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A Cross Sealed a Mithras Temple in Türkiye 1,700 Years Ago At Zerzevan Castle in Diyarbakır, researchers say a newly deciphered inscription at the entrance of an undergroundMithras templeshows that the sanctuary was sealed by Christians about 1,700 years ago. The text, examined through Aramaic and Syriac epigraphy, suggests that the temple was not merely abandoned. Its sacred authority was formally brought to an end. The Mithras temple was uncovered in 2017 inside theRoman military settlement.For years, the inscription remained unreadable. Zerzevan Castle stood on Rome’s eastern frontier, in a region shaped by military movement, imperial control, and contact with the Persian world. The fortress was built for defense, but its underground spaces show that life there was not only military. Among those spaces was a Mithraeum, a sanctuary dedicated to Mithras, one of the most mysterious gods worshipped in the Roman Empire. Mithras was especially popular among soldiers, officials, and imperial networks during the 2nd and 3rd centuries A.D. His cult was not practiced in open public temples. It belonged to closed groups, secretive rituals, and enclosed chambers often built below groun…

A Cross Sealed a Roman Mithras Temple in Türkiye 1,700 Years Ago At Zerzevan Castle in southeastern Türkiye, an inscription at the entrance of an undergroundMithras templehas revealed a rare archaeological trace of how an older Roman cult was shut down as Christianity gained ground. The temple, uncovered in 2017 at theRoman military settlementin Diyarbakır, had carried an inscription that remained unresolved for years. A new epigraphic and philological reading now suggests that the sanctuary was not simply abandoned. It was closed, marked with a cross, and symbolically stripped of its sacred authority about 1,700 years ago. Zerzevan Castle stood on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire, near the route between Amida, ancient Diyarbakır, and Dara, one of Rome’s key strongholds near the Persian border. Its walls, underground structures, water systems, and military buildings point to a fortified settlement built for control, supply, and defense. Inside that military landscape, archaeologists found one of the most unusual Mithraic sanctuaries in Türkiye. Mithras worship was a mystery cult that spread widely across the Roman world, especially among soldiers, officials, and imperia…

Aramaic inscription reveals early Christians sealed Roman Mithras ... Image Credit : AA By: Mark Milligan Date: June 26, 2026 Archaeology Aramaic inscription reveals early Christians sealed Roman Mithras temple A newly deciphered Aramaic inscription has revealed that the underground Mithras Temple at Zerzevan Castle in southeastern Türkiye was symbolically sealed by early Christians around 1,700 years ago, providing rare direct evidence of the religious transition that followed the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire. The inscription, discovered at the entrance to the temple during excavations at Zerzevan Castle in Diyarbakir’s Çınar district, was deciphered by Professor Mehmet Sait Toprak, head of the Syriac language and literature department at Mardin Artuklu University. - Advertisement - Professor Toprak, in a detailed epigraphic and philological investigation, concluded that the inscription dates to the third or fourth century A.D. The results show that the Mithras sanctuary was formally closed after Christianity became the dominant religion in the Roman Empire. Researchers compared the inscription’s letter forms and linguistic features with Old Syriac and Aramaic inscrip…

Mithraic temple sealed 1,700 years ago uncovered in Türkiye Archaeologists in southeastern Türkiye have determined that a subterranean temple dedicated to the ancient Roman-era belief system of Mithraism at Zerzevan Castle in Diyarbakır was...

Aramaic inscription reveals Christians sealed a Roman Mithras Temple ... A newly decoded Aramaic inscription at Zerzevan Castle in southeastern Türkiye has answered a long-standing question about an undergroundMithras Temple. The text shows early Christians formally sealed the sanctuary about 1,700 years ago afterChristianitybecame the leading religion of the Roman Empire. The find gives archaeologists rare written proof of a major religious change. The inscription was found at the entrance to the underground temple, one of the best preserved Mithraic sanctuaries linked to a Roman military fort. Archaeologists first uncovered the text in 2017, yet nobody could read its full meaning. Professor Mehmet Sait Toprak of Mardin Artuklu University spent about a year studying the inscription through letter forms, language, and historical records. The team compared the writing with Old Syriac and Aramaic inscriptions from the second and third centuries CE, including texts kept at the Şanlıurfa Museum. Their study dated the inscription to the third or fourth century CE. The results show the temple was closed after Christianity spread across the Roman world. A carved cross stands beside th…

