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- Location: Bo\u011fazkale district, \u00c7orum. Located within the boundaries of Bo\u011fazk\u00f6y-Alacah\u00f6y\u00fck National Park.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- UNESCO: Listed as a World Heritage Site since 1986.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- How much time: Allow a full day for Hattusha and Yaz\u0131l\u0131kaya; two to three days if you also plan to visit the Bo\u011fazk\u00f6y Museum and Alacah\u00f6y\u00fck.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Best time to visit: Spring and autumn. MuseumPass is accepted at the site.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhere is Hattusha and why was it built there?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Historical](\"https:\/\/blog.turkishairlines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/corum-hattusha-yazilikaya-relief-of-the-twelve-gods-1024x683.jpg\")
Historical stone relief depicting the Twelve Gods of the Hittites, carved side by side into the rock face at the Yaz\u0131l\u0131kaya sanctuary near the ancient city of Hattusha, each wearing a pointed headdress and a long skirt<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Hattusha is located in the Bo\u011fazkale district of \u00c7orum in northern Central Anatolia. The city was built on a rocky slope rising about 300 meters above the floor of the Budak\u00f6z\u00fc Stream valley at the valley\u2019s southern end. It lies approximately 200 kilometers from Ankara, 85 kilometers from central \u00c7orum, and 30 kilometers from Sungurlu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Its location was no coincidence. The topography is more open to the north, while the other sides are protected by steep slopes and fortifications, making the settlement naturally defensible. The UNESCO-protected area encompasses not only the urban core but also the Yaz\u0131l\u0131kaya rock sanctuary to the north, Kayal\u0131 Bo\u011faz to the east, \u0130bik\u00e7am Forest to the south, and the Osmankayas\u0131 necropolis. Outer defensive points, such as Kayal\u0131 Bo\u011faz, are believed to have been established to monitor the routes linking the Anatolian interior to the north, east, and south. Hattusha was not merely a fortress built for defense; it was also a center that controlled the surrounding road network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One detail makes this location even more intriguing. The Central Anatolian plateau, with its fragmented topography and limited rainfall, did not yield the agricultural abundance of Mesopotamia or the Nile Valley. This also helps explain why the Hittites built so many dams, reservoirs, storage facilities, and grain silos. According to archaeologist Andreas Schachner, the storage and water-management structures at the K\u0131z\u0131l\u0131rmak bend became a main pillar of the imperial economy after the 16th century BCE. In other words, Hattusha can be understood not only as a royal city in the traditional sense but also as a capital designed to ensure a reliable supply system and logistics network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are interested in the early civilizations of Anatolia, you can also read this guide alongside our\u00a0G\u00f6beklitepe travel guide<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Gordion travel guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHow to get to Hattusha?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Stone](\"https:\/\/blog.turkishairlines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/corum-hattusha-kerpic-city-walls-1024x684.jpg\")
Stone foundations in the foreground and reconstructed mudbrick city walls with defensive towers in the background at the Ancient City of Hattusha in \u00c7orum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The most practical way to reach Hattusha is to combine air and road travel. The closest airport to the archaeological site is Amasya Merzifon Airport, about 65 kilometers from \u00c7orum. For those seeking a wider range of flight options, Ankara Esenbo\u011fa Airport, about 200 kilometers away, is another option. You can plan your trip by booking a flight to\u00a0Amasya<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Ankara<\/a>, then continue to \u00c7orum or Sungurlu by rental car or bus before heading to Bo\u011fazkale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you are traveling by road from Ankara, the route passes through K\u0131r\u0131kkale, Delice, and Sungurlu before reaching the Bo\u011fazkale turnoff. From Sungurlu, the archaeological site is about a 30-minute drive away. Visitors arriving from the east can reach the area via Tokat, Zile, or Yozgat. The total drive from Ankara takes about two and a half hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those who prefer public transportation can take an intercity bus to \u00c7orum or Sungurlu, then a minibus to Bo\u011fazkale. However, because public transportation is limited between the archaeological site and Yaz\u0131l\u0131kaya, as well as within the national park, exploring the area by rental car or taxi can save time and energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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