Mithraeum of Zerzevan
TNMM 218
The Mithraeum of the Zerzevan Castle is the most important structure remaining [in the castrum Zerzevan]. Castrum Zerzevan, where Christian and pagan elements co-exist, is particularly striking as it houses the last Mithras sanctuary found all over the world and the first one, dating to the 2nd-3rd century AD, on the eastern border of the Roman Empire. It was built on the north end of the walls by carving the main rock into the underground. At the entrance gate of the structure, the inscriptions and symbols are clearly visible.
On the eastern wall of the structure, there are columns carved into the main rock, two large niches in the middle and two small niches on the both sides. A bull sacrifice scene is carved on the plaque in the middle big niche. Paint residues can be seen on the belt rising above the two columns around the big niche in the middle. Probably on the aforesaid belt there were symbols belonging to Mithras religion. The crown beam motif as one of the symbols of Mithras is carved on the eastern wall. There is a rather smoothly carved bull blood [or water] bowl in one of the small niches and a pool on the ground. The blood bowl [or water] and the pool are connected to each other with a channel through the wall and it is known that water was used in the Mithras religious ceremonies.
The hinterland of Zerzevan forms the extreme eastern border of the Roman Empire during which struggles were taking place between Roman armies and Parthians/Sassanids who aspired to the region politically and economically around the 3rd century AD. The current architectural remains and the finds unearthed during the excavations [date from that time]. It can be said that the city walls and buildings of the settlement were restored in the periods of Anastasios I (491-518 AD) and Justinian I (527-565 AD), and some of the constructions were reconstructed and thus the present final state was obtained. The settlement must have been used until 639 which is the conquest year of the region by the Islamic armies.
References
- Aytaç Coşkun, E. Deniz Oğuz-Kirca (2022) Beyond the Roman East. An archaeological evaluation of the mithraeum based on its architectural authenticity at castrum Zerzevan (Diyarbakir, Turkey). Journal of Ancient History and Archaeology.
- UNESCO (2020) Zerzevan Castle and Mithraeum.
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