Kültepe Kanesh settlement is located 20 km outside of
Kayseri. It was settled by
Assyrian trade colonies in the beginning of 2000 BC.
The Assyrian trade colonies which came here established the market for the merchandise they brought from
Mesopotamia and made this place an important trade center. The clay tablets found in Kültepe
Kanesh are the oldest written tablets found in
Anatolia. It has been discovered that the commercial correspondence between
Assyria and
Kültepe were recorded on these tablets.
Besides, a direct relation between the stamps found during the excavations here and the tablets has been identified. It has also been identified that in this settlement a hierarchical order was implemented. According to this the merchants were living in the area called
Karum while the elite class or the relatives of the king and the king himself lived in the region called
Kanesh. It has been found out that there are four building layers at this settlement. Many palace and temple remains have been found in the city which started to be settled by people from 4000 BC on. Today
Kültepe excavations are carried on by
Prof. Tahsin Özgüç. At the market place situated at the side of the mound cuneiform inscripted tablets and seals pertaining to
Assyrian Trade colonies were found. At the mound
Roman,
Phrygian and
Hittite building layers were found at the top and beneath these cultural layers of
Bronze and
Copper age were found. In the
Kültepe Museum the findings obtained from
Kültepe excavations, photographs and sketches of
Kültepe excavation works are displayed.
Architectural remains of the big religious and official buildings, houses , shops and workshops are displayed as an open air
museum.
