Sarissa
Sarissa (Kuşaklı) · Kuşaklı-Sarissa · Kuşaklı Höyük
Hittite (c.1600–1180 BCE; peak 1500–1200 as weather-god city)·Hittite (Empire, weather-god cult)·🇹🇷 Sivas Province, Central Anatolia, Turkey
About
About Sarissa
Sarissa (Kuşaklı) on a windswept 1600-m ridge is the Hittite sacred city of the weather-god — planned Hittite city with 2-km wall, dam and granary, built under Great King, then burnt. Müller-Karpe excavations revealed the dam (oldest Hittite hydraulic) and temple terrace. Its isolated ridge placement shows Hittite cult geography.
Why it mattersHittite cult city with earliest dam; sacred geography model.
Open questions
Mysteries & theories
Mysteries
- 01Why ridge top (1600 m) for sacred city?
Theories
- 01Weather-god mountain cult
Theories are interpretations, not findings. The seal above tells you how much scholarly weight the place carries.
History
How it came to be
- Built
- c.1600 BCE
- Period
- Hittite (c.1600–1180 BCE; peak 1500–1200 as weather-god city)
- Culture
- Hittite (Empire, weather-god cult)
- Builders
- Great King of Hatti
- Purpose
- Settlement and ceremonial centre
- Abandoned
- c.1180 BCE
- Rediscovered
- 1995 (Andreas Müller-Karpe)
- Excavation
- Excavated
c.1600 BCE
Hittite Sarissa founded on ridge
c.1200 BCE
Dam and granary built
c.1180 BCE
Burnt in collapse
1995
Müller-Karpe excavations; dam found
On the ground
Structures & features
39.3100° N · 36.9100° E · 1600 m · 3 mapped features
Hittite Dam and Reservoir (Kuşaklı Dam)
hydraulicHittite dam 30×20 m — earliest known Hittite hydraulic, clay core with stone facing
39.3104° N · 36.9102° ETemple Terrace of the Weather-God
templeGreat Temple terrace with orthostat and LB pottery
39.3097° N · 36.9103° ECity Wall Circuit and Granary
fortification2-km city wall with gate and massive granary
39.3106° N · 36.9095° E