Lost Temple Unearthed in Amasya: Built from Volcanic Rock, Absent from Ancient Records

Archaeologists in Türkiye have uncovered a mysterious 2,600-year-old temple at Oluz Höyük in Amasya—one that is absent even from the writings of ancient historians such as Herodotus and Strabo. The discovery sheds new light on Central Anatolia’s religious landscape during the Iron Age.

Excavations, led for 19 years by Prof. Dr. Şevket Dönmez of Istanbul University, revealed the Sanctuary of Kubaba, a monumental cult complex dating to the Phrygian period. The site includes altars, a sacred chamber, and a symbolic cult stone representing the Anatolian goddess Kubaba.

“This is why we call it a ‘lost temple,’” Dönmez explained. “No ancient author ever mentioned the Oluz Höyük Kubaba sanctuary. Yet here we stand before a massive, enigmatic religious system on the Anatolian steppe.”

Volcanic Origins Confirmed

Analysis confirmed that the temple was built using fine-grained, greenish tuff blocks—the same volcanic stone quarried in antiquity at Doğantepe, 10 km away. “The petrographic patterns of the temple stones and the quarry samples are identical,” noted Dr. Ersin Kaygısız, an astrogeologist involved in the study. “They were chosen not only for their color but also because they were easier to shape and transport.”

Part of the “Heritage for the Future” Project

Supported by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Heritage for the Future Project, excavations have shown that nearly 90% of Oluz Höyük’s monumental architecture was constructed with this striking volcanic stone. The find highlights Anatolia’s deep cultural layers: Oluz Höyük itself dates back some 6,500 years, but its Iron Age temple now stands as a unique discovery with no direct parallel in written history.