Archaeology buffs should make a beeline for the Karatepe-Aslantaş Open-Air Museum within the national park of the same name. The ruins date from the 8th century BC, when this was an important town for the late-Hittite kings of Cilicia, the greatest of whom was named Azitawatas. Today the remains on display consist of statuary, stone reliefs and inscribed tablets – some of which have played a critical role in helping archaeologists decipher the hieroglyphic Luwian language.
Karatepe's small but excellent museum , beside the entrance gate, displays items unearthed by excavations here and has plenty of information panels explaining the site's significance. There is also a scale model of the site, which helps put everything into perspective.
The first group of Karatepe's statuary is displayed at the Palace Gate with views across the forested hilltop overlooking Lake Ceyhan (Ceyhan Gölü), an artificial lake used for hydroelectric power and recreation. From here, traces of the 1km-long walls that defended the town are still evident. Under the protective shelter are statue representations of lions and sphinxes and rows of fine stone reliefs including one showing a relaxed feast at Azitawatas' court, complete with sacrificial bull, musicians and chariots.
The northeast Lower Gate is home to Karatepe's best stone carvings, including reliefs of a galley with oarsmen, warriors doing battle with lions, a woman suckling a child under a tree and the Hittite sun god.The sphinx statues guarding the reliefs are extremely well-preserved.
A sign at the site entrance states that visits are only allowed in guided groups, but nobody seems to pay any attention to that. Independent travellers will simply be accompanied around the site's circular path by a guard.
