Alalakh
Alalakh (Tell Atchana; Hittite: Alalaḫ) is an ancient archaeological site approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) northeast of Antakya (historic Antioch) in what is now Turkey's Hatay Province. It flourished, as an urban settlement, in the Middle and Late Bronze Age, c. 2000-1200 BC. The city contained palaces, temples, private houses and fortifications. The remains of Alalakh have formed an extensive mound covering around 22 hectares. In Late Bronze Age, Alalakh was the capital of the local kingdom of Mukiš.
Alalaḫ | |
Archaeological site of Alalakh (Tell Açana) | |
Shown within Turkey | |
| Alternative name | Tell Atchana |
|---|---|
| Location | Hatay Province, Turkey |
| Region | Levant |
| Coordinates | 36°14′16″N 36°23′05″E |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Founded | Early 2nd millennium BC |
| Abandoned | Around 600 BC |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | In ruins |
The first palace was built around 2000 BC, and likely destroyed in the 12th century BC. The site was thought to have never been reoccupied after that, but archaeologist Timothy Harrison showed, in a (2022) lecture's graphic, it was inhabited also in Amuq Phases N-O, Iron Age, c. 1200-600 BC.