What is Mithraism Belief
What is Mithraism Belief
First of all, let’s answer the question of what Mitra / Mithra means. Mitra is the Sun God (Sun Worship) in ancient Indian belief. This belief is a concept that entered the Iranian belief with Aryan migrations. Mithraism, also known as Mithraic religion, means the religion of worshiping the sun, that is, it is a religious belief in which the sun is accepted as God. Since the sun is the source of light and warmth, it was accepted as the source of life by primitive societies. In addition, this religious belief is a feature that can occur in all primitive societies.
After ascribing a life-giving role to the sun, new actors and rules were created in the institutionalization process of this belief. The reason for this is the thought that an intermediary or intermediaries should exist between God and human; In addition, in the sense of motivating and mobilizing the society, it required the practice of both individual and social rituals, called worship, in order to bring people together at a common point.
As we mentioned above, Indian society is accepted as the first society in which the belief of Mithraism or sun worship, which presents a feature that can occur in all societies, is institutionalized. Afterwards, we can say that it spread to the geography of Iran and from there to Asia, Africa and Europe. Of course, this spread took place in an institutional way, as we said. Although it is not a whole like God, angels, prayers, prayers, sacrifices, intermediary gods, there has been a general spread.
While this belief gained a monotheistic identity with the Zoroastrian religion in Iran, it was integrated into the existing Pagan belief in Rome, and resisted the Israelites as ‘Ra’ in Egypt. However, although it is sometimes replaced or sometimes blended with different belief systems, it has not neglected to add something from itself when it comes to new beliefs.
Despite the periodic dominance of Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Christianity, the religion of Mithra added something of itself to all these beliefs. In the publication of these, the belief of Mithra also influenced some sects considered within the religion of Islam. Some factions within the Shia sect are included in this grouping. Today, the belief that Mithra religion strongly makes itself felt is Yezidism.
In this belief system, turning to the sun and praying at sunrise and sunset is one of the most basic worships. In addition, everything that is useful to humans is valuable and sacred. As in every religion, the clergy have some privileges in the Mithra belief system too. We can list them as being a clergyman from father to son, being in a respectable position, providing financial support from the people on behalf of their temples.
There are three important temples in Turkey that hosted the Mithraic religion. The first and most important of these is in the Deyrulzafaran Monastery in Mardin. It was a holy place where the religion of Mithra was practiced in pre-Christian times. When the Roman imperial army conquered this place, many Roman soldiers adopted the Mithraic religion. These Roman soldiers later revived these Mitra religious shrines in Antep and Diyarbakir. Zerzevan Castle in Diyarbakır and Dülük Mitra Temple in Gaziantep took place in history as important religious temples. These ancient temples, which are open to visitors today, are tourist attractions worth seeing.
By Orhan Harisoglu, What is Mithraism Belief.
