Hartapu: The Forgotten King of Anatolia

A Special Exhibition at the ISAC Museum

Opening September 17, 2026

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. 

Hartapu inscription Hartapu inscription line drawing Hartapu inscription RTI

Exhibition Materials

Exhibition Programming

  • Exclusive Exhibition Member Preview, September 16, 5:00–7:00pm CT (in-person) — Not yet a member?
  • ISAC Exhibit Lecture, "Great King Hartapu and Beyond: Türkmen-Karahöyük and the Bronze and Iron Age Context of an Iron Age Ruler," with James Osborne, September 30, 7:00pm CT (in-person & online; register & learn more) 

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Mound of Turkmen Karahoyuk

Curated by James Osborne and organized by the ISAC Museum: Susan Allison, Rob Bain, Denise Browning, Laura D'Alessandro, Kea Johnston, Marc Maillot, Helen McDonald, Kiersten Neumann, Josh Tulisiak, Alison Whyte, and Elisheva Yardeni, with contributions from Çağlayan Bal.

With sincere thanks to artist SaraNoa Mark for the generous loan of their work, and to Stratasys and the University of Chicago Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (supported by the National Science Foundation under award number DMR-2011854) for producing the 3D print of the Hartapu inscription. We also thank the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Türkiye, for permission to print the Hartapu inscription and to conduct the Türkmen-Karahöyük Archaeological Project (TKAP).

TKAP co-directors Michele Rüzgar Massa and James Osborne, and TKAP Assistant Director Hüseyin Erpehlivan, thank the entire TKAP team and the local communities of Türkmenkarahüyük and Çumra who make the project possible. TKAP eş başkanları Michele Rüzgar Massa ve James Osborne ile TKAP başkan yardımcısı Hüseyin Erpehlivan, projeyi mümkün kılan tüm TKAP ekibine ve Türkmenkarahüyük ile Çumra halkına teşekkür eder.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of ISAC members and ISAC Museum visitors, whose contributions made this exhibition possible.