The Celestial Temple of Sogmatar: A Sacred Site Dedicated to Sin and the Planets

Ancient Arab accounts tell of a mysterious temple in eastern Anatolia dedicated to the planets.  The ruins surrounding the modern village of Sogmatar used to be an important city during the Hellenistic Period. It was a center for the worship of the moon and the planets. The site contains an impressive open-air temple which is believed to have been dedicated to the planets, verifying this ancient account.

Sogmatar, about 57 km (35.41 miles) from the ancient city of Harran, flourished as a cultic center and holy city during the time of the Abgar dynasty of Edessa, from the 2nd century BC to the 3rd century AD. Among the ruins in Sogmatar are the remains of walls and turrets on the main hill that date to the 2nd century AD. A sanctuary to the planets is also found on the hill. Among the gods worshiped in the city are the principle deities from the surrounding cultures such as Sin, the Mesopotamian moon god whose main site of veneration was Harran.

“Worship of the Moon God. Cylinder-seal of Khashkhamer, patesi of Ishkun-Sin (in North Babylonia), and vassal of Ur-Engur, king of Ur (c. 2400 BC). (Public Domain)