Istar-Sauska Cult in Hittite Anatolia

ABSTRACT IŠTAR-ŠAUŠKA CULT IN HITTITE ANATOLIA Okan DEMİR Kastamonu University Institute for Social Science Department of History Supervisor: Asst. Prof. Fahri MADEN Ištar cult in Anatolia have begun with Assyrian Trade Colonies, mesopotamian origin, and had been brought by Assyrian merchants from Mesopotamia. Ištar cult in Anatolia during the period of Assyrian Trade Colonies, would be inquired with rich iconographic evidances excavaded from primarily Kültepe (Kaniš) and other trade centers and cuneiform tablets from Kültepe (Kaniš). It is understood from the light of these datas, however, Ištar cult had been limited within Assyrian merchants and the cult not spread among the navtive Anatolian peoples. Aftermath of the colonies period, Hittites, founded an empire including territories in Anatolia, Northern Syria and Iraq, had been highly affected beliefs of surrounding peoples. Written and iconographic evidences from Old Hittite period have pointed to obscurance of Ištar cult. Therefore, it can be say that Ištar could not be counted among the gods in the Old Hittite pantheon. During the Empire period following the subjection of Caucasian originated Hurrians, settled in Southern Anatolia, Northern Syria and Iraq, had been caused to stream of Mesopotamian culture through the channel of Hurrians into Hittite Anatolia. It is concluded from iconographic evidances and political and religious texts that Hurranized Ištar- Šauška cult had important place in the imperal pantheon and the beliefs of following periods in Anatolia. Keywords: Hittites, Hurrians, Ištar, Šauška, Anatolia, religion, cult 2016, pages 84