The Hittites (1660 -650 BC), one of the oldest civilizations in Anatolia, were one of the major military and political powers of the ancient East, along with the Egyptian, Babylonian and Mittani Empires. Soon after they came into historical existence, they established a great empire covering significant parts of Anatolia and the Near East.

The Hittites were called "The Children of Heth or Kittim (Chittim)” in the Torah, and are thought to be an old nation of Indo-European origin. The most accepted view is that they came to Anatolia through Caucasia 4000 years ago. They mixed with the Hatti civilization that had settled in the region before them, and who afterwards continued to exist within the Hittite civilization.

According to the oldest records in existence, the first Hittite king is Pithana, the Lord of Kussara. His son, King Anitta set up his first capital in the city of Nesha and achieved political unity within the kingdom. King Anitta also conquered the city of Hattusa, which was the main trade center at the time. But he abandoned the city as he could not find anything valuable there. As he left, he cursed the city saying: “I conquered this city during a nighttime attack. I now plant a weed in this city. May a curse be upon any king who comes after me to conquer Hattusa.”

After 100 years, King Labana, grandson of Anitta adopted Hattusa as the dynastic seat despite the curse and named himself Hattushili. He established political unity, and then he expanded the borders of his empire with military campaigns to Syria, the Euphrates region and the Hurrian (Khurrites) Lands. He also defined the aims of the Great Hittite Empire...

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