The Cult of Mithras (Mihr) is an ancient religion that originated in Iran. Evidence of this cult's presence can be found across its historical realm, from east to west. Over the past two decades, scholars from various fields have focused on this cult. Due to the lack of documented sources and conclusive empirical evidence, researchers have proposed different hypotheses about the cult's origins and its spread to other regions, each meriting investigation. This article examines these hypotheses alongside the existing evidence related to the Cult of Mithras. Understanding the origin of this cult is crucial for revealing the roots of Western Mithraism, which is undoubtedly connected to its Eastern counterpart. To achieve this, we consider three types of evidence: historical, archaeological, and theoretical. By analyzing these sources, we can trace the origin of the Cult of Mithras to Indo-European ethnicities in eastern antiquity. These groups, after merging with Persian culture, moved westward, forming a religious bricolage. Along the way, they absorbed various cultural influences, eventually developing into the recognized form of Western Mithraism.

Expanding the Mithraism in Europe during early centuries after Christ lead to conformation a new form of architecture contains the spaces related to ritual behaviors of Mithraism. In case of roman mithraeums we can fi nd similar plan in the structures generated from the similarities between religious and believes of roman mithraists. But there is not a unifi ed plan with enough specifi c characteristics in the Iranian mehrābehs. Can we imply that it is the different background of Mithras and Mithraism in Iran and Rome that may explain the various structure and plan of mithraeums and mehrābehes? This paper investigates the Mithraic temples based on the Mithras’s identity in Iran and Rome and compares analytically the plan and form of the temples considering archaeological attributes.

Shabdiz and Golgon, two beautiful horses of Khosrow Parviz’s court, have been the subject of many historians, especially Shabdiz, that according to some historical sources, was one of the wonders of the court of Khosrow Parviz. The fame and glory of this historic horse brought it into the world of myths as far as many Persian literary works came out and many poets used it to create unique works. Since the name of Shabdiz is linked to night and darkness, it is a beautiful theme for the poet's imagination to fly in the night sky; however, the poet's imagination was not limited to the night sky, but the sky of the day, with its companionship, Golgon, was seized by him. Nizami is one of the most talented poets in the field, which illustrates the story of these two beautiful horses in the style of Myth-Lyric. The symbolic birth of Shabdiz's birth is somewhat reminiscent of the birth of the Mithras from the Stone and a marker of the new processing of the ancient myths, which undoubtedly derives from the past ritual beliefs in the drawing of day and night as a horse; it is possible that Nizami depicted Shabdiz and Golgon to associate them with Mithras and Bahram and as the symbols of day and night. Golgon symbolizes the day and the brightness of the god Bahram, and his counterpart, Shabdiz, is the night sky, and is a symbol of Mithras, the god of the night, as if they are a concept of time in a hall of symbols and similes. The magic of the Nizami’s word, with the preservation of the historical and structural framework of narrative, has tied the story of these two horses to the ancient beliefs, rituals and mythologies, so that the names of these two always shine in Persian literature.

Mithras is one of the oldest mythical, religious, and cultural characters of Indian and Aryan tribes. The god, expression of common beliefs in gods, before migrating Indo-European and long before the advent of Zoroaster were formed. On the one hand, religious texts and sacred hymns India and Iran represents the ideas and religious beliefs the land millennium BC. Mithras too one of the gods and common characters the two old people, which after the separation, his special position with both retained.The present study tries to study Mithras based on the oldest indigenous and Iranian populations and by direct reference to Rig Veda and Avesta, it seeks to stamp the role of the intellectual-cultural context of these tribes in determining the actions and characteristics of a mythical face. The findings show that the common actions and attributes of the goddess are rooted in the period of the unity of these tribes and the root of the differences in this mythical face must be found in the Iranian branch and after the physical and spiritual separation of the Indian branch. So, after ethnic separation, intellectual and cultural differences also appear in common mythical characters. These characteristics and influences have evolved or evolved under the influence of cultural context and social factors.

