Hattusa

Hattusa (Hittite: URUḪattuša) was the capital city of the Hittite Empire. According to archaeologists findings, Hattusa was invaded and burned. A German archaeologist by the name of Jugen Seeher led the excavation of the city and determined that it was attacked around the 12th century BC. Through the excavations they found that the city was nearly abandoned before it was attacked. Assyrian records show that Hattusa was the center of an Anatolian kingdom but in the 18th century their king cursed the land and it was abandoned. Hattusili I, a Hittite king, rebuilt the city. The city was close to a water supply, the land was good for growing crops, and there were forests surrounding the city. There was also a rock that was above the city that could be used as a defense. Hattusa was almost destroyed a couple times throughout the many years it served as the Hittite capital. In the 14th century their enemies launched a number of repeated attacks on the city. Tudhaliya III, the Hittite king of that time period, decided to abandoned the city. The city was destroyed and Amenhotep III the Egyptian pharaoh said that "the land of Hatti is finished." This inscription was found on a tablet which was found in Egypt at the Tell el-Amarna. Through the leadership of Suppiluliuma I Hattusa was rebuilt and all foreign enemies were chased out.