ISAC Exhibit: Hartapu: The Forgotten King of Anatolia

Seven years ago, Hartapu was little more than a name. Then, in 2019, an inscribed stone pulled from an irrigation canal in central Türkiye introduced the world to a king who claimed to have conquered Phrygia—one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient world. Suddenly, a ruler and a kingdom largely unknown to history demanded a place on the map of Iron Age Anatolia. The stone was found at Türkmen-Karahöyük, a massive tell rising 35 meters above the Konya Plain, that must have been Hartapu's capital. Though the site had gone largely unnoticed by archaeologists, it is one of the largest Iron Age sites in Anatolia—and excavations launched in 2024 by ISAC and Bilkent University (Ankara, Türkiye) are only beginning to reveal the city's historical development. Hartapu ruled in the eighth century BCE, during a period of intense rivalry between great powers—Phrygia to the west, the Neo-Assyrian Empire to the east—and his kingdom sat squarely between them. The exhibition tells his story through ancient inscriptions, archaeological finds, and new technologies, including 3D printing and advanced imaging, that are transforming how scholars study the past. Contemporary works by artist SaraNoa Mark offer a counterpoint, reflecting on landscape, memory, and the labor and care of preserving the past. The ISAC Museum special exhibition Hartapu: The Forgotten King of Anatolia is on view from September 17, 2026 through March 14, 2027, accessible during regular museum hours and with museum admission.