Zerzevan Castle and Mithras Temple

Its story

Zerzevan Castle is 13 kilometers from Çınar, near the Demirölçek neighborhood, on a hill rising about 124 meters above road level. Excavations show that the site was used from the Assyrian period until the Islamic conquest in 639; the main military settlement was founded in the Roman Severan period and repaired in the late 5th–early 6th century under Emperor Anastasius. Inside the walls, about 1,200 meters long and reaching 15 meters in height, are a watchtower, a headquarters building, cisterns, an underground church and houses. Found in 2017 carved into the bedrock, the Mithras Temple is one of the rare examples of this mysterious cult on Rome's eastern frontier. Excavations ongoing since 2014 continue; the site is on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List.

Period

9th century BC – AD 639

Admission

Check the current status

Getting there

45th km of the Diyarbakır–Mardin road, Demirölçek

Visit duration

1.5–2 hours

Trip purpose

• Photography
• Day trip
• Hiking

Location

37.60861, 40.49900

No approved reviews yet. Reviews are written in the app after a visit.