Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
The modern country of Turkey did not exist prior to 1923. In ancient times, the region of modern Turkey was referred to as Anatolia, or Asia Minor. While they were not the first group of people to reside in what will become known as Turkey, the Hittites were one of the most powerful groups of people to control that region. Around 1600 BCE, the Hittites moved into Asia Minor from western Europe. By the 1300s BCE, the Hittite Empire had stretched across the entirety of Asia Minor, into the northern Levant and upper Mesopotamia. While they were not the first or the only people to do so, the domestication of horses allowed the Hittites to travel long distances and migrate to distant lands. The Hittites were so successful at conquering neighboring civilizations due to being one of the first people to discover the creation and use of iron. While their opponents were still using weapons made of brittle bronze, the Hittites weapons were vastly superior. One of the most famous battles the Hittites participated in was against the famous Rameses II (or Rameses the Great), pharaoh of Egypt,called the Battle of Kadesh. This battle was noteworthy because at the end of the fighting, both sides claimed victory. To solve this argument, history’s first peace treaty was written and signed. The Hittite Empire collapsed in 1180 BCE, leaving behind smaller, independent city-states.
Due to its location on the Mediterranean Sea and touching Europe, Asia Minor became a key area of trade and cultural exchange. Many famous sites are likely to be found in Asia Minor. Troy, of the Trojan War, is likely in modern day Turkey. Turkey is home to fabulous Roman ruins, like the city of Hierapolis. Sardis, the capital of the ancient civilization of Lydia, is the place where the first coins were minted. The city of Gordion is rumored to be the burial site of King Midas, famous in Greek mythology for his golden touch. Derinkuyu is a vast, completely underground city that was, at one time, home to 20,000 people. Gobekli Tepe, a 12,000 year old massive mountaintop site, is the world’s oldest religious temple on earth.
Until the mid 500s BCE, Greeks continued to colonize the coast of Asia Minor, evolving the cultural identity of the area into mostly “Greek”. Even after being conquered by the great Persian Empire, the colonized city-states remained more closely aligned with Greek culture than Persian culture. The area was conquered by Alexander the Great in 334 BCE, who split the land up and gave control of various regions to generals under his control. This split continued into the period when the Roman Empire controlled the region. Emperor Constantine increased the power of the region when he moved the capital of the Roman Empire from Rome to the city of Constantinople. When the western Roman Empire fell in 476 CE, this move of the capital allowed the Eastern Roman Empire to continue, but under the name of the Byzantine Empire. One of the most notable events during the Byzantine Empire was the repeated clash of Seljuk Turks (rulers of Anatolia) and the European Crusaders during the Crusades. This empire continued ruling this area until 1453, when Sultan Mehmed II conquered Constantinople and added this region into the growing Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire continued to rule the area until World War I.
