Khourbas: The Mysterious Mithraic Cave

The ancient area of Khourbas, 10 kilometers to the southwest of Qeshm, is located at a short distance from the seafront. Some ancient and historical structures such as a castle, a graveyard, and a cistern have been discovered in this area, which indicate that it had been a residential place for a long time. In the vicinity of the ancient hills of Khourbas and at the heart of the mountain, there is the natural Khourbas Cave, which has also undergone some changes and received some additions by Man. Some experts believe that these troglodytic structures belong to different periods from the Median era to the Islamic period. They consider this cave to be a Mithraic temple and also a shelter with a variety of military, residential, defensive, and religious functions. In this paper, the writer has introduced and examined this rock cave and its particular architecture and the history of Man’s residence on Qeshm Island through following the library research method, reviewing archeological studies, and performing field observations and explorations. The findings of this research indicate that this cave was most probably an ancient place of worship or sanctuary which was later used as a shelter or hidding place against different hazards.