Samuha

Samuha was a Hittite city and an important place of worship of Šawuška in eastern Anatolia. In addition, the city was the de facto capital of the Hittite Empire, as this caused was by the Kaskäereinfälle under Tutḫalija II on the edge of doom.

Location

Probably samuha is identical to the archaeological site Kayalıpınar which is 45 km from Sivas below the river Kizilirmak. But the situation on a navigable river with boats and the mention of a bridge at samuha in Old Assyrian texts from Kültepe speak. According to the archaeologist Andreas Müller- Karpe talk traffic geographical location and the size of the city of 20ha and proximity to certain localized SARISSA for this identification. A found in Kayalıpınar Tontafelfragment called the goddess dGAŠAN, a sumerographische sensitive to the goddess Ishtar, which can be read as Šaušga in Hurrian context. This comes Müller- Karpe at the end: " The majority of the evidence thus saith total for the localization of samuha at this place. "

Nevertheless, there is the possibility samuha at a different location at the top Kızılırmak or possibly also on the upper Euphrates locate, John Garstang proposes a location west of the Euphrates between Pingan and Malatya, or in Malatya ( Melidu ) even before.

In the neighborhood of samuha were not yet localized places Battijariga and Arzija.

History

During the early Karumzeit, samuha was a station ( wabartum ) of the Old Assyrian traders who eventually to trading colony ( karum ) developed. The town was situated on a river and a bridge controlled. A palace is called. In the Hittite Empire samuha was an administrative center during the Hittite Empire period also an important cult center.

After the Kaskäer samuha was burned under Tutḫalija II Hattusa temporary residence of the Hittites. Also Muwatalli II resided a short time in samuha before certain Tarhuntassa the new capital of the Hittite Empire. Before Hattusili III. usurped the Hittite throne, he acted partly out of samuha. His opponent Mursili III. fled after he was deposed by samuha and was arrested there.

Cult city

Tutḫalija I or II Tutḫalija stated Kizzuwatna the cult of the "Goddess of the Night" ( DINGIR.GE6, earlier read as "Black Goddess" ) a. Mursili II renewed and ordered the cults in samuha new, and built a temple, which was the most important sanctuary of Sauska Junghethitischen Empire. Both cult reforms have meant that Hurrian cults were introduced in the city. Hattusili III. chose Sauska of samuha as his personal goddess, making her cult grew in importance. In his apology, in which he justified the seizure of the throne, this goddess plays a crucial role, as his protector and patron, and finally to legitimize the usurpation. From its successors, the cult was still held in high esteem, his son Tutḫalija IV was as crown prince and priest in samuha.

In the temple of "Goddess of the Night" also Pirinkir was worshiped, an original Elamite goddess who was known by Babylonian and Hurrian mediation among the Hittites. The relationship between Sauska of samuha, Pirnikir and the "Goddess of the Night" are not clear, since all three forms of Ishtar, are the latter two clearly represent the astral aspect of the Goddess, while the Sauska the field of samuha represents the martial aspect.

In samuha an important festival was celebrated, which took place among others on the river banks and in their rituals partly on Babylonian ( pabilili ) was spoken, what the foreign origin clarified.