The 100th Anniversary of Bedřich Hrozný’s Archaeological Excavations in Syria and Türkiye

The Czech orientalist Bedřich Hrozný (1879–1952), renowned for his decipherment of the Hittite language in 1915, emerged as one of the foremost authorities in Ancient Near Eastern studies during the 1920s and 1930s, both within the Czech lands and across Europe. Newly discovered photographs from his archaeological expeditions to the Near East, undertaken in 1924–1925 at three principal sites – Sheikh Sa‘ad and Tell Rifa‘at in Syria, and Kültepe in Türkiye – provide valuable insight not only into his travels but also into the excavation processes and the nature of the individual archaeological discoveries. The current exhibition, presented in two rooms of the Bedřich Hrozný Museum, complements the permanent display and features century-old photographs accompanied by a broader introduction and commentary.