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yazilikaya-relief.gif (108061 bytes)

Rock sanctuary at Yazılıkaya. Sixty-three deities representing a
reduced version of the "thousand gods" of the Hittite Empire.

The gods (1-42) are depicted on the west and the goddesses (43-63) on
the east side of the gallery. The chief divinities are portrayed in
the main scene on the north wall (40-46). As they appear in profile,
they are generally described as being in a procession. However, it
must be understood that, with the exception of the monument of
Eflatunpınar, it was not customary in Hittite art to carve front views
of figures. Therefore, we do not consider these deities to be marching
in a procession nor advancing to meet one another. Rather, we believe
that the artist meant his figures to be standing ceremonially in front
of the beholder. The division into groups of male and female deities
is not rigid. Three goddesses stand among the gods (36-38), and one
god (44) is observed in the row of goddesses. The 42 gods represented
start on the left of the entrance to the gallery with a relief
consisting of 12 figures. (13-27) These gods are not clearly
identified. 28 and 29 show two bull men standing on the hieroglyphic
symbol for the earth and supporting the sky. 34) Representation of a
deified king with the hieroglyphic signs of the Sun God of Heaven (see
also personification of divine kingship). 35) Moon God. 36, 37)
Ninatto and Kulitta, handmaids to Ishtar. 38) Shaushga, the Hurrian
Ishtar. 39) Ea, Mesopotamian God of Water and an important deity in
the Hurrion religion. 40) God of Grain, holding an ear of corn. 41)
Weather God of Hattusa. 42) Weather God of Heaven (Weather God of
Hati). 43) Hepatu. 44) Sharruma. 47) Hutena. 48) Hutellura. 49)
Nabarbi. 56) A sculptured block representing Ishtar-Shaushga, found in
Yekbaz, a neighboring village, now leaning against the wall below the
row of goddesses. Very probably originally from the gap between 55 and
56.

Kingship Personification of the divine kingship. This relief at
Yazılıkaya represents the figure of a king with hieroglyphic symbols
of the Sun God of Heaven (No. 34). Kingship is indicated by the winged
sun-disc and the kalmush, the long staff curved at the end. Both of
these, according to the texts, were signs of sovereignty. The round
skull-cap and the cloak further identify this figure as. a monarch.
(See also the portrayals of Tudhaliya, Sharruma). On the other hand,
the hieroglyphic symbols designate him as the Sun God of Heaven. Owing
to the absence of ideograms for an individual name, this figure seems
to be the image of a deified ruler in a general sense. Consequently,
it symbolically represented the monarch in power in each period.

yazilikaya-ishtar.gif (4736 bytes) Ishtar, accompanied by her
attendants (Nos. 38, 37, 36). The great Babylonian goddess Ishtar was
worshipped in Anatolia under the Hurrion name of Shaushga. She was the
sister of Teshup and held sway as the Goddess of Low and War. She
appears here with her attendants, the goddesses Ninatto and Kulitta,
as the Hurrion Goddess of War. In her place among the mate deities at
Yazılıkaya, she wears, like them, a pointed cap with one horn and
bears an axe (this is absent in the illustration given here). She was
represented unarmed in the row of female deities at Yazılıkaya, in her
capacity as the Goddess of Low. The latter relief now rests on the
ground below the figures of the female divinities. The hieroglyphic
ideograms accompanying the two portrayals of the goddess are
identical.

yazilikaya-main.gif (12063 bytes)-[IMAGE] 

The main scene in the shrine at Yazılıkaya (Nos. 40-46 and view of
rock sanctuary)
41) Weather God of Hattusa, standing on two mountain peaks. 42)
Weather God of Heaven, astride the deified mountains, Nanni and Hazzi.
He possessed two sacred bulls called Serri and Hurri, one of which
accompanies him here, while the other is shown with his consort Hepat
(43). In the Hurrion language, Serri and Hurri mean, respectively, day
and night. Hazzi is the Mons Cassius near Antakya, which was in
Hurrian country. In view of these religious elements and the Hurrian
name of his spouse (43), one may be sure the god was intended to be
known by his Hurrian appellation, that is, "Teshub", although his name
appears here in the usual Hittite ideograms, which mean the "Weather
God of Heaven". As the highest ranking god in the hierarchy, his cap
is adorned with five superimposed god-ideograms (half ellipses) and
six horns at the front and back, while the Weather God of Hattusa (41)
and the god Sharruma (44) are permitted to wear pointed caps with only
six frontal horns in the chief god's. presence. 43) The leading female
deity of the Hittite Empire, the Sun Goddess of Arinno, wife of the
Weather God of Heaven, bears the Hurrian name of Hepatu, at Yozılıkaya
clearly written in the hieroglyphic script as it should be pronounced.
Like the other female deities, she wears a high polos, ending in the
form of a Greek city crown; but hers is much higher than those of the
other goddesses. She is shown standing on a panther. 44) The God
Sharruma. He usually appears with his mother Hepatu. The Hurrian texts
record that he is the son of Teshub. Like his mother, he also stands
on a panther. He carries a long-handled axe, resting on his shoulder.
45, 46) The two goddesses standing on a double-headed eagle have not
been identified as yet. The three divinities Nos. 42-44 form a triad,
composed of father, mother, and son. When participating in the
erection of this sanctuary, the ambitious Puduhepa probably identified
her husband Hattusili III with Teshub, herself with Hepatu and her son
Tudhaliya IV with Sharruma.

