Mountain cult in Ancient Anatolian geography

Mountains are earth formations that are seen as sacred and cult in world mythologies from the first human to the present day due to their huge masses, magnificent appearance, being a living space, and providing shelter, protection and hunting opportunities. Mountains have been an important element in almost all faiths for different reasons. Sometimes it was perceived as a divine place, a place of revelation, and sometimes as the cosmic center of the universe. Because of the value placed on them, it was considered normal to perform rituals on high mountain peaks and bury important people on mountain peaks. This feature of the mountains, which attract attention with their mysterious location and height towards the sky, made them attractive in all historical ages. Ancient Anatolia has a special geographical position. It is also known that it has a mountain range extending in parallel direction, which is difficult to overcome but can be passed through passes from certain points. Various societies living in Anatolia, like other societies, ascribed various meanings to the mountains and over time, they made these mountains become cults. For this reason, Ancient Anatolian geography has a very rich accumulation in terms of mountain cult. Thanks to these mountains, which witness the historical events and religious behaviors in the ancient Anatolian geography, it is evaluated that the region has a rich culture and belief accumulation. The aim of this study is to examine the place, importance and function of the mountain cult in the life of the societies living in the Ancient Anatolian geography. Within the scope of the research, the relations of the ancient Anatolian tribes with the mountain were handled in a multifaceted way in social, historical and cultural dimensions, especially in faith, and by making evaluations on the mountain cult, a contribution was made to the related field. Keywords: Cult, Mountain Cult, Mountain-God, Ancient Anatolian Beliefs, Ancient Anatolian Mountains.