Boğazkale Museum

Top choice in Central Anatolia

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Excellent information boards provide a thorough grounding in both Hittite history and culture while the pieces on display – all unearthed at Hattuşa – have been thoughtfully and artistically curated to aid visitor understanding. The pride of the collection are the two original sphinx statues that once stood guard at Hattuşa's Sphinx gate, atop the fortified mound above the postern gate of Yer Kapı. They were only returned to Boğazkale in 2011, having previously been on display in Berlin and İstanbul.

It's one of the best little provincial museums in Turkey and a must for anyone interested in the Hittites.

Last tickets are sold at 4.45pm between November and March.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Yer Kapı

    Yer Kapı

    1.42 MILES

    Hattuşa's star attraction is this postern gate complex with an artificial mound pierced by a 70m-long tunnel. The Hittites built the tunnel using a…

  • Hattuşa

    Hattuşa

    1.13 MILES

    In the Bronze Age, the Hittite kingdom encompassed an area that stretched west to the Aegean Sea and south into Syria with its command centre here in the…

  • Yazılıkaya

    Yazılıkaya

    1.29 MILES

    Yazılıkaya means 'Inscribed Rock', and that's exactly what you'll find in these outdoor rock galleries, around 2km from Hattuşa. There are two galleries:…

  • Alacahöyük Excavation Area

    Alacahöyük Excavation Area

    15.08 MILES

    One of Turkey's most important Bronze Age sites (though settlement here actually stretches from the Chalcolithic through to the Iron Age), Alacahöyük's…

  • Lower City & Temple

    Lower City & Temple

    0.63 MILES

    This vast complex, dating from the 14th century BC and destroyed around 1200 BC, is the closest archaeological site to the entrance gate and the best…

  • Aslanlı Kapı

    Aslanlı Kapı

    1.09 MILES

    At Aslanlı Kapı, two stone lions (one rather poorly reconstructed) protect the city from evil spirits. This is one of at least six gates in Hattuşa's 4000…

  • Alacahöyük Museum

    Alacahöyük Museum

    15.07 MILES

    This little museum does a good job of explaining Alacahöyük's history and significance despite comprising only two rooms. One room is dedicated to small…

  • Kral Kapı

    Kral Kapı

    1.39 MILES

    Kral Kapı is named after the regal-looking figure in the relief carving. The kingly character, a Hittite warrior god protecting the city, is (quite…

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Nearby Central Anatolia attractions

1. Mosque

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Boğazkale's small mosque is a good landmark in the village (though it's extremely difficult to get lost in Boğazkale).

2. City Wall Reconstruction

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As you climb out of Boğazkale to the site, an evocative reconstruction of a section of city wall comes into view allowing you a sense of what the…

3. Lower City & Temple

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This vast complex, dating from the 14th century BC and destroyed around 1200 BC, is the closest archaeological site to the entrance gate and the best…

4. Büyük Kale

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Although most of the Büyük Kale site has been excavated, many of the older layers of development have been re-covered to protect them, so what you see…

5. Sarı Kale

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About 250m south of the lower city and temple ruins the road forks; take the right fork and follow the winding road up the hillside. On your left in the…

6. Güney Kale

1.01 MILES

Immediately opposite Nişantaş, a path leads up to the excavated Güney Kale with a fine (fenced-off) hieroglyphics chamber with human figure reliefs.

7. Nişantaş

1.01 MILES

At Nişantaş a rock with a faintly visible Hittite inscription cut into it narrates the deeds of Suppiluliuma II (1215–1200 BC), the final Hittite king.

8. Aslanlı Kapı

1.09 MILES

At Aslanlı Kapı, two stone lions (one rather poorly reconstructed) protect the city from evil spirits. This is one of at least six gates in Hattuşa's 4000…