Golludag Hittite Town & Archaeological Site Situated at an altitude of 2,172 meters in the northern part of Niğde province, Golludag is a protected ancient city accessible through the nearby village of Kömürcü. The distance between Niğde city and Golludag is roughly 60 km. The remains of Golludag, dating back to the late 8th century BC, were initially excavated in 1934 by Remzi Oguz Arık and later re-explored during 1968-69 by Burhan Tezcan. Additional studies were carried out by Wulf Schirmer from 1992 to 1998. The site is enclosed within defensive walls beside the crater lake of a dormant volcano. Inside these walls, several groups of buildings can be identified. At the time of the Hittite empire's decline and the rise of various city-states in Anatolia, Golludag was one of the cities within the territory of the Tabal kingdom. It was a Late-Hittite settlement fortified with defensive walls during the 8th to 7th centuries BC. The largest structure on the site measures approximately 112 by 228 meters and occupies the highest point. Excavations revealed two large double lion gate statues, two single lion statues, two sphinx figures, and two lion-decorated column bases near the outer and inner gates of the southern entrance. The lion sculptures on the outer gate are carved from white andesite. The best-preserved sculptures on the west wing stand at 1.5 meters tall and are about 2 meters in length. The lions from the west wing of the King's Gate were moved to the Kayseri Archaeological Museum in 1933, and they are now in the process of being transferred to the Niğde Archaeological Museum. At the site, only a lower part of one lion from the east wing remains visible in Golludag. Additionally, two single lions were found near the gate area. The better-preserved lion measures 0.88 meters in height and 1 meter in length and is exhibited at the Niğde Museum. Near the inner gate, a sphinx was uncovered, along with a broken lion’s head close to the inner city gate and another near the southern city gates. If you have any questions or inquiries regarding Golludag Hittite Town & Archaeological Site, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or simply message us on Whatsapp, and we will reply as soon as possible.