During the ongoing archaeological excavations in Eğil Castle in Diyarbakır in southeastern Türkiye, graves dating back to 1600-1900 years ago were found.
Prof. Dr. Vecihi Özkaya, the head of the excavation, said that one of the graves may belong to St. Thaddeus, “There is information that St. Thaddeus saw Jesus Christ and received orders from him, that he was slaughtered in the Bingöl region while communicating his orders and that he was buried here.”
Surrounded by deep valleys and built on a monolithic rock, Eğil Castle is located in Eğil district, where the prophets Zülkifl and Elyesa, whose names are mentioned in the Holy Quran, are believed to be buried.
Especially in the lower part of the rock church, which is estimated to be about 1900 years old and has many cross symbols on its walls, the excavation team found two tombs bearing traces of rituals and decorated with different cross motifs.
Head of Excavation Prof. Dr. Özkaya stated that Eğil is an important center for Christian and Jewish beliefs as well as Muslims, and said that the values belonging to Christian culture have started to emerge during the excavations.
Özkaya stated, “With our studies, we have seen that this place was built not just as a rock church, but also as a church complex. We discovered two caves designed in accordance with religious architecture in the lower part of the church. The possibility that this tomb may belong to one of the Christian saints has prompted us to investigate this area more deeply. Our research indicates that this church was an important center for the region and the Christian world between the 1st and 6th centuries AD.”
Özkaya stated that according to Armenian records, the grave in the rock church may belong to Thaddeus or locally known as Mar Addai, one of the Christian saints who was slain in Bingöl region in 50 A.D. “It is known that St. Thaddeus saw Jesus Christ, received orders from him and was martyred in Bingöl region while delivering his orders. The data we have obtained indicates that this large area may belong to St. Thaddeus.
In the caves, traces such as places for rituals and offerings were found. These traces suggest that these locations may be burial sites of Christian saints. The area where the tombs are located is dated to approximately 1900 years ago, while the tombs themselves are dated to between 1600 and 1900 years ago. There are signs in the form of crosses and symbols carved into the walls that indicate the possibility of sacred individuals being buried here.
Cover Photo: Anadolu Agency
