Karatepe-Aslantaş, ancient Azatiwataya, stands above the Ceyhan River in Osmaniye province at the edge of the Taurus Mountains. Built in the late eighth or early seventh century BCE, the fortified settlement guarded trade and timber routes between Cilicia and central Anatolia. Its carved gateways and long bilingual inscriptions make it one of Türkiye’s most important Iron Age archaeological sites.
The ruler Azatiwata recorded the foundation in Phoenician and Hieroglyphic Luwian. Because the texts express related content in two writing systems, they contributed decisively to the decipherment of Luwian hieroglyphs. Relief slabs show deities, rulers, musicians, banquets, animals and mythic scenes, creating a visual programme at the points where visitors entered the fortress.