Located at the northern edge of the semi-arid Cappadocian steppe, Hattusha was the capital of the Hittite Old Kingdom, and later Empire, from circa 1650 BC to circa 1200 BC. The city measures approximately 1.3 miles (2.1 km) north-south and 0.7 miles (1.1 km) east-west in size, and its elevation slopes down from 4,100 (1,250 m) in the south to 3,120 feet (950 m) in the north. On the northwest is the modern village of Boğazkale (formerly named Boğazköy).

Hattusha was discovered in 1834 by Charles Texier. Excavations were first conducted by Ernest Chantre in 1893–94. Then, in 1906–07 and 1911–12, Hugo Winckler and Theodor Makridi carried out excavations on behalf of the German Archaeological Institute. The German Archaeological Institute has continued excavations under the direction of Kurt Bittel (1931–39 and 1952–77), Peter Neve (1978–93), Jürgen Seeher (1994–2005), and Andreas Schachner (2006–present).

The Hittites referred to Hatti as “the Land of a Thousand Gods.” At Hattusha, archaeologists have discovered thirty-one temples, the largest of which is the Great Temple, located in the lower city at the northern end of the site. The temple stands on a raised platform and measures 215 feet by 140 feet (65 x 42 m) in size. It was surrounded on all sides by 82 long storerooms. The entire complex covered an area of 3.5 acres (1.4 ha).

Located in the western wall of the upper city, the Lion Gate consists of a passage with parabolic arches at each end flanked by rectangular towers. The entrance arches contain sculptures of standing lions, from whence the gate received its name. The sculptures include such details as the lions’ mane hairs and whiskers. A groove was cut into each side of the arch to allow chariot wheels to pass through.