavation.

New book: The Secrets of Hattusa

Submitted by Jarek on Sun, 03/30/2025 - 15:29

Among the ancient civilizations of Europe and the Middle East, such as the Egyptians, the Mycenaeans, and the Assyrians, it is the Hittites that seem to hold to their reputation of the mysterious people with a largely unknown history. During the period of their greatest might, in the second half of the 2nd millennium BCE, they were perceived as equals by the Egyptian and the Mesopotamian superpowers. This guidebook, The Secrets of Hattusa, takes the readers on the tour of the Hittite capital city.