A Trace of Mithra in Northwestern Iran; Based on a Qajar-Era Photograph from the Golestan Palace World Heritage Site Archive

Articles in Press

Document Type : Short Article

Authors

1 Department of Archaeology, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.

2 Independent Researcher, Kermanshah, Iran.

10.22111/ijas.2026.53916.1380

Abstract

An archival photograph from the Qajar period (1896), preserved at the Golestan Palace in Tehran, depicts a rock-cut tomb known as Hulegu Khan’s Cave in northwestern Iran. This tomb features a relief of a lion and a bull carved on its facade. The relief appears to represent a distinctive, possibly ritual scene that has been repeated numerous times within the Iranian cultural sphere. It seems this image carries a symbolic concept and represents a mythological struggle. This study aims to explore the significance of the symbolic relief at the entrance of Hulegu Khan’s Cave. The authors propose that this scene depicts a Mithraic theme, with comparable examples attested from China to Europe; its closest parallel in terms of imagery is the rock-cut tomb of Myra in Turkey. The findings indicate that the relief likely conveys a ritualistic meaning associated with Mithraism in its unique eastern and Iranian form. Although the exact location of this rock-cut tomb and its relief is currently unknown, the monument indicates traces of belief in the god Mithra in northwestern Iran. This aligns with interpretations of findings from the Zahhak Castle Complex regarding Mithraic worship in the region.  

Keywords

Iranian Journal of Archaeological Studies

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 20 December 2026

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