Karatepe Aslantas Open Air Museum

Karatepe-Aslantas Open-Air Museum is an open-air museum in Osmaniye Province, Turkey. Karatepe is the vicinity at the same time as Aslantas refers to the lion discern on stone sculptures. The web page is located internal a nationalpark with the equal call. Karatepe is on the ancient caravan path, known as "Akyol", which connects Cilicia with Central Anatolia over Anderen-Goksun. The path turned into utilized by Hittites, Crusaders and lately by way of the Yoruks. The web site contains the stays of an ancient fort dating returned to the eighth century BC. Originally named Azatiwadaya, the walled settlement changed into based by way of Azatiwada, the king of Quwe, a Neo-Hittite state.

It turned into constructed for protection in opposition to invaders from the north. The fortification and other territory areas of the kingdom were conquered by the Assyrian Empire from the east either in 720–725 BC term or in 680 BC. The website online turned into by accident observed by sheepmen from Saimbeyli. They informed Ekrem Kulcu, the village college trainer, who in turn notified Naci Kum, the director of Adana Museum. The authorities commissioned Helmuth Theodor Bossert, German professor of archaeology at Istanbul University, to conduct excavations, which commenced in Spring 1946.