Kurdshop - One of the most important places in Afrin, West Kurdistan is Andare Hill. Afrin City and the region around it are considered to be rich for its ancient history. There are many other historical sites in Afrin, including Nabi Hori Castle, Saman, Klute, Andare Hill, and Jindires region. But in this article, we only want to talk about Andare Hill.
Andare Hill is located 50 kilometers northwest of Aleppo and 3 kilometers from the center of Afrin, West Kurdistan. The hill is about 270 meters long and 170 meters wide; its height reaches 30 meters. The hill is surrounded by a wall; the wall starts from the Afrin River and extends up to 300 meters. In 1954, the site was first investigated because of the lion statues on the ground. It was investigated in 1956, 1962, and 1964 under the leadership of Faisal Sairafi and later in 1976, 1978, 1980, and 1988 under the leadership of Ali Abu Asaf. This historical monument consists of a castle located on a high hill.
The most important site of Andare Hill is the Hittite temple. The hill is surrounded by a wall that starts from the Afrin River and extends up to 300 meters. Next to Andare Hill is Andare village and there is a road that connects the villages of Belan, Islahiya, and Sanjilri. This road is of strategic importance and it is clear that it was built to protect against attacks. The temple has passed through many ages and is decorated with many statues. The stones used to build them are specially carved basalt.
According to research on Andare Hill, humans have lived in the area since 8000 BC. South of the large hill of Andare, at a distance of 100 meters, is another small hill. People farmed it in those days. A small village was built on the hill and passed through several historical periods such as the Hittites, Hurrians, Mitanni, Assyrians, and Medes, and life in the village continued until 1086.
It is said that when the area fell under the rule of the Seljuks, the village was burned to destroy historical monuments. It was also determined through research that the ancient inhabitants of Andare village were famous for making iron. On the northern side of the Andare hill is a temple built of basalt or bazilite rock. The walls are painted with very interesting patterns; like winged lions and women's patterns, made in front of each other. This painting is known as one of the most beautiful statues in history.
According to researchers, in 1965, gold and silver coins dating back to several historical periods were found in the temple of Andare Hill. At the same time, statues of Hurrian, Mitanni, Hittite, and Mede gods have been found. During the excavations, the statue of a tall man was found whose knees reached half the height of his body. Most of these statues are found in the temples of Mitanni. In 1965, the French magazine Al-Holiyat in Syria, on behalf of the head of the intelligence mission, M. Maurice Dunand, said about Andare Hill: The god of Andar is the god of the sun and is known as the "God of Tishop". The lion carvings found on the walls of Andare date back to the 13th century BC and according to the findings of an archeology professor at the University of Frankfurt, this lion is similar to the one found in Malatya in North Kurdistan.
On the other hand, in the Andare temple, there is another feature found nowhere else. Plaster blocks have been made there and, on the blocks, there are footprints, which are about one meter long and symbolize the footprints of the gods in Hittite temple architecture.
Many aspects of the archaeological sites of Andare need further research, but after the occupation of Afrin and its surroundings by the Turkish state and its armed forces, these sites were severely damaged.
