---
title: Map of the Hittite Empire 16th-13th Century BCE: Anatolian Great Power of the Bronze Age
author: Simeon Netchev
source: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16114/map-of-the-hittite-empire-16th-13th-century-bce/
format: machine-readable-alternate
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0)
updated: 2026-03-23
---

# Map of the Hittite Empire 16th-13th Century BCE: Anatolian Great Power of the Bronze Age

_Authored by [Simeon Netchev](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/simeonnetchev/)_

## Image File

[![Map of the Hittite Empire 16th-13th Century BCE: Anatolian Great Power of the Bronze Age](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/16114.png)](https://www.worldhistory.org/uploads/images/16114.png)

## Image Caption

The [Hittite](https://www.worldhistory.org/hittite/) [Empire](https://www.worldhistory.org/empire/) emerged in central [Anatolia](https://www.worldhistory.org/Asia_Minor/) during the early second millennium BCE and developed into one of the major powers of the Late [Bronze Age](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/Bronze_Age/). Centered on Hattusa, it ruled over a culturally diverse realm rooted in the older land of [Hatti](https://www.worldhistory.org/hatti/) and gradually expanded into much of Anatolia and northern [Syria](https://www.worldhistory.org/syria/). By the 16th–13th centuries BCE, Hittite authority extended across a broad zone of direct rule, vassalage, and contested frontier influence, linking the Anatolian plateau with the northern [Levant](https://www.worldhistory.org/levant/) and Upper [Mesopotamia](https://www.worldhistory.org/Mesopotamia/). In this period, the [Hittites](https://www.worldhistory.org/hittite/) became one of the principal states of the [Bronze](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/bronze/) Age international system, interacting politically and militarily with [Egypt](https://www.worldhistory.org/egypt/), [Assyria](https://www.worldhistory.org/assyria/), [Babylonia](https://www.worldhistory.org/babylon/), [Mitanni](https://www.worldhistory.org/Mitanni/), and the [Mycenaean](https://www.worldhistory.org/Mycenaean_Civilization/) world.

Hittite power rested on military organization, provincial administration, legal traditions, and a highly developed diplomatic [culture](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/culture/) expressed through treaties, correspondence, and tributary relationships. Their dominance in northern Syria and rivalry with other major states made them central to the geopolitical balance of the eastern [Mediterranean](https://www.worldhistory.org/disambiguation/mediterranean/) and [Near East](https://www.worldhistory.org/Near_East/). In the late 13th and early 12th centuries BCE, however, the imperial structure weakened amid internal instability, pressure from groups such as the [Kaska](https://www.worldhistory.org/Kaska/), and the wider disruptions associated with the [Bronze Age Collapse](https://www.worldhistory.org/Bronze_Age_Collapse/) (c. 1200–1150 BCE). By around 1180 BCE, the empire had largely disintegrated, though a number of Neo-Hittite or Syro-Anatolian states continued in southeastern Anatolia and northern Syria for several centuries.

#### Editorial Review

This human-authored image has been reviewed by our editorial team before publication to ensure accuracy, reliability and adherence to academic standards in accordance with our [editorial policy](https://www.worldhistory.org/static/editorial-policy/).

## About the Author

Simeon is a freelance visual designer and history educator, passionate about the human stories that shape the past.
- [Linkedin Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/in/simeon-netchev/)

## Cite This Work

### APA
Netchev, S. (2026, March 23). Map of the Hittite Empire 16th-13th Century BCE: Anatolian Great Power of the Bronze Age. *World History Encyclopedia*. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16114/map-of-the-hittite-empire-16th-13th-century-bce/>
### Chicago
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Hittite Empire 16th-13th Century BCE: Anatolian Great Power of the Bronze Age." *World History Encyclopedia*, March 23, 2026. <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16114/map-of-the-hittite-empire-16th-13th-century-bce/>.
### MLA
Netchev, Simeon. "Map of the Hittite Empire 16th-13th Century BCE: Anatolian Great Power of the Bronze Age." *World History Encyclopedia*, 23 Mar 2026, <https://www.worldhistory.org/image/16114/map-of-the-hittite-empire-16th-13th-century-bce/>.

## License & Copyright

Submitted by [Simeon Netchev](https://www.worldhistory.org/user/simeonnetchev/ "User Page: Simeon Netchev"), published on 23 March 2026. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0deed.en). This licence only allows others to download this content and share it with others as long as the author is credited, but they can't change the content in any way or use it commercially. When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms.