Editing Muwatalli II (section)

== Sirkeli relief ==
[[File:Sirkeli Hüyük 04 2004 hethitisches Felsrelief am Ceyhan.jpg|thumb|On the west bank of the [[Ceyhan river]] near the village of Sirkeli ([[Sirkeli Höyük]]), a late Hittite rock relief reminds of the presence of the Hittites in the [[Çukurova]] (Cilician Plain). It shows the Hittite Great King Muwatalli II (1290–1272 BC)]]

The relief of Muwatalli II is located near [[Sirkeli Höyük]], which is one of the largest settlement mounds in Plain Cilicia. The settlement is situated on the left bank of the Ceyhan River, known in ancient times as Puruna or [[Pyramos]].<ref name="Kozal Novák p. ">{{citation | last1=Kozal | first1=Ekin | last2=Novák | first2=Mirko | title=Facing Muwattalli: Some Thoughts on the Visibility and Function of the Rock Reliefs at Sirkeli Höyük, Cilicia | publisher=Ugarit-Verlag | date=2017 | volume=445 | pages=373–390 |doi=10.7892/BORIS.106777 | url=https://www.academia.edu/36561943 | access-date=2022-06-17 | isbn=978-3-86835-251-1 }}</ref>

The inscription of the king mentions also the name of his father Mursili II: “Muwattalli, Great King, the Hero, son of [[Mursili II|Mursili]], Great King, the Hero”. He wears a long robe and, in his left hand, he holds the  ''kalmus'' ([[lituus]]). The appearance of King Muwattalli is consistent with the way the [[Sun God of Heaven]] (''Nepisas Istanu'', or ''Simige'') was portrayed in Hittite iconography; so this indicates deification.<ref name="Kozal Novák p. "/>

A second, very similar relief is a few meters away, but it was partially destroyed in antiquity. The nature of the damage indicates a deliberate destruction, so that the name of this figure could not be read.

This figure is probably [[Urḫi-Teššup]], whose throne name was Muršili (III). He became the king of Hatti after the death of his father Muwatalli II, but was overthrown 7 years later by his uncle [[Hattušili III]].<ref name="Kozal Novák p. "/>

These reliefs were probably directly visible to the people entering the ancient town, and dominated the landscape. But because the course of the river kept changing over the centuries, currently the reliefs are not so easily visible to visitors.

During the Hittite period, Sirkeli Höyük may have been the cult town of [[Kummanni]].<ref name="Kozal Novák p. "/>