History and archaeology / Ancient city
Kerkenes (Pteria) Archaeological Site
Sorgun, Yozgat
A 6th-century BC Iron Age capital on Kerkenes Dağı, surrounded by 7 km of walls, thought to be Herodotus's Pteria.
Safety warning
Its story
The city on Kerkenes Dağı is one of the largest settlements on the Anatolian plateau around 600 BC. The city, surrounded by walls about 7 kilometers long with seven gates, is very probably accepted to be the Pteria described by Herodotus. In the mid-6th century BC the city was burned, sacked and completely abandoned, most probably after the Battle of Pteria between the Persian King Cyrus and the Lydian King Croesus. Comprehensive research ongoing since 1993 has uncovered a palace complex, the Cappadocia Gate and monumental buildings. From the top of the mountain, the northern end of the Cappadocian plain is seen from a wide angle.
Key facts
- Note
- The site is large; comfortable shoes are needed
- Period
- Iron Age, 7th–6th century BC
- Location
- ~5 km west of the village of Şahmuratlı
- Wall length
- About 7 km
Trip purpose
- Photography
- Quiet
- Hiking
Location
39.74917, 35.06593
Where to eat nearby
No food & drink venues listed nearby.
Map data: © OpenStreetMap contributors; Overture Maps
Reviews
No approved reviews yet. Reviews are written in the app after a visit.
Source: Web derlemesi (doğrulanmalı): https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerkenes | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerkenes | https://www.kerkenes.metu.edu.tr/ | https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1336601