Besides being a fortress for military use, the ancient mountain settlement of Rabana-Merquly in modern Iraqi Kurdistan could have also been a 'sanctuary' dedicated to the ancient Persian water goddess ...

A pair of rock reliefs found at Rabana-Merquly may depict Natounissar, an ancient Adiabene king linked to the lost city of Natounia. © Rabana-Merquly Archaeological ...

Waterfall with main staircase and boulevard, in the fortress. Credit: Rabana-Merquly Archaeological Project The ancient mountain settlement of Rabana-Merquly, situated in present-day Iraqi Kurdistan, ...

Rabana-Merquly: Was the Mountain Fortress also a Parthian-Era Sanctuary? Archaeological excavations in Iraqi Kurdistan point to a place of worship for the water goddess Anahita Besides being a ...