CIMRM Supplement - Supposed "temple of Mithras". Dohuk, Iraq.

In 2009 a news article in Bloomberg reported the discovery of a "temple" of Mithras in Dohuk, in the Kurdish region of Northern Iraq¹

June 24 (Bloomberg) -- A temple built by followers of Mithraism, a mystery cult that flourished throughout the Roman Empire from the second to third centuries A.D., has been discovered in Iraq's northern Duhok province. The temple, which consists of three parts, lies in the Badri Mountains in eastern Duhok, and includes a place for prayer facing the sun, the province's antiquities director, Hassan Ahmed Qassim, said in a statement to the Web site of President Jalal Talabani's Patriotic Union of Kurdistan party. "This discovery is important in helping to understand and learn the region's history, and the important stages it passed through," Qassim was quoted by Aswat al-Iraq newspaper as telling a news conference at Duhok University. Mithraism focused on Mithra, the god of the sun, contracts and mutual obligation. It spanned most of the Roman Empire from Rome to Turkey to Britain, and died out after the conversion of Emperor Constantine to Christianity in the fourth century. More than 400 archeological sites linked to Mithraism have been found, along with about 1,000 inscriptions and 1,150 pieces of sculpture. Many of the temples were built underground. The cult was open only to men.

This story has been repeated on other sites.

However a similar report appears in 2006, but this time it is of a temple of Anahita²:

Duhok's Director of Antiquities, Hasan Ahmed Qassim, has announced the discovery of a Zoroastrian temple near Jar Ston Cave, a famous ancient site. The temple is believed to be the most complete to have been unearthed in the region. It is also said that it was a Metherani temple.

Francis Deblauwe comments:³

In late August, the Director of Antiquities in Duhok (a.k.a. Dohuk or Dahuk) in Kurdish Iraq, Hasan Ahmed Qassim, announced his institution had unearthed a Zoroastrian temple of Anna Hita. The same brief article is reproduced in several publications and is not very easy to understand, e.g., "[i]t is also said that it was a Metherani temple." By "Metherani" is meant "Mithraic." The legend of the accompanying photo reads: "The newly discovered Zoroastrian Temple near Jar Ston Cave near Duhok; The picture shows the inside of the cave. Photo: Kurdish Globe." This leaves unclear whether the picture shows the Jar Ston cave or one of the sanctuaries of the Zoroastrian temple. The temple is "made up of five sanctuaries, three of which were carved into rock, with the remaining two having been constructed from stone blocks." This temple's architecture is unique but its Zoroastrian character was confirmed by the presence of Anna Hita's holy star, evidence of fires, fireplaces and "holy sand stores [?] found nearby." No date is given. The religious affiliation is not addressed much either. ...

So far there seems no evidence of any connection with Mithras, nor indeed with the Zoroastrian deity Mithra.