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Exploring Mysterious Cities of Ancient Anatolia

Zeus Temple at Kanytella

To the north of Elaiussa Sebaste we drive to the mysterious ancient city Kanytelleis of Olba, 3rd century BC, on the way to the well known ancient Roman city Corycus. Kanytelleis is a wonderful and mysterious site to the mountain side. The site includes rock tombs and a wonderful Hellenistic tower, besides many more remains in the area.



Olba was a city of Cetis in Cilicia Aspera, later forming part of Isauria; it had a temple of Zeus, whose priests were once kings of the country, and became a Roman colony. Strabo and Ptolemy call it Olbasa. Its ruins, north of Silifke in the Turkish province of Mersin.

Exploring Zeus Temple & Roman Church

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Hattians - First Civilizations in Anatolia

The Hattians were an ancient people who inhabited the land of Hatti in Asia Minor in the 3rd to 2nd millennia BC. They spoke a non-Indo-European language of uncertain affiliation called Hattic (now believed by some to be related to the Northwest Caucasian language group). They eventually merged with or were replaced by the Hittites, who spoke the Indo-European Hittite language.

Hittites

Photo: Hittite Sun Hattians - First civilizations in Anatolia Hattusa History of Hittites Hittites in the Bible The Hittites were an ancient people who spoke an Indo-European language, and established a kingdom centered at Hattusa (Hittite URUḪattuša) in north-central Anatolia from the 18th century BC. In the 14th century BC, the Hittite empire was at its height, encompassing central Anatolia, north-western Syria as far as Ugarit, and upper Mesopotamia. After 1180 BC, the empire disintegrated into several independent "Neo-Hittite" city-states, some of which survived until as late as the 8th century BC.

Hattic mythology

The Hattian mythology deals with the myths and stories of the Hatti gods, as they were handed down by the Hittites. They can be captured quite well by the source position, in contrast to Hattian cults, rituals and religious beliefs that can not be separated satisfactorily from Hittite and other elements.