The first known inhabitants of Anatolia are the Hatti and Hurrian communities. These two non-Indo-European nations lived in Central and Eastern Anatolia in about 2300 BC. Hatti and Hurrians left their place to the Hittites by the arrival of the Hittites from the Indo-European nations to Anatolia in 2000-1700 BC. The Hittites, the first great kingdom in the region, settled in the 13th century BC and made the Kadesh Treaty, known as the first written treaty in history, with the Egyptians. Then comes the Assyrians in 1950 BC and conquered the territory of today southeast Turkey between 612 BC and settled in.
Following the collapse of the Hittite Empire in 1180 BC, the Phrygians of the Indo-European nations obtained superiority in Anatolia until they were destroyed by the Kimmers in the 7th century BC. After Phrygia, Lydia, Karya and Lycia ruled the region.
Aeolian, Ionian and Greek settlements began to take place on the coast of Anatolia in 1200 BC. Many colonies such as Miletus, Ephesus, Smyrna (now Izmir) and Byzantion (later Constantinople and Istanbul) were founded by these colonists.
read more about the Republic of Turkey:
- General Informations
- The first Turks in the Area: Part 1
- The founding of a new Nation
- The political connections with the world nations
- The word "Türkiye" (Turkey)
- The History of the Area: Part 1