Çorum contains one of Turkey's most significant archaeological treasures: Hattusa, the capital of the Hittite Empire from roughly 1700–1200 BCE. The UNESCO World Heritage Site spreads across a hilltop landscape of massive stone city walls, monumental gates (the Lion Gate, Sphinx Gate), a granary and the Great Temple — the remains of a Bronze Age superpower that rivalled Egypt.
Nearby, Yazılıkaya's rock sanctuary has extraordinary 13th-century BCE relief carvings of Hittite deities in procession. Back in the city, Çorum is Turkey's leblebi (roasted chickpea) capital — shops along the bazaar streets sell dozens of varieties.
Known for: Hattusa (Hittite capital) · Alacahöyük · Leblebi roasted chickpeas · Yazılıkaya rock sanctuary · Bronze Age heritage
- Region
- Central Anatolia
- Famous for
- Hattusa & Hittite Empire
- Best seasons
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- UNESCO
- Hattusa World Heritage Site
Çorum on the live map
Explore Çorum and all of Turkey on the live intelligence map — tap a city node to fly in.
What Çorum is known for
Hattusa and Yazılıkaya are best visited together: Hattusa for the sheer scale of its walls and gates, Yazılıkaya (3 km away) for the intimate rock-carved divine procession. Alacahöyük, a third Bronze Age site in the province, has Chalcolithic and Hittite layers and an on-site museum with the famous bull and stag standards.
- Hattusa — Hittite Empire capital, UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Yazılıkaya — rock-cut Hittite divine relief sanctuary.
- Alacahöyük — Bronze Age mound, bull and stag standards.
- Leblebi roasted chickpeas — Çorum's signature produce.
Getting around
Çorum is 3 hours from Ankara by bus; Hattusa is 80 km south at Boğazkale. A car or tour from Çorum or Ankara is needed; taxis from Boğazkale village cover the site.
On the platform
Çorum is joining Türkiye Gez as we expand into a Turkey-wide city intelligence platform. This guide is the launch foundation — live transport data, an interactive map and deeper neighborhood content roll out city by city, on the same architecture that powers Istanbul today.
Frequently asked questions
About Çorum
2Hattusa — the UNESCO-listed Hittite Empire capital — along with Yazılıkaya's rock reliefs, Bronze Age Alacahöyük, and leblebi roasted chickpeas.
About 208 km — 2.5–3 hours by car. Çorum city (80 km north of Hattusa) is a convenient overnight base.