Zerzevan Castle and Mithras Temple - Turkey

Roman soldiers stayed at Zerzevan Castle in Diyarbakir's Cinar area. It preserves the remains of several cultural-belief eras that collectively comprise humanity's cultural progress. All the qualities and technological advancements of the period are reflected in the architectural constructions of pagan and Christian Rome. The temple inside the castle is the final Mithraeum (Temple of Mithras) ever discovered and the first temple on Rome's eastern frontier. These characteristics have earned Zerzevan Castle & Mithraeum a spot on the tentative UNESCO World Heritage List.

 

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During the Persian Period (550-331 BC), the settlement area on King's Road was used to ensure safety in the area. It is believed that a castle named Kinabu existed there during the Assyrian Period (882-611 BC). Construction on the primary military base began during the Severan Period (198-235 AD). When there was no war, it is believed that 400 residents & about 1,200 soldiers resided in this military community. During the reigns of Justinian I (527-565 A.D.) and Anastasios I (491-518 A.D.), the area's walls and structures were renovated, and certain buildings were completely rebuilt and brought to their present condition. The Islamic army continuously used the stronghold until the area was conquered in 639. After this date, Zerzevan Castle lost its strategic significance and was only used as a temporary shelter.

 

In the 1890s, a family moved into the castle and had 17 houses. Due to a water shortage and infrastructure problems, they moved to Demirolcek Village in 1967 and helped to establish it there, which is very close to Zerzevan.

 

For about 1,400 years, Zerzevan Castle had no excavation work. The corpses of military and civilians are being found in the excavations that have just started. Numerous well-preserved items from everyday and military life, including Roman surgical tools, personal jewellery, women's hairpins, oil lamps, and pottery vessels, have been uncovered. So far, a sizable collection of both Christian and pagan Rome has been photographed. In addition, Assyrian seals and items made of stone, metal, and pottery were discovered. Soon, the Zerzavan Museum will be constructed, allowing the exhibition of these paintings.

 

The third-generation representatives of the Rockefeller and Rothschild families' visit to the Mithras Temple generated much media interest. This visit's purpose is unknown.

 

USA Badge Found

 

Knowing that this is the site of fascinating discoveries is exciting. A badge displaying the U.S. national symbol was one of the most thrilling finds in Zerzevan Castle. It was recognised that the badge was created using a technology developed after the 15th century and was buried for roughly 250–300 years starting in the 18th century.

 

The United States was founded in 1776, the motif was created in 1782, the first versions of this style of badge or button were first used in the 1850s, and the U.S. army first began using the coat of arms in 1902. Surprisingly, the date on the badge discovered at Zerzevan Castle matches with or just before the founding of the USA. This location is particularly unusual because no such find has ever been made in an archaeological dig anywhere in the globe until this point, and it is unknown how this badge ended up at Zerzevan Castle.

 

Latin text reading "E Pluribus Unum" appears on the U.S. flag. The first official motto of the USA, "E Pluribus Unum," means "from many to unity," and it stands for the unification of the 13 colonies that make up the USA.

Places to visit in Zerzevan Castle

 

The southern part of the town is home to ruins, including a 22-meter-high watch and defensive tower (south tower), church, administration building, arsenal, and rock altar surrounded by 15-meter-high, 1.200-meter-long city walls. In the north, there are streets, avenues, and houses. In the vicinity of the residences are 54 water cisterns, underground churches, underground shelters, Mithraeum, and many more unidentified buildings. Outside the walls, some canals provide water to the village, which also has stone quarries and offering bowls. The necropolis region contains vaulted tombs and rock tombs.

 

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