Stage 66: From Kirikkale to Hattusa

Today I had a lot planned. I wanted to get to Bogazkale, where the ancient site of Hattusa is located. In the end, it was 125 kilometers with some climbs, so I finally arrived at the hotel just in time for nightfall. The place Bogazkale was like a ghost town, not a single restaurant was open. Luckily, the only supermarket in town was still open, so I could stock up for dinner and the next day.

The next morning, accompanied by a faithful dog, I went back to town for breakfast (my hotel was a bit outside), only one cafe was open. I had two Nescafe and two cheese rolls for a total of 8 Lira. The entrance to the ancient site was occupied, but it seemed they weren't really expecting visitors. The two souvenir stand operators tried even harder to sell me something, but my bike is already overloaded. Then I finally went to the ancient Hittite city of Hattusa. It was the capital of the Hittite Empire for almost 500 years, and the site is one of the largest ancient complexes in the world. So, of course, it is also part of the UNESCO World Heritage. For me, however, it was primarily a very extensive winter walk. I believe that due to the deep snow, many ruins could not be seen or only guessed. But the view was all the better. Normally, I don't particularly like winter, but these snow landscapes have something special.

The highlight of the visit for me was the Yerkapi facility, located in the south of the city. Yerkapi means 'gate in the ground' and refers to the 70-meter-long tunnel that leads out of the city under the huge wall. At the end of the tunnel, there were huge icicles. You could walk along the outside of the facility and re-enter the city through the Sphinx gate. Apart from this exciting route, there wasn't much to see of the huge Hattusa, according to pictures, this is surely different without snow.

Only two kilometers away is Yazilikaya, another Hittite site. It is famous for its rock chambers with reliefs. But I didn't feel like walking up another mountain just to see snow again. But if you're ever nearby without snow, it's definitely worth it!