An open-air cult area has been found in the ancient city of Kastabala

An open-air cult area has been found in the ancient city of Kastabala, located in Osmaniye province in southeastern Türkiye, dating back 2,700 years.

Kastabala was called the ‘Holy City’ by Antiochos due to the temple of the goddess named ‘Perasia’.

Archaeological excavations in the ancient city are being carried out in collaboration with the Osmaniye Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism and Osmaniye Korkut Ata University (OKÜ).

The team led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Faris Demir focused on the area surrounding the remains of a temple from the Archaic Period during this excavation season in 2023.

Faris Demir said, ‘In the excavations, an open-air cult area older than the temple was identified. This area is located beneath and beside the temple. In the open-air cult area, one statue base and two cisterns were found. This area was used as a stone quarry in the past. The stones cut here were used in the construction of the temple.’

New information related to Anatolian history is being uncovered in the inscriptions found in the city.

In inscriptions dating back to the 5th century BC, it was noted that the local people mentioned the goddess ‘Kubaba Pirwaşua’ of the Luwians of that time. He explained:

“The root of the word ‘Pirwa’ in Pirwaşua means rocky area and rock temple. The remains we have uncovered here align with the inscriptions we have found. The ancient city of Kastabala, a mixture of legends and reality, has proven to be an important archaeological site that harbors many mysteries. This year’s excavation work has revealed numerous data and new findings that could change the history of Anatolia.”

Cover Photo: Muzaffer Çağlıyaner/AA