The Ancient Atlas

Qadamgah

RockcutMiddle East

Rock-cut monument complex in West Azerbaijan Province near Maku, northwestern Iran. The site includes a Mithraic temple carved into the cliff face with precise rectangular niches and chambers, and an isolated monumental staircase carved into bedrock. Local tradition interprets the staircase as a 'footstep' of a sacred figure (qadamgah means 'place of the footstep' in Persian). The Mithraic association places the visible work in the 1st-3rd c. CE Parthian era, but the scale and precision of the rock-cutting invite earlier dating.

39.2944°, 44.4936°

Look Closer — this site carries open questions: stones fitted without mortar, almost no gap; geometry beyond period explanation.
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Walkthrough videos (2)

Qadamgah Mithra TempleQadamgah Mithra TempleAgeless RockQadamgah Monument : Awesome but Alone without storyQadamgah Monument : Awesome but Alone without storyAgeless Rock

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