Sanctuary of Artemis
The Sanctuary of Artemis is a Zobethian holy site located outside of Dombrád, Imerti. It is one of the most significant holy sites located outside of Syara to the Zobethos faith and is a frequent site of pilgrims, especially among women.
A temple dedicated to Artemis was first constructed on the site sometime in the 4th Century BCE under the dominion of Ancient Symmeria. It was sacked by Kartozan raiders in 196 BCE and rebuilt by the 1st Century CE. After the rise of Zobethos in the Symmerian Empire following the Zobethos Civil War the temple saw a decrease in usage during the Symmerian Recession before being revitalized during the reign of Alexarchus. The site was partially damaged by a fire in the 7th Century and was the site of frequent pilgrimage during the Burning Plague, during which thousands died in the area around the temple. The temple was sacked during the Slavic-Symmerian Wars and was not repaired for decades. Prior to the Battle of Nemaro in 1305, King Elpidios prayed at the Sanctuary for victory before being defeated by the Adamdar Empire. The modern layout of the Sanctuary was constructed during the Rioni Union and saw an uptick in traffic during the 16th and 17th Centuries.
Following the collapse of the Union the region of Imerti changed hands several times before being incorporated into the Ruvelkan Imperium. Travel between the Syaran Successor States and the Imperium was sharply limited, and the Sanctuary fell into disrepair until Imerti was seized back by the Kingdom of Symmeria during the Ruvelkan-Symmerian War. A major reconstruction project began in 1886 and the Sanctuary recorded 250,000 pilgrims in 1900. The land around the Sanctuary was seized by the Ruvelkan Socialist Republic in the Third Chryse War, with plans to demolish the temple laid out by the Ruvelkan communist government amid furious protest by Zovahr. Such plans were never enacted, and the Sanctuary was recaptured by the Republic of Syara during Syara's intervention into the Ruvelkan Civil War. Various refurbishment programs were carried out during the remainder of the Republic's existence. Following the Refusal War, the subsequent Imerti Conflict saw the region of Imerti split between Ruvelkan and the Syaran Commonality, with the Sanctuary falling under Ruvelkan control. Although the Ruvelkan government maintained that the Sanctuary was open to pilgrims, tensions between the two states led to low transit numbers. Acts of vandalism on the temple and attacks by Imertan nationalists stoked Syaran outrage and worsened tensions between Zovahr and Debrecen despite official condemnations by the Ruvelkan government. During the brief five-day-conflict in 2005, Syara recaptured almost all of Imerti and with it the Sanctuary. Plans for further repairs and expansions of facilities were put on hold by the Zemplen War, which ended with Imerti ceded back to Ruvelka.
Per the terms of the Treaty of Aragon, the Ruvelkan government maintains freedom of travel to the shrine for Zobethians, and a contingent of the Sacred Guard is allowed to maintain security for the Sanctuary in cooperation with local law enforcement. Today the Sanctuary is administered by the local Imerti government; in exchange for funding for upkeep the Syaran Ministry of Culture is allowed to maintain an official presence in the Sacntuary.
Today the Sanctuary of Artemis remains one of the most popular pilgrimage destinations for Zobethians outside of Syara, with an average annual visitor rate of 450,000-600,000. Women compose the majority of travelers, and frequent trips of young Zobethian women are organized by Syaran temples. The Sanctuary itself consists of the main temple where prayers and vigils may be held, with a semi-circle of columns around the temple and a statue of Artemis Both the temple and the statue are oriented towards the sunrise on the Summer solstice, one of the most important celebrations in the Zobethian faith. According to archeological research, approximately 300-500 human remains were buried at the Sanctuary between the 3rd Century BCE and the 9th Century BCE. The majority of these remains belonged to young woman, and it is believed the Sanctuary was a common choice of resting for unmarried women who perished in their youth, as a homage to the Hunters of Artemis.