The Remains of an Empire

Hatussa and the open air sanctuary nearby were magnificent and proved to be the highlight of my trip. Visiting the remains of such a massive empire caused me to view the Hittites in a new light. Before, the Hittites were another ancient civilization. They played their part in history and then made their exit. But when I caught a glimpse of what their culture was like, I found myself interested in their civilization because of our shared humanity. Some of the ancient Hittite kings emerged from mere names in history books to actual people who walked where I had spent the morning. The entire experience caused me to gain a greater appreciation for history in general. It struck home to me that every location mentioned in the history books has a real world corollary.

Here are my thoughts from a few days after I visited: "When I visited Hatussa, something connected for the first time. Since then its happened a lot on this trip, but I actually had a sense of what it might have been like to live there 3000 some years ago. Its one thing to see an artifact in a museum. Its an entirely different thing to walk up and down hills over top of formerly regal walls, up to palaces, and next to burial grounds. I'm not a romantic or anything, but you just can't help but get caught up in the excitement of sharing that connection with the past. I came here with the intention of learning, but I thought it would be something I had to actively work at. ...so far its been a blast."

I came here with the intention of learning, but I thought it would be something I had to actively work at. ...so far its been a blast.