Of the few
museums I have visited in the past, nothing so far, is richer and more comprehensive than the
Anadolu Medeniyetleri Müzesi, in terms of vastness, essence, and uniqueness of collection ranging from as early as the Paleolithic era, the Bronze Age, even up
to the present. What struck me the most, however, was the Hittite Section, which
document the remains & traces of their dominance in the Ancient World (inc. their
colorful conflict with Egypt) and eventual fall (to Assyria), heavily discussed
in my History class in the past.
One such highlight is the Hittite military chariot in reliefs, which felt like history books pages brought to life, depicted in Orthostats of Long Wall Limestone Basalt, Kargamış City, Gaziantep, 900-700 B. C. (photo above). Coming face to face with such prized artifact literally out of textbooks, I was beyond dumbfounded. I wasn’t the best student in the past, especially in History classes. Heck, I barely passed World History in college. But my love for the field could not be denied. It’s euphoric to learn about the rise and fall of Kingdoms, solving & creating new conflicts, even the gossips on personal struggles such as love interests and whatnots for rulers and other significant figures. After all, History is and will always be an interesting subject as the past is something we can always learn from, to make a good case of our present and the future.
