Archaeologists excavating at Zerzevan Castle in Turkey have unearthed an area they believe housed people who came to worship at the nearby temple of Mithras stayed. The underground temple was located just north of Zerzevan Castle and was discovered in 2017. The main worship area, which contained columns, was carved out of solid rock, as were surrounding niches. Zerzevan Castle was strategically situated along a main road in the Persian Empire, and served as a military settlement in the Roman era.
Mithras was an ancient Persian sun god, whom the Romans adopted into their pantheon sometime in the late first century, although some scholars suggest it was earlier. Mithraism became popular throughout the Roman Empire in the second and third centuries especially among soldiers, traders and the wealthy. Adherents initiated into the mystery cult were the only ones who knew the secret beliefs about Mithras, as members were prohibited from writing down their religion’s creeds.
The newly discovered temple and accommodation area are the first of their kind discovered on the eastern border of what once was the Roman Empire. The current excavators believe the Mithras sanctuary to be the most important part ofZerzevan Castle.
OFF-SITE LINK:
- https://arkeonews.net/in-the-1900-year-old-underground-temple-of-mithras-religion-in-zerzevan-castle-an-area-where-participants-of-secret-rituals-stayed-was-unearthed/
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