17 October 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Getting to Know Matar Kubilea

Hittite state’s, With its collapse in 1200-1190 BC, Anatolia entered a period of drift from holistic to dispersal. (The Hittite state’s gathering of small city kingdoms under its own rule was the foundation of the union that started in Anatolia.) There are many theories about this collapse. One of the most important of these is that there are climatic changes. We know how important sudden climate changes are in human life. States with agriculture-based economies such as Hittites cannot be expected to be unaffected by these changes. It has a great role not only in climate changes but also in problems such as the change of internal dynamics, political conflicts, and the northern neighbor Gashka / Kaska.

Following the collapse of the Hittite empire, many different ethnic groups came to Anatolia. Balkan / Thracian immigrants who started to come to Anatolia from the Balkans in this period draws attention. The that stand out from this ethnic group are Mysler, Bythins and Phrgy. The effects of these tribes are so decisive that the names of the regions in the middle and northwest of Anatolia were named after them in ancient times.

So, in general, what did the Phrygians we mentioned above believe? How were their religious beliefs?

The Phrgyys religion appears to be monotheistic at first sight. At the head of their religious belief is a goddess named “Matar”, that is, “Mother”. Although Matar is known by different names, it is mostly called Matar Kubilea, Matar Areyastin, Agdistis (Stone woman).



📣 Our WhatsApp channel is now LIVE! Stay up-to-date with the latest news and updates, just click here to follow us on WhatsApp and never miss a thing!!



In fact, Matar Kubilea is not a foreign goddess to Anatolia. She is a known and respected goddess in Anatolia since the Early Neolithic age. It means abundance for Anatolia. Late Hittites named him Kubaba, Helenler Meter Magale and Kybele, Romans Magna Mater (Great Mother) they said.

For Phrygians, Matar Kubilea is a goddess of nature, ruler of foreign animals (Potnia Theron), protector of cities and young girls. Matar Kubilea sits on high mountains and cliffs for Phrygians. The name Kubilea means mountain in Phrygian / Phrygians. The Mother goddess, who has represented abundance in Anatolia since the Early Neolithic times, serves the same purpose in Phrygs. It has qualities that represent all vitality, abundance, and fertility in nature.

Since she is the only goddess shown as iconography in Phrygian works, it is not difficult to understand her importance at all. The mother goddess depicted in the reliefs has a high headdress (Polos) and long clothes on it. She stops in the doorway and a bird of prey in her hand is sometimes depicted with two lions.

In the spring, the Phrygs held special rituals for this goddess. For these rituals, they built open-air temples just like in Yazılıkaya (Boğazköy). If we want to count the most important of these, the ones in the Great Temple in Midas City and the Small Unfinished Temple, Arslankaya, Arezastis, Big and Small KĂŒbi Rock, Bahßiß, Maltaß and Kumcaboğaz should be counted. It is still possible to see the mother goddess in long garments in these depictions shown in high relief techniques.

Located at the entrance of BĂŒyĂŒkkale and having steps carved out of the rock in Midas city, the monument is the most beautiful altars built for the Mother Goddess. In some depictions of the mother goddess, two musicians are seen next to it.

The Phrygians probably acquired this belief after their friendship with Pipiris, one of the Late Hittite Kings, during the reign of Midas, also known as the great king. Maybe the reason why is adopted and loved so much is that these people of Thracian origin is to carry a breeze from the land come from.

Related Articles

Polish researchers reveal what ancient Egyptian faience has to do with gold

31 December 2022

31 December 2022

Powdered quartz used to make faience vessels discovered by Polish archaeologists during excavations in the ancient city of Athribis in...

A first-of-its-kind Ayyanar stone idol found in Vellore, India

25 June 2022

25 June 2022

An Ayyanar stone idol, the first of its kind in Vellore, was discovered at Thandalai Krishnapuram (TK Puram) in Tamil...

Archaeologists have found seven pairs of Anglo-Saxon brooches in seven graves during an excavation in Gloucestershire

5 April 2022

5 April 2022

Archaeologists have found seven pairs of Anglo-Saxon saucer brooches, one pair in each of seven burials unearthed in an excavation...

148 Ancient Tombs Spanning 2,100 Years Unearthed in the Construction Area of the Zoo

18 August 2024

18 August 2024

An ancient burial site with 148 tombs,  spanning over 2,100 years, has been discovered on the construction site of the...

Israeli researchers uncover earliest evidence silver used as currency in Levant

9 January 2023

9 January 2023

On Sunday, Israeli archaeologists revealed that they had found the earliest proof of silver being used as money in the...

Medallion of Emperor Caracalla Minted in Pergamon Found in Roman Tombs in Bulgaria

13 February 2024

13 February 2024

One of the valuable discoveries from the Roman tombs discovered near the village of Nova Varbovka in Strazhitsa municipality in...

Archaeologists Discover Old Bulgarian Inscription and Rich Finds at Nikopol Fortress Excavations

2 September 2025

2 September 2025

This summer’s archaeological season at the Nikopol Fortress has yielded one of the most remarkable discoveries in recent years: an...

The Mysterious Prehistoric Underwater Structure Beneath Lake Michigan

6 February 2024

6 February 2024

A prehistoric structure reminiscent of England’s iconic Stonehenge has been uncovered in Grand Traverse Bay, an arm of Lake Michigan...

Research Shows Early North Americans Made Eyed Needles from Fur-Bearers

3 December 2024

3 December 2024

Archaeologists from the University of Wyoming have found bone 13,000-year-old eyed needles crafted from the bones of various furry animals....

Early Roman Aqueduct Discovered in Turkey’s Aydın Province

27 May 2021

27 May 2021

In the Kußadasi region of western Turkey’s Aydin, archaeologists and scholars unearthed an approximately 2,000-year-old ancient Roman aqueduct. Experts believe...

World’s Oldest Place Name Signs

4 February 2021

4 February 2021

Throughout the history of the world, our interest and curiosity in ancient cultures and lives continue to increase day by...

The largest stone coffin grave found so far at the Yoshinogari Ruins -3.2 meters

30 May 2023

30 May 2023

A grave with a stone coffin around 2.3 meters long and dating to the latter part of the Yayoi Period...

Unique ‘Excalibur’ Sword Found Upright in Ground Unearthed in Spain Holds Islamic Origins

26 April 2024

26 April 2024

Researchers have finally unraveled the mysteries of the historical sword discovered in Spain 30 years ago, which they named ‘Excalibur’...

Bronze age settlement found under in Swiss lake

23 April 2021

23 April 2021

For the first time, archaeologists discovered traces of a Bronze Age lakeside village beneath the surface of Lake Lucerne. The...

Analysis of 13,000-Year-Old Bones Reveals Violent Raids in Prehistoric ‘Jebel Sahaba’

28 May 2021

28 May 2021

Since its discovery in the 1960s, the 13-millennium-old Jebel Sahaba cemetery (Nile Valley, Sudan) has been regarded as one of...