Discovery of Hittite temple in Türkiye’s Kayalipinar tracing footsteps of ancient deities

Significant traces of a temple structure were discovered during the excavations in the 3,800-year-old Hittite city of Kayalipinar, located in the Yildizeli district of Sivas.

Excavation director Associate professor Cigdem Maner provided detailed information about the findings.

“There is a monumental entrance here, and last year, we found a cuneiform tablet here. We believe the area we call ‘A’ might be a temple structure. We think this temple could be the famous Temple of Sauska,” she said.

Details of excavation work

The excavations in Kayalipinar, initiated in 2005 under the guidance of the Sivas Museum Directorate and Associate Professor Vuslat Muller Karpe from Germany’s Marburg Philipps University, continue during specific periods of the year.

These excavations have revealed traces of structures from the Old Assyrian Trade Colonies, Hittite, Roman and Byzantine periods, as well as tombs from the Hellenistic, Roman, and Early Christian periods, along with numerous seal impressions.

2024 Excavation season temple traces, findings

Excavation Director Associate Professor Cigdem Maner stated that 30 people participated in this year’s excavation work.

Maner highlighted that Yavuz Akkaya, an art historian from the Sivas Museum, participated as a representative of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and they focused on a specific area.

“We found an important Hittite tablet fragment in this area in 2023. It mentioned the shipment of large livestock. This year’s excavations uncovered different findings supporting this. Therefore, we decided to unearth the entire structure,” Maner explained.

Claims of Temple of Sauska

Maner explained they encountered a monumental Hittite structure during the excavations.

“There is a monumental entrance, and in terms of architecture and structure, it shows similarities with other temple structures. We work comparatively in archaeology. Kayalipinar was an important settlement in the second millennium B.C. In the Assyrian period, there are references to the temple of the goddess Ishtar, and in the Hittite period, to Sauska,” Maner said.

“While the temple has not yet been identified, the findings suggest that religious activities and festivals were consistently held here,” Maner added.

Findings from previous years’ excavations

Maner recalled that last year’s excavations unearthed significant seal impressions belonging to the period of Hattusili III, his wife, children, and the royal family, indicating Kayalipinar was an essential settlement at that time.

She added that nearly 100 artifacts unearthed during the excavations in Kayalipinar have been handed over to the Sivas Archaeology Museum.

Historical significance of Kayalipinar

Maner emphasized that Kayalipinar has been a substantial settlement from the Paleolithic Age to the Seljuk period.

“Its location on the banks of the Kizilirmak River and its position as a bridge between settlements made it a continuously inhabited area. Its nature is also very suitable for agriculture and livestock. Therefore, the findings here and the artifacts we handed over to the museum span all these periods,” Maner noted.

The discoveries in the Kayalipinar excavations are expected to impact history and archaeology significantly. As the excavations continue, discoveries and the accuracy of the temple structure will be eagerly awaited.