Hittite Sun Disc

The Sun Throne is a symbolic ritual object associated with solar and cosmic symbolism, particularly prominent among the ancient Anatolian civilizations of the Hattians and Hittites. Typically crafted from bronze, these objects were used in religious ceremonies and often designed in the form of a symbol carried atop a bull’s horn. Sun Thrones are regarded as an essential component of the belief systems of early Anatolian peoples, who sanctified natural phenomena and expressed them through symbolic representation.

Statue of the Hittite Sun Throne, Museum of Anatolian Civilizations (Emine Erdal)

Origins of the Sun Throne in Hattian and Hittite Cultures

The origins of the Sun Throne trace back to the Hattians, an indigenous people who inhabited Anatolia between 2500 and 2000 BCE. The Hittites, a Indo-European group that migrated into Anatolia in the 2000s BCE, were heavily influenced by Hattian culture. This influence is evident across many domains, from religious rituals and mythological elements to court ceremonies. Numerous elements, including the city of Hattusa (modern Boğazköy) and royal names, are expressed using Hattian-derived terms.

Solar Cult and Belief System

The Hittite belief system was polytheistic and described as one in which over a thousand deities were worshipped. The sun deity held a privileged position within this pantheon. The sun goddess Arinna was regarded as feminine, yet it was believed that when she descended into the underworld, she acquired masculine attributes. The setting of the sun was not interpreted as death but as the deity’s journey to the realm of the dead. In this context, the sun’s association with both the earth and the underworld elevated it to the status of one of the supreme deities.

Formal Characteristics of the Sun Thrones

Sun Thrones exhibit considerable formal diversity. They were constructed in circular, semicircular, square, and rectangular forms and often featured geometric motifs, animal figures (bull, deer, lion), and occasionally swastika-like or star-like decorations. These figures are interpreted as symbols of deities: the bull represents the sky god Tešup, while the deer symbolizes the protective deity Vurušemu. The small rings on the upper parts of the thrones are believed to represent stars, and the bell-like pendulums on the lower sections were thought to produce sound during rituals to ward off evil spirits.

Symbolic and Ritual Functions

Sun Thrones were not merely aesthetic objects but functional ritual instruments. Priests carried them during religious ceremonies, attaching them to the ends of staffs to regulate procession rhythms or to signal the beginning and end of rituals. The presence of some Sun Thrones in tombs indicates that they were used as symbols reflecting the identity and social status of the deceased. In this sense, Sun Thrones also served a sociological function as markers of identity.

Today, the monument known as the “Hittite Sun” and erected in Sıhhiye Square in Ankara is in fact a magnified version of a symbol of sovereignty belonging to the Hattian kings. This monument symbolizes the place of the Hattians and their cultural successors, the Hittites, within Anatolian civilization. Sun Thrones discovered through archaeological excavations are currently exhibited at the Museum of Anatolian Civilizations and demonstrate that the Hattian civilization, one of the earliest in Anatolia, possessed a highly sophisticated artistic sensibility.