3,000-Year-Old Cosmic Sanctuary Discovered in Sogmatar, Turkey

Part of interior of Pognon’s cave, past tract of Sogmatar. Credit: Klaus-Peter Simon / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Archaeologists person uncovered a 3,000-year-old operation astatine the ancient site of Sogmatar successful southeastern Turkey, shedding caller airy connected the region’s celestial and spiritual past. The find reveals what experts picture arsenic a uncommon illustration of an Iron Age analyzable apt tied to some civic beingness and sky-worship traditions — a beardown denotation that Sogmatar erstwhile served arsenic a benignant of cosmic sanctuary.

The building, recovered adjacent the colony of Yağmurlu successful Şanlıurfa’s Eyyübiye district, consists of 7 adjoining rooms with walls up to 2 meters (6.6 feet) high and 1 metre (3.3 feet) thick.

Dr. Süheyla İrem Mutlu, who leads the excavation successful coordination with the Şanlıurfa Museum nether Celal Uludağ, said aboriginal grounds points to the Neo-Assyrian play successful the archetypal millennium BCE. According to her, the tract apt played a dual relation — some administrative and ceremonial — integrated into broader lunar cult practices.

Sogmatar has agelong been linked to ancient astral worship. Known for its rock-cut tombs and spiritual reliefs, including depictions of the satellite and sun, the tract was thought to beryllium a ineffable necropolis.

📍 Şanlıurfa'daki Soğmatar Antik Kenti'nde yaklaşık 3000 yıl öncesine tarihlenen kamusal yapı ortaya çıkarıldı.

Kazılar Geleceğe Miras Projesi kapsamında Şanlıurfa Müze Müdürü Celal Uludağ'ın başkanlığında Harran Üniversitesi Arkeoloji Bölümü’nden Süheyla İrem Mutlu’nun… pic.twitter.com/B36NHhr5xy

— arkeolojihaber ® (@arkeolojihaber) October 13, 2025

However, the caller find changes that narrative. Dr. Mutlu explained that this gathering suggests a much analyzable layout — combining ritual, civic, and funerary purposes successful a azygous municipality plan.

Necropolis and lunar web connections

Excavations person besides uncovered 83 rock-carved tombs crossed the site’s necropolis, dating from the Early Bronze Age to the Roman period.

These tombs scope from elemental vertical shafts dating backmost to astir 2400 BCE to much elaborate Roman-style chambers with staircases. The continuity of usage implicit millennia underscores the site’s lasting ineffable significance.

Adding to its value is Sogmatar’s alignment with Harran, 1 of Mesopotamia’s astir enduring spiritual centers. Harran’s temple to the satellite deity Sin was progressive for centuries and supported by rulers similar Shalmaneser III and Ashurbanipal. While Harran was expansive successful scale, researchers judge Sogmatar functioned arsenic a smaller, determination hold of its lunar network.

One theory, presented by historiographer Theodor Hary, suggests Sogmatar was designed arsenic an open-air observatory successful the archetypal oregon 2nd period CE. The alignment of reliefs and structures with planetary positions points to a deliberate effort to reflector the nighttime entity arsenic seen from Harran.

Central to the tract is Pognon Cave, a abstraction dedicated to the worship of the satellite deity Sin, and a adjacent elevation known arsenic Kutsal Tepe (Sacred Hill), wherever inscriptions and celestial carvings stay etched into the scenery — further anchoring Sogmatar’s relation arsenic a cosmic sanctuary rooted successful sky-worship and past science.