Ancient Coin Stories

Carrhae became today’s Harran, Turkey and was founded sometime between the 25th and 20th centuries BCE by traders from Ur. It was first mentioned in tablets found in Ebla dating to the 24th century BCE. During Assyrian times, it was a provincial capital and overall it was a major Mesopotamian city. It also served as the capital of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.

In ancient times it was famous for its moon cult of Sin (originally called Nanna), whose worship continued until the 11th century CE. The crescent on this coin likely pays homage to this. The city housed a Great Moon Temple that was built in roughly 2000 BCE.

During Seleukid times, the city served as a military colony, and many Greeks moved there. When Christianity took hold in the area, Carrhae was one of the last bastions of paganism, until in the late sixth century the majority of non-christians were executed.

The depiction of a crab on the obverse is intriguing. Most today believe it’s the zodiac symbol Cancer, and may have indicated the month when an important festival for the moon cult of Sin occurred. It may have also been a symbol of the city.

Today, the ruins of the ancient city are scattered around the modern. The ancient city walls, though crumbling in many places, still surround the old town. Many of the ancient beehive homes may still be visited, though tourism today has waned due to its proximity with the Syrian border.