Located in modern Turkey, Hattusa was the ancient capital of the Hittite Empire in the late Bronze Age, which ended abruptly and somewhat mysteriously in the 12th century BC.

At its peak the city covered nearly two square kilometres, surrounded by massive walls. There was a royal residence, elaborate gateways, four temples, porticoed courtyards, secular building and residential structures.

The stonework is impressive to say the least and it was richly decorated with relief carvings of warriors, lions, sphinxes and more. At its peak, between 40,000 and 50,000 people occupied the city. Today, tourists flock from around the world to see the remnants of the once powerful city, the impressive stone remains from the heart of an ancient empire, including tightly fitted polygonal masonry, and the numerous stones with perfectly circular drill holes.

But one specific stone stands out and draws everybody’s attention. This beautiful and unusual rock, known as the Green Stone of Hattusa stands out from the array of grey masonry that surrounds it, a polished, reflective cubic piece of what looks like nephrite aka jade, which can be found naturally in the area.

So what do we know about it? Watch the video to learn more about this mysterious stone.