ÇEVRE HIGHLIGHTS - 28. SAYI

53 HAZ ø RAN 2025 Zerzevan Castle – Interviewwith Prof. Dr. Aytaç COŞKUN Interviewed By: Begüm Renda, Nehir Özçolak, Kemal Ege Sucu What can you tell us about Zerzevan Castle and its historical importance? Zerzevan Castle was a Roman border garrison and a military city. It is one of the best-preserved garrisons in the world, inhabited for over 3,000 years. Its significance is heightened by the presence of a Mithraeum (Mithras Temple), which sheds light on Rome’s esoteric mystery religion. The historical findings from archaeological excavations here are incredibly valuable. Tens of thousands of unique artifacts have been unearthed so far, offering insight into both the social and military life of the Assyrian, Persian, Parthian, and especially Roman periods. Excavation and restoration efforts at Zerzevan began in 2014 and continue effectively today. We visitedZerzevanCastle as one of the stops on our Göbeklitepe trip, and it was incredibly impressive. Do other Roman garrisons also have a Mithras Temple? This is actually one of the features that makes Zerzevan so important. There are no similar examples in Anatolia. There are some in Syria and the UK, but the best-preserved one is located at Zerzevan. Typically, Mithraic temples or sacred sites were built outside cities. Thanks to its unique character, Zerzevan Castle and the Mithraeum are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List, and it is likely to be included on the main list soon. You’ve mentioned how important this place is. What are some of the most striking discoveries made during the excavations? For instance, a 3,000-year-old Assyrian seal made of chlorite stone was discovered, buried deep underground alongside other Assyrian artifacts. The seal features a tree of life and a deity figure. It was essentially the signature of an Assyrian official, used to seal important documents written in cuneiform. This way, the recipient could tell both if the letter had been opened and who sent it. That makes it a very significant find. We’ve also uncoveredmany surgical tools—another major discovery. Bone flutes were found as well, indicating that the site was not just military in nature. One of these flutes was found near the Mithraeum, suggesting musical instruments were used duringMithraic ceremonies. These findings show that art also existed within the fortress. Another remarkable artifact is a baptismal basin, a truly unique Christian relic with no known parallel in the world. It was actually discovered back in 1895 and taken to the Istanbul Archaeological Museum. We’ve since returned it to Diyarbakır, where it now resides in the Diyarbakır Archaeology Museum. People come from all over the world just to see this baptismal basin. What advice would you give to young people like us, living in a region rich in historical sites, about protecting our history and culture? We’re working hard to ensure the preservation and full public accessibility of Zerzevan Castle and the Mithras Sanctuary. One of our main goals is to highlight the site not only archaeologically but also through social projects. We want to involve children, young people, and the local community as much as possible, and we’re implementing projects in this direction. It’s important to raise awareness among youth about protecting archaeological sites. My advice to you would be: first, understand what we’re doing here. Do research, read, raise awareness in your surroundings, and visit archaeological sites and museums. Could you also tell us a bit about how the excavation process works? What challenges do you face during fieldwork? Excavations go on all year round without interruption. Restoration efforts are also at a critical stage. Weather conditions are a major challenge, and such delicate work requires extreme precision. Excavation is not just about digging—it’s actually the easiest part. What’s more important is thoroughly documenting the cultural and archaeological artifacts we find. We photograph them, draw them, and determine the proper preservation conditions. Only then can we remove them from the ground. We have excavation houses and labs near the site, where the artifacts are documented and then handed over to restorers. After cleaning, the artifacts are re-documented and prepared for both scientific study and museum display. At the end of each year, we submit the findings to the museum, and those suitable for exhibition are presented to visitors like yourselves. Thank you very much for joining our interview. Thank you.