Civil architecture in Kültepe in the age of Assyrian Trade Colonies

Throughout archaeological history, numerous archaeological sites have been discovered and significant work has been conducted. However, some sites have been the scene of particularly valuable and intriguing research. The Kültepe mound near Kayseri is one such archaeological site, and excavations there have yielded many remarkable insights. Archaeological excavations at Kültepe have revealed that this ancient settlement was one of the most important kingdoms and trade centers in Anatolia at the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC. This period is known as the Assyrian Trade Colonies Period, during which Assyrian merchants came to Anatolia for commercial purposes and regularly engaged in these activities for approximately 250 years. As a result of trade between Anatolia and Mesopotamia, Anatolian cities prospered, their populations increased, and some cities experienced rapid growth. One of these cities is Kültepe. Excavations, initiated in 1948 by Tahsin Özgüç and now led by Fikri Kulakoğlu, have unearthed numerous neighborhoods, streets, and houses that form part of the civil architecture of Kültepe. The study will explore the civil architecture of the Kültepe settlement, which hosted one of Anatolia's most important kingdoms approximately 4,000 years ago. Using archaeological and philological data, the architectural features of the residences of local residents and Assyrian merchants will be examined and, where possible, compared with contemporary Anatolian architecture.