Ancient fire altar in Amasia

Simin Uysal

Roman coin with the fire altar and the temple 

I was thinking there was nothing more left to learn about Amasia until last week when I started silently wondering about whether having a small fire ceremony would be possible and where we could do it.

My friend, without having an idea about my thoughts, showed me a short article in a magazine the same night, about the historical findings related to a fire altar in Amasia!

This ancient Roman coin, produced in Amasia during the reign of Severus Alexander (222-235 AD) depicts a temple and a fire on the mountain where the remains of the citadel is still standing. The fire altar has been unearthed in 2007 by the archeological excavations by the local museum. Interestingly, it is believed to be dating back to 334-330 BC to the Hellenic period. The museum thinks that the fire cult has been strong in Amasia during Helenic and Roman periods and is associated with Zoroastrianism.

Well, my question seemed to have been answered by the ancestors of this beautiful land. This city continues to amaze me!

The citadel still standing on Mt Harsena