Comparative Analysis of a Particular Form in Troglodytic Architecture: Iranian Mehrabeh and Roman Mithraeum

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.