The Ancient Cult of Mithras: Secrets of the Roman Underground Exploring the Hidden Rituals of Rome’s Most Enigmatic Mystery Religion Beneath the bustling streets of the Roman Empire lay a secret world of dimly lit chambers, symbolic carvings, and sacred feasts. This was the domain of the Cult of Mithras, a male-only mystery religion that flourished from the 1st to 4th centuries CE. A God Born from Stone Mithras, often depicted emerging from rock, symbolized strength, rebirth, and cosmic order. His central myth shows him slaying a sacred bull, an act believed to bring life to the world. Members of the cult gathered underground to reenact aspects of this myth in ceremonies that emphasized loyalty and discipline. Initiation and Secret Rites Mithraic temples called mithraea were small, cavern-like spaces decorated with cosmic imagery and ritual iconography. Initiates progressed through seven ranks, each linked to a planet and spiritual transformation. Meetings included shared meals, symbolic purification, and participation in encoded rituals. Because members swore secrecy, much of the cult’s practice remains a mystery. A Brotherhood Across the Empire Mithraism attracted soldiers, merc…

What Is Mithraism? The Secretive Cult That Swept the Roman World Published: Nov 29, 2023 written by Colin J Campbell , MLitt in Ancient History, BA Ancient History & Civilization Mithraism was an enigmatic cult religion that flourished in the Roman Empire between the 1st and 4th centuries CE. Highly secretive by nature, historical understanding is challenged by the minimal record we have inherited about this fascinating cult. References are scant, anecdotal, and often biased by religious prejudice. Archaeology has expanded our view of Mithraism, though it is subject to interpretations and debate. Just what Mithraism was — its origins, practices, and impact — are all open to interpretation. Mithraism’s Ancient Origins Carving of the Tauroctony, from the London Mithraeum, via the Museum of London Of ancient Indo-Iranian origin, Mithraism was centered in present-day Iran, the epicenter of the Persian Empire. Significantly predating Western historiography, Zoroastrian Mithras was first recorded (in the West) by early Greeks such as Herodotus and Xenophon. A cosmic power, the eastern Mithras ascended to the heavens overseeing the order of the universe. Associated with fire and the sun …

1,700-year-old inscription may show how Christianity overtook Roman cult An Aramaic inscription found at Zerzevan Castle documents the closure of a Mithras temple. This ancient text provides rare written evidence of religious transition in Roman Turkey. The inscription, dating to the third or fourth century AD, mentions both Mithras and Jesus Christ. It also includes references to the Holy Cross, signifying a Christian presence. This discovery adds to other early Christian archaeological finds in present-day Turkey.

Ancient Aramaic inscription reveals early Christians sealed Türkiye's ... Anewly deciphered Aramaic inscription has shown that the underground Mithras Temple at Zerzevan Castle in southeastern Türkiye was sealed off by Christians around 1,700 years ago during the Roman Empire, according to researchers working at the site. The temple, uncovered during excavations at the ancient military settlement in Diyarbakir's Cinar district, belongs to Mithraism, a mystery religion that was widespread in the Roman world, especially in the second and third centuries A.D. The underground sanctuary at Zerzevan is considered one of the most significant Mithras temples found in a Roman military context. The inscription, found at the entrance of the Mithras Temple, was deciphered by Professor Mehmet Sait Toprak, head of the Syriac Language and Literature Department at Mardin Artuklu University. His study used epigraphic and philological analysis, meaning the writing was examined through its letter forms, language structure and historical context. Researchers said the inscription matches old Syriac and Aramaic writing features from the third and fourth centuries A.D. It was also compared with Syri…