Conny Waters – AncientPages.com – Shamash, the Sun god in ancient Near Eastern mythology, was revered for his associations with truth, justice, and healing. He played a significant role in the pantheons of Sumer, Babylonia, and Assyria.
In Sumerian culture, he was known as Utu. Similarly important was Nanna, the Moon god of ancient Sumerian mythology. Known as Su’en or Sin in Akkadian and often referred to as En-Zu in Assyrian—meaning “Lord of Wisdom”—Nanna’s origins trace back to Ur and Uruk.
Symbols representing Sin (center), Ishtar (left) and Shamash (right), as depicted on the upper half of a kudurru of Meli-Shipak II. Public Domain Right: Ruins of the ancient sanctuary in Sogmatar. Credit: Rauf Maltas/AA
Both Shamash and Nanna held great significance for the people of the ancient Near East. Recently, archaeologists have uncovered a 3,000-year-old sacred sanctuary in Sogmatar near Eyyubiye in Sanliurfa, Türkiye. The name Sogmatar derives from “Matar,” an Arabic word meaning rain. This region is steeped in legend; it is said that Prophet Moses fled from Pharaoh here and performed miracles such as opening a well with his scepter.
Credit: Rauf Maltas/AA
At the heart of this town lies a hill with remnants dating back to the 2nd century, when it served as a pagan center featuring seven temples dedicated to celestial bodies: Sun, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, and Mercury. Known for its rock-cut tombs and religious reliefs depicting celestial symbols such as the moon and sun, Sogmatar has long been associated with celestial worship.
Sogmatar, a now-deserted oasis, is an archaeological site rich in history and cultural significance. It features ruins and tombs encircling a central rock mound that stands 50 meters (160 ft) high and wide. The site has yielded Syriac inscriptions from the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE, which mention the “Lord of the gods,” likely referring to the moon god Sin.
Credit: Rauf Maltas/AA
Under the guidance of Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, with contributions from Sanliurfa Museum Director Celal Uludag and Harran University archaeologist Semih Mutlu along with students, research efforts have deepened our understanding of Sogmatar’s intriguing past. The team has discovered 83 rock-cut tombs dating from both the Roman Period and Early Bronze Age. These range from simple vertical shafts dating to around 2400 BCE to more complex Roman-style chambers with staircases. This extensive use over thousands of years highlights its enduring sacred importance.
Dr. Mutlu suggests that this necropolis likely served an elite community of high status. A newly uncovered public complex includes seven distinct rooms with walls approximately 2 meters (6.56 feet) high and about 1 meter thick, showcasing Iron Age construction techniques on a significant scale. Dr. Mutlu emphasizes that evaluating Sogmatar as a whole—both the mound and the necropolis—is crucial for understanding its historical development.
Based on previous studies, Dr. Mutlu posits that Sogmatar functioned in dual capacities—administrative and ceremonial—integrated into broader lunar cult practices; however, recent findings indicate a more intricate layout combining ritualistic, civic, and funerary elements within a single urban plan.
Credit: Rauf Maltas/AA
The site’s alignment with Harran—a major religious center in Mesopotamia known for its temple dedicated to Sin—adds to its historical relevance.
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At the same time, grander in scale than Sogmatar itself was believed by researchers like historian Theodor Hary, who theorizes it served as an open-air observatory during either the first or second century CE, mainly because alignments between reliefs/structures correspond closely alongside planetary positions, suggesting deliberate attempts mirroring night skies visible then at the nearby Harran location too.
Relief of the sun god of the sky and the moon god at Yazilikaya. Credit: Klaus-Peter Simon – CC BY-SA 3.0
Central features include Pognon Cave, devoted specifically to worshipping said deity, alongside the adjacent hill called Kutsal Tepe (“Sacred Hill”), where celestial carvings remain etched into the landscape, further anchoring the role of a cosmic sanctuary rooted in sky-worship and ancient science alike. Founded amidst Parthian attacks circa AD165, Urfa maintained cult center status until the Islamic Period; thereafter, it concluded.
Written by Conny Waters – AncientPages.com Staff Writer
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