Savaria Mithraeum, Roman temple ruins in Szombathely, Hungary.
The Savaria Mithraeum is a Roman temple in Szombathely featuring stone altars decorated with relief scenes depicting the mythology and rituals of the god Mithras. Stone benches line the walls of the inner sanctuary where worshippers gathered during ceremonies.
This sanctuary was built during Roman times as a meeting place for followers of Mithras worship. A major fire in the fourth century caused the structure to collapse, burying it underground for centuries.
The temple walls display geometric patterns and figurative scenes painted with costly pigments like Egyptian Blue and vermilion. These expensive colors reveal how much the local Roman community valued this sacred place.
The site is located beneath a modern shopping center, so accessing it requires entering the building. Visitors can explore the underground sanctuary in a controlled setting and view well-preserved Roman architecture up close.
This temple was discovered only in 2008 during construction of the shopping center, having been completely hidden until then. This accidental find allowed archaeologists to gain rare insight into the religious practices of the Roman population in the region.
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