Soğmatar Ancient City

Many examples of religions and beliefs can be seen together within the historical plane in Şanlıurfa. One of them is Soğmatar, which is important to Christianity and Judaism as well as to Paganism. Soğmatar is an extremely mysterious place with dozens of rock tombs, the Pognon cave, which a secret place of worship, its mound, its central “Sacred Hill” and the ruins of buildings on the surrounding hills.

It is thought that the Soğmatar Cult Center was built in the 2^nd century AD to worship the Solar, Lunar, Stellar and Planetary gods. The open-air temple, i.e. the Sacred Hill, which represents the main god of this religion, Mare-Lahe (Lord of the Gods), constitutes the center of the settlement layout of Soğmatar. The Soğmatar Castle is also on this hill.

Initially it was thought that 7 circular structures, which are located around the Sacred Hill and on the hills, represent Sun, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus and Mercury. However, it was understood that there was a tomb monument and a sacred area according to the researches conducted later. It is now thought that Pagans of Soğmatar, who climbed the Sacred Hill, used to face towards these temples to pray.

What makes Soğmatar unique is the Syriac inscriptions carved on the rock surface at the top of the Sacred Hill instead of the tombstones, the pedestals of the statues or the gates of the artefacts as expected. These writings describe the monumental columns and altars that some important people erected on this hill in the name of Marelahe. There are two god reliefs in human form carved on rocks on the part that is close to the top on the north side of the Sacred Hill. The one on the right is a male figure standing 1.10 meters tall. There is an image in oyster shape that symbolizes the sun, behind the head of this figure, with a kneelong dress.

The architectural ruins in Büyük Senem Mığar Köyü, which is located 11 km north of Soğmatar, and the houses carved in rock just like in Cappadocia, indicate that the region was an important center in the first periods of Christianity.

It is also believed that Prophet Moses who escaped from the Pharaoh engaged in farming here, and that one of the wells in the village was opened by his miraculous staff.