Persian, Lydian & Phrygian Anatolia (1200–334 BC): King M...

✓ Last reviewed: May 2026 — Verified and updated by our licensed Turkey travel experts. Prices, opening hours and visa rules reflect the latest 2026 guidance. This article is part of our reverse-chronology exploration of Anatolian history; you can find the full History of Türkiye series here . Quick Answer: The period from 1200 to 334 BC in Anatolia (modern Türkiye) was a dynamic era that began with the collapse of the Hittite Empire and saw the rise of powerful new kingdoms. These included the inland Phrygian kingdom of the legendary King Midas at Gordion, the wealthy coastal Lydian Empire of Croesus at Sardis which invented the world's first coins, and the mighty Achaemenid Persians who unified the region with their Royal Road before finally falling to Alexander the Great. What Happened After the Hittite Empire Collapsed? Around 1200 BC , the ancient world was thrown into chaos. The great Late Bronze Age civilizations of the Eastern Mediterranean, including the mighty Hittite Empire that had dominated Anatolia for centuries, suddenly and violently collapsed. This period, often called the Bronze Age Collapse, was triggered by a perfect storm of climate change, famine, internal rebellions, and the mysterious migrations of maritime raiders known as the "Sea Peoples." With the Hittite capital of Hattusa abandoned and its empire shattered, a political vacuum emerged across the Anatolian peninsula. This ushered in a "Dark Age" of several centuries for which we have few written records. However, in the southeast of modern Türkiye, the Hittite cultural legacy survived. A collection of smaller, independent city-states, often called Neo-Hittite or Syro-Hittite kingdoms, flourished. These states, such as Carchemish (on the modern Syria-Türkiye border), Karatepe (in modern Osmaniye province), and the Kingdom of Pattin (or Hattin), blended Hittite, Aramean, and Assyrian traditions. They left behind incredible carved reliefs and bilingual inscriptions that are crucial for under