Ancient Hittite water monument still flowing

KONYA

The Eflatunpınar Hittite Water Monument, a 3,200-year-old marvel from the late Hittite Period in the central province of Konya's Beyşehir district, continues to flow resiliently, untouched by the drought driven by global climate change.

Commissioned by King Tudhaliya IV 3,200 years ago over a natural water source, the large rectangular structure of Eflatunpınar was constructed using relief techniques and features walls adorned with god and goddess figures. Built by combining andesite stone blocks cut to complement one another, the water monument distinguishes itself from other Hittite rock monuments with its unique stonework, the composition of its reliefs and its arrangement as an open-air sanctuary.

The monument was known to stand 3.5 meters tall since 1837, but excavations conducted by the Konya Museum Directorate between 1996–1997 and 1999–2001 revealed that it actually reaches a height of 7 meters. The excavations also revealed a sacred pool that measures 30 meters wide and 34 meters long, which is connected to the monument. The façade of the monument features various figures carved on 19 stone blocks.

Located 4 kilometers from Sadıkkhacı neighborhood, the monument uses a rare system that collects running water in the pool, allowing it to be used efficiently when needed and welcoming visitors even during dry months.

In 2014, the monument was included in UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List as the “Hittite Sacred Water Sanctuary.”

Mustafa Büyükkafalı, head of the Beyşehir Culture and Tourism Association, told state-run Anadolu Agency that the spring has been flowing for centuries.

“The Hittites, who believed in the sanctity and abundance of water, built this monument to give thanks to their gods,” he said. “This water source, which has flowed continuously for 3,200 years, can be said to defy drought. For this reason, it receives visitors without interruption in every season.”

Büyükkafalı noted that a facility built across from the monument allows visitors to rest briefly.

He emphasized that they, too, hold a deep belief in the profound blessing bestowed by this ever-flowing water. “This spring is one of the water sources that continues, albeit slightly, to feed Lake Beyşehir. At the same time, some rare fish that once lived in the lake can be seen in the pool here, meaning it serves as a kind of habitat for species once native to Lake Beyşehir,” he said.