The so-called Great Temple and the monumental buildings in its vicinity characterize the Hittite capital Ḫattuša (UNESCO World Heritage Site) until today. The detailed presentation of all the building remains now provides a sound basis for the first time for an assessment of the cultural and architectural history of this ensemble, which is exemplary for Hittite culture in Central Anatolia. Its construction during the formative phase of the Hittite empire can be associated with religious developments indicated by political and social factors as well as with the urban transformation of Ḫattuša from an Anatolian city to the religious and political center of an ancient Near Eastern empire.