Kultepe Kanesh Karum Kültepe, also referred to as Kanesh or Nesha, is a prominent archaeological location situated about 20 kilometers southwest of Kayseri Province. The site includes a tell that contains the remains of the ancient city and the Assyrian civilization, alongside a lower town where an Assyrian settlement was uncovered. The city’s name appears as Kanes in inscriptions dating back to the 20th and 19th centuries BCE, while later Hittite records call it Nesa or sometimes Anisa. Kanesh, which was continuously inhabited from the Chalcolithic period through to Roman times, played a vital role as a Hittite and Hurrian city. Between the 21st and 18th centuries BCE, the Old Assyrian Empire established a trading colony here. Documents from the 15th century BCE mention King Zipani. The kārum represents a crucial section of the city that fascinates historians. This area was allocated by local authorities to be used tax-free, provided that goods remained within its boundaries. The word 'karum' derives from the Akkadian language, meaning "port," but over time it came to denote any trading settlement, regardless of proximity to water. The unearthing of numerous clay tablets at Kültepe has provided valuable insights into commerce between Assyrian colonies and local city-states, primarily carried out by families rather than official state entities. These tablets, inscribed in Old Assyrian, are the oldest written records discovered in Anatolia. Though the texts contain Hittite loanwords and names, indicating the use of an Indo-European language, most artifacts at Kültepe reflect Anatolian, not Assyrian, characteristics. The presence of cuneiform script and dialect further confirms an Assyrian influence. In 2014, this archaeological site was added to Turkey’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites. It is also notable as the location where the earliest evidence of the Hittite language has been found, dating back approximately 2000 BCE. If you have any questions or inquiries regarding Kultepe Kanesh Karum, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or simply message us via Whatsapp, and we will reply as soon as possible.