17 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

The Temple of Persian Water Goddess Anahita Discovered in Iraqi Kurdistan

Archaeologists excavating the Rabana-Merquly mountain fortress in what is present-day Iraqi Kurdistan suggest that it may also have served as a sanctuary for the Persian water goddess Anahita.

Rabana-Merquly is an archaeological site in Iraqi Kurdistan’s Zagros Mountains, on the flanks of Mt. Piramagrun. This fortified stronghold is made up of perimeter defenses that surround adjacent settlements in the Rabana Valley and on the Merquly plateau. The main Parthian-era occupation dates from the second to first centuries BCE.

Architectural structures next to a natural waterfall and the remains of a possible fire altar indicate the existence of a worship site, according to Dr Michael Brown, a researcher at the Institute of Prehistory, Protohistory, and Ancient Near Eastern Archeology at the University of Heidelberg. Dr. Michael Brown has led excavations there for several years.

Through multiple excavation campaigns conducted since 2009 and, more recently, between 2019 and 2022, an international research team studied the archaeological remains in situ.

A rock relief overlooking the fortified entrance to Rabana depicts an anonymous ruler, most likely a local Parthian vassal king who is credited with founding the site. Inside Rabana Valley, the researchers discovered a religious complex that could have been dedicated to the goddess Anahita.

Rabana ‘sanctuary’. Photo: Rabana-Merquly Archaeological Project
Rabana ‘sanctuary’. Photo: Rabana-Merquly Archaeological Project

The water goddess Anahita was first mentioned in a manuscript collection of the Zoroastrian religion called the Avesta. There, she is portrayed as the celestial source of all the Earth’s waters and is described as an incredibly beautiful woman with the ability to take on the shape of a cascading stream or waterfall. During the Seleucid and Parthian periods, the cult of Anahita was highly revered in the western regions of Iraq.

Inside Rabana, the focus of occupation was in the northeast, where the wadi that runs through the valley enters from a narrow gorge high up in the mountain. Following heavy rain and snowmelt, this creates an ephemeral waterfall with monumental stone architecture at its base. A small (fire?) altar within a sub-rectangular niche has been carved into the escarpment nearby. The overall impression is of a sanctuary complex, with the presence of water implying a cultic connection to the goddess Anahita.

Therefore, the main evidence supporting the theory that a potential Anahita sanctuary was a part of the Rabana-Merquly mountain fortress comes from the discovery of architectural extensions in the natural setting of a seasonal waterfall inside the complex.

“The proximity to the waterfall is significant because the association of fire and water elements played an important role in pre-Islamic Persian religion,” states Michael Brown.

Rabana rock relief. (illustration by M. Brown. Rabana-Merquly Archaeological Project)

The site contains the remains of a building, where archaeologists discovered two distinctive burial vessels radiocarbon dated to the second to first centuries BC in 2022. This suggests that the shrine was in use when the fortified settlements of Rabana and Merquly were established.

According to Dr. Brown, there may have been a pre-existing shrine that was absorbed into the Anahita cult during the Parthian era, which could have been pivotal in the occupation of the mountain.

Dr. Brown believes there may have been a pre-existing sanctuary that was absorbed into the Anahita cult during the Parthian era, which could have been pivotal in the occupation of the mountain. At that time, many religious sites also functioned as dynastic cult places honoring the king and his ancestors, explains the Heidelberg archaeologist.

“Even if the cult site cannot be definitively attributed to the water goddess Anahita due to the lack of similar archaeological finds for direct comparison, the Rabana sanctuary still provides us with a fascinating glimpse into the regional sacral and geopolitical interconnections during the Parthian era,” states Dr. Brown.

The paper is published in the journal Iraq.

 DOI: 10.1017/irq.2023.6

Cover Photo: Waterfall with main staircase and boulevard, in the fortress. Rabana-Merquly Archaeological Project

Related Articles

The discovery of a 380-million-year-old heart sheds new light on our bodies’ evolution

16 September 2022

16 September 2022

Researchers from Curtin University have discovered the world’s oldest heart in a ‘beautifully preserved’ ancient jawed fish fossil 380 million...

Scientists reveal new discovery inside the Pyramid of Khufu

20 March 2023

20 March 2023

An Egyptian pyramid for 4,500 years is still spilling secrets. After a years-long project using modern technology to reveal the...

Incredible Mayan Inventions and Achievements

31 July 2022

31 July 2022

The Mayans excelled at agriculture, pottery, writing, calendars, and arithmetic, leaving an incredible quantity of spectacular architecture and symbolic artwork...

Unusual Iron Age Female Grave Found in Pryssgården, Sweden

3 November 2024

3 November 2024

In an Iron Age cemetery in Sweden, archaeologists found a woman’s grave buried with a small needle and an iron...

A woman in the Czech Republic found a medieval jackpot during a walk

29 May 2024

29 May 2024

A woman walking in the town of Kutná Hora in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic found a...

The New Study, Reveals Invisible Stews

25 November 2022

25 November 2022

New Results of Organic Residue Analyzes of Beveled Rim Bowls in Mesopotamia Reveal Invisible Stews. The world’s first urban state...

Derinkuyu: A Subterranean Marvel of Ancient Engineering with 18 Levels and Capacity for 20,000 Inhabitants

2 May 2025

2 May 2025

Beneath the sun-drenched plains of Cappadocia, where otherworldly “fairy chimney” rock formations pierce the sky, lies a secret world carved...

A protected Punic-Roman tower “Tal-Wilġa” has been turned into a building site

15 August 2021

15 August 2021

The Tal-Wilga tower, one of Malta’s Punic-Roman heritage sites, is in danger from construction work near it. The Superintendent of...

Archaeologists Find Rare Ancient African Figurines in Christian Graves in Negev Desert

2 June 2025

2 June 2025

Researchers have uncovered five miniature figurines, including intricately carved African heads, in 1,500-year-old graves in Israel’s Negev Desert. These rare...

4,500-Year-Old Three Warrior Graves Found in Germany, One Still Wearing an Arm Guard

30 January 2025

30 January 2025

Extraordinary discovery during the construction of a New Power Line: Archaeologists unearth a cemetery from the Copper Age with Three...

500-year-old Ottoman bath revived after years of restoration

5 April 2024

5 April 2024

The 500-year-old Zeyrek Çinili Hammam, a masterpiece of Mimar Sinan and one of the most important examples of Ottoman Bath...

From Türkiye to Iraq: Returning 6,000-Year-Old Cuneiform Tablets That Unlock Ancient Mesopotamia

2 July 2025

2 July 2025

Türkiye has made a significant contribution to cultural diplomacy and historical justice by returning six ancient cuneiform clay tablets to...

Roman Bath Complex Found under Spain’s Caños de Meca beach

22 May 2021

22 May 2021

A well-preserved ancient Roman bath complex emerged from the sand of a beach in the Andalusian region of southwestern Spain....

Works on Brussels metro line uncovered remains of the second city wall

18 April 2023

18 April 2023

Construction work on the new metro line 3 in Brussels, the Belgian capital, has revealed part of the second rampart...

Bronze Age Settlement and Neolithic Relics Found at Skaņkalne Hillfort in Latvia

9 August 2025

9 August 2025

Archaeologists have uncovered remarkable evidence of ancient human habitation during the latest excavations at Skaņkalne Hillfort, offering fresh insights into...