King Tudhaliya-[IMAGE] 

A place of particular significance in the great gallery is occupied by
the relief (No. 64) of King Tudhaliya IV (1250-1220 B. C.). It is the
largest relief in the gallery. He is represented armed, wearing a
skull-cap and holding in his left hand a kalmush, the sign of
sovereignty. The two antithetic hieroglyphs in the form of an Ionic
capital mean "Great King". The name of this king, which was originally
that of a sacred mountain, is expressed by the figure in the middle
and the sign below it. Since other holy mountains existed, such as
Arnuwanda and Ammttna, and all were represented by the same figure as
this appearing here, the sculptors has added the signe below it, which
corresponds phonetically with the syllable "tu". Thus the beholder
understood that this picture represented King Tudhaliya. Standing on
two mountain peaks, Tudhaliya is depicted here as a deified king.
According to Hittite texts, a king became a god after death. However,
the impression of a seat, found in Ras Shamra, in which he is shown
wearing a pointed cap adorned with horns, clearly -reveals that
Tudhatiya allowed himself to be represented as a god. Therefore, this
picture of Tudhaliya at Yazılıkaya was quite possibly carved in his
lifetime.

yazilikaya-sharruma.gif (6128 bytes) The scene in which the god
Sharruma holds King Tudhaliya in his embrace is one of the most
beautiful relief in the sanctuary at Yazılıkaya (plan of Yazılıkaya,
small gallery, No. 81). As understood from the testament of Hattusiti
I, the embrace was a gesture signifying honour and protection.
Sharruma's pointed cap is adorned with god-ideograms, unlike the
plainer one he is shown wearing in his portrayal in the main scene in
the great gallery (main scene, No. 44). This is possibly because he is
not in the presence of the Weather God of Heaven and, therefore, can
allow himself to wear headgear showing marks of a higher rank.
However, his cap is not adorned at the back, and so still possesses
fewer horns than that of the Weather God of Heaven. Thus the hierarchy
is respected. The hieroglyphs of Sharruma, indicating his name,
consist of a god-ideogram and a headless body.

Güterbock interpreted them as Sharruma not only because this figure,
following Hepatu (main scene, No. 44), is, according to the texts,
most probably Sharruma, but also because the two parallel strokes on
either side of his shoulders are to be read as "ma". The same sign
occurs as the last syllable of the hieroglyphic signs of the name
"Suppiluliuma", which was deciphered with the assistance of bilingual
inscriptions on royal seats found in the excavations at Hattusa.

This relief is an exquisite example of Hittite art. We may admire the
mastery of the calligraphic outlines, which were the strong point of
the Hittite sculptors. The pyramidal composition is most successful.
The figures rest on a rhythmic horizontal line, achieved by the
alignment of up-turned shoes. The vertical edges of the garments and
the ruler's staff merge into the rounded forms of the bodies of the
king and the god. The pointed cap of the god, with its superimposed
horns and god-ideograms, counterbalances the horizontal rhythm of
up-turned shoes with a vertical movement and with its harmonious
proportions provides a graceful finale to the entire composition.

yazilikaya-temple.gif (11894 bytes)-[IMAGE] 

Temple of Yazılıkaya. Third phase. Probably erected by Tudhaliya IV.

yazilikaya-12gods.gif (8778 bytes)-[IMAGE] 

Sword god The relief of twelve gods in the small gallery (plan of
Yazılıkaya, Nos. 69-80) is in a very good state of preservation. It is
covered with a brownish yellow patina, like the figures of Ninatta and
Kulitta and that of the deified Tudhaliya. The Hittite sculptor has
achieved the effect of figures marching side by side in parade by the
device of overlapping the limbs.

Up to the present there has been no satisfactory answer concerning the
religious significance of the Sword God (plan of Yazılıkaya, No. 82).

Hybrid figures Two hybrid figures, depicted on either side of the
entrance (plan of Yazılıkaya, Nos. 67-68 not shown, however, on our
plan) giving access to the smaller gallery, were supposed to protect,
in an apotropoic sense, the mortuary chamber reserved for royal cult.
cizgi.gif (1086 bytes)

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