Zerzevan Castle, Roman archaeological site in Çınar, Turkey.
Zerzevan Castle features massive defensive walls stretching 1,200 meters in length and reaching heights of 15 meters, encompassing a 21-meter watchtower, residential quarters, administrative buildings, storage facilities, water channels, and 54 cisterns across its six-hectare complex.
Constructed in the 4th century as an Eastern Roman military fortress, Zerzevan Castle served as a strategic garrison controlling trade routes between Amida and Dara, witnessing significant reconstructions under Emperor Justin I and Emperor Justinian I during the late 5th and early 6th centuries.
The site houses the first Mithraic temple discovered on the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire, along with underground sanctuaries and a subterranean church, reflecting the coexistence of mystery religions, early Christian practices, and Roman military traditions in antiquity.
Located 13 kilometers from Çınar district center in Diyarbakır province, the site attracts over 20,000 weekly visitors and offers guided tours through its preserved structures, underground chambers, and archaeological excavation areas with proper visitor arrangements required for certain sections.
Recent excavations revealed a completely sealed underground city beneath the castle, including hidden passages, a sanctuary capable of sheltering 400 people, and subterranean chambers that remained untouched for thousands of years until modern archaeological discoveries.
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