Coins are engraved metals that are similar to a book full of historical, cultural, religious, and mythological information that can survey their motifs through symbolism. Therefore, studying the images and symbols on them opens a window to ancient periods for researchers. The Parthians (Arsacid) is one of the most important periods of ancient Iran. due to their long reign, they minted many coins with various motifs. The aim of this study is identifying the symbols of Mehr (Mithras) in the Parthian drachma coins of Ekbatan mint, to be revealed the religious belief of the rulers of this period. This research has been done in a descriptive-analytical method with an iconographic approach, which is a method of collecting information and data based on library and museum studies. The statistical society consists, two hundred and fifty coins in the repository of the Reza Abbasi Museum were examined and studied. These coins were purchased from individuals and collectors in the years before the 1979 Revolution. The results show, according to Zoroastrian religious texts, the motifs that symbolize Mithras are: Bow, Rosette, Flag, Ring, Bird, Star and Moon. Parthian Kings have used these symbols since the beginning of their reign which is caused by their being warriors and nomads. Symbols of Mithras increase during the reign of Mithradase II to Artabanos II (121 BC- 38 AD), Its probably caused by the increase of their power in the region and from the reign Vologases I to the end of the period, the symbols of Mehr are removed from the drachmas, on the king's hat can be seen deer antler symbol which originates from the nomadic traditions of Central Asia. Considering that Parthian kings were liberal in religious matters. they did not have an official religion but mostly they have used Mehr(Mithra) symbols in the drachmas.

Soluk (the journey towards God) in its general meaning is the process of spiritual evolution and breaking away from the apparent world and joining the sacred world, which has been common in various religions in different ways from the distant past. Iran and India, due to their cultural affinities as well as their deep and almost similar worldview, have adopted profound methods to achieve the highest spiritual status. Iranian Mehr and Mithras creed have long sought to go through the seven stages of soluk, that is, complete departure from selfishness and absorption in the sun of truth and joining Mehr. The school of yoga, by imposing difficult austerities and going through eight stages, has provided the possibility of spiritual evolution to reach the position of Samadhi (the state of meditative consciousness). To this end, the abandonment of carnal attachments and the renunciation of worldly life, the school of Yoga and the creed of Mithras/Mehr have proposed methods, each of which has had its own global effects. These methods are sometimes similar, and sometimes have differences, that stem from the worldview, soluki thinking, and esoteric perceptions of the founders of these two creeds. The research findings show soluk and soluki thinking is one of the fundamental systematic reflections in the ancient Eastern traditions that is effective both in terms of theory and theoretical life and in terms of practice and practical life.

During history, few eras have been as ambiguous and dark as Parthians. Mithraism ideology had king’s support and promised salvation and a new after-death world to the soldiers. From this view, Parthians cared about the political aspect of the religion rather than the religion itself. Mithras Temple is a good example of political reaction of Parthians against Roman religious architectures. After Parthians’ conquers and the increase of border conflicts in the western and northwestern parts of Iran, remains of Zahhak can be considered as the focus of power center in first century A.D. In a way that the influence of religion is evident with direct and determining presence of temple in martial-political destiny of the country. Since unlike the other regions, the Parthian temples have not been discovered so far from inside Iran this study aims to introduce Zahak Temple in northwest Iran through describing its historical, geographic, and cultural backgrounds to conclude that Zahak can be viewed as a gate of Mithraism entrance to Europe and a start point of Iranian thought influence into the west.

