A team of Turkish archaeologists has unearthed a rare sanctuary dedicated to Cybele, the Great Mother goddess, in the heart of the ancient Phrygian highlands. The temple, dating back to the 4th century BCE, features a monolithic rock-cut facade and an internal courtyard filled with hundreds of intact terracotta votives representing the deity and her animal companions.
The discovery is particularly significant because of its high-altitude location and the survival of perishable ritual remains, including charred grains and remnants of woven fibers found in offering pits. This provides a rare glimpse into the rural worship patterns of the Anatolian plateau before Hellenistic influence became dominant in the region's urban centers.