Sorgun: An Archaeology Tour from the Hittites to Today

Note: this is a route meant to be done by car, not on foot — there's a total of roughly 80 km between the stops spread across different corners of Sorgun district. If you set out early in the morning, you can comfortably complete it within the day. The first stop is the Kerkenes Ruins — dating back to the 6th century BCE, this ancient city, one of Central Anatolia's largest Iron Age settlements, offers an impressive view with its walls even though most of the excavation work has yet to be completed. From there, head south to Alişar Höyük; this mound, continuously settled from pre-Hittite times through the Roman period, became one of the cornerstones of Anatolian archaeology through excavations carried out by American archaeologists in the 1920s — you'll notice the excavation pits still visible on the mound. When you return to the Sorgun district center, visit Salih Paşa Mosque and take a short break; it's a good stop for observing the district's daily life. Finally, stop by the Hapisboğazı and Karakız-Kazankaya Hittite Sculpture Workshops in the district's countryside — here, in rocky areas once used as quarries, you can see thousands-of-years-old sculpture drafts left half-finished; an open-air workshop rarely found elsewhere in Turkey, showing how Hittite-era stonework was done. This route is designed for those curious about history who don't mind stepping off the asphalt and getting a little dusty.