The purpose of this study is to examine the relation between Ahl-e Ḥaqq religion and Mithraism. The findings of the research suggest that Ahl-e Ḥaqq has some similar teachings with Iran’s ancient religions. Considering combinational nature of beliefs of this religion, it is as though one of fundaments and intellectual and belief bases of Ahl-e Ḥaqq is Mithraism. Of similarities of these two religions, some cases are notable like: sublime status of the sun and divine glory to Mithraism and Ahl-e Ḥaqq, making brotherhood pact, sacrificing cow, the birth of Mithras and the birth of some of Ahl-e Ḥaqq sages from a virgin, importance of number seven, and secrecy. These similarities are to the extent that it can be said there is a kind of sameness in ethics, rites, customs, and religious symbols; but fundamental basics of Ahl-e Ḥaqq like view on monotheism, resurrection, justice, Imamah, and prophethood is totally different from ancient religions of Iran. In this study, it is attempted to delve into the relation between Ahl-e Ḥaqq and Mithraism by interpretative-comparative method and with reliance on Saranjām book which is of the holiest and the most important written sources of Ahl-e Ḥaqq.

The following article is written after my first article on the subject of astronomical hypotheses in the Roman mysteries of Mithras. In the first article, I suggested that tauroctony symbology is not a map entirely derived from astronomical theology, and perhaps non-astrological mythological symbols and narratives are also applied. In this article, I have tried to survey the most important myths related to tauroctony in the Indo-European regions and to observe the hypotheses of modern Mithra researchers in explaining the motifs and mythological symbols of the tauroctony sculpture based on library data. In the end, I have concluded that, firstly, the Roman tauroctony’s sculpture, as was the habit of the Romans, does not only narrate one myth but compared to the previous myths, it narrates at least three tauroctony myths and borrows symbols from each of them: first the myth of the battle of Gilgamesh with the Bull of Heaven and its slaying, the second is the slaying of the Hadyusha by Saoshyanet and the third is the myth of the Gavaevodata. Also, in the part of Mithra's fight with the bull and its hunt, there are similarities with the myth of Hercules's battle with the Cretan bull.

One of the most ancient religious rituals expanded throughout many Asian and European countries was Mehr Faith or so called western Mithraism According to the ancient texts، it has Iranian roots but the lack of documents including bas-relief or artistic works in general as well as the scarcity of remnants has caused the historians to be doubtful and skeptic about its origin to the extent that even some researchers have brought up the theories signifying that what they have in the west as the Mithraism is different from that of Iranians. Never the less، varieties of dimensions of this ideology have so far been disclosed enough to wipe out the ambiguity dust from history. The main reason for not having sufficient proofs about Mithraism is its mysterious entity from one side and its coincidence with the two major contemporaneous religions of Christianity and Zoroastrianism from the other side. So these objections could be the main causes for many worthy historical documents including movable and immovable properties to be obliterated. The idea of this research is first to study about the conformity of the Iranian costume of Izad e Mehr (Mehr Deity) regarding its designs with the traditional dress of ancient tribes based on the documentaries in hand to trace its very origin. For instance there is a different type of traditional tribal dress in Persepolis (Takht- e – jamshid) high reliefs that demonstrate the costumes and dress design like sakaeid and Mad dress that influence on Mehr garment and as result on western Mithras dress and finally on Christianity garment and continue to these days that use for holy ceremony of Christianity as dress of pop and cardinals. Second، to compare it with the type of costumes depicted on the remnants of patterns and high-relief left from the bull sacrificing ceremony (Tauroctony) after the presence of this religion in the west to indicate and prove its Iranian origin. And finally to review the commonalities of some costume elements of Mithraism with primitive Christianity and church authorities’ dressings based on the transmutation of Mehr religion or Mithraism with the very soul of Christianity. For instance you can see these Mithraism elements in painting of Christianity that holy Jesus put garment like Mehr that is even so similar in detail، form، color (the red color that especially used by Akamenid kings and aristocrats in their specific ceremonies as sign of patrician) and that’s especially red cape and even nowadays (this cape was known as cape of liberty after that in Rome the murderer of Cesar used it) we can see that cape in frigid cap that called mitre in pop''s garment in religious ceremony. This perhaps could be one step forward to have a better understanding of such mysterious religion and clarifying the sign that shows oriental essence of Mithras that was in ambiguity for the repetitious year. The essay is a study utilizing the analytical and descriptive style of research and the collection of subjects and information is through library and documentation procedure.