Abstract
Western Iran during the first millennium had been fraught with significant incidents in the Assyrian and the Urartian era. In this historical period, the Mannaean local government had been frequently invaded by the Assyrian and the Urartian. Therefore, these invasions and the need to defend the country and its national structures had obliged the Mannaean government to construct strongholds so as to prevent plunder and destruction. Apparently it is the time a structure is built on Ziviyeh hill which is known to be a castle by researchers. In the present study, according to the major structure of the building and the tombs around this site, Ziviyeh is suggested to be an important temple. Paying careful attention to this structure and the excavated areas around the Ziviyeh hill, it is claimed that at that time, besides constructing castles, Mannaean government used to build some buildings for undertaking specific rituals. This must be noted that religious rituals had always been of considerable importance for the governments. The major question is: lf the structure discovered in Ziviyeh is not a castle, what had been used for? Explaining this, the authors have tried to hypothesize that the probable use of the Ziviyeh structure had been religious and ritualistic circa 7^th to 9^th century B.C. in the Western Iran. This study having an analytical-historical approach, using field studies and library data, tries to introduce the structure and study data and their co-relations.
Keywords: First Millennium, Mannaean, Castle, Worship, Ziviyeh.

Introduction
In 7^th to 9^th centuries B.C the Mannaean, an independent Iranian government, was located in the West of Iran. It was on the way of bordering governments of the Assyrian and Urartian and therefore it was invaded frequently. These invasions caused the Mannaeans, similar to other governments, to start constructing castles and strongholds in order to survive these attacks, as well as other constructions such as temples. Due to their locations on the way of invading governments they constructed these temples on highlands to prevent plunder age. One of these temples is located in Ziviyeh on high hills. So far, this structure has been considered to be a castle by researchers. Based on new researches, considering the structure of the enclosure, its location on the hilltop and the variety of cemeteries surrounding it, this study is an attempt to suggest that the structure is a temple.

Problem Statement
 The ancient hill of Ziviyeh has been introduced as a castle for seven decades. The important point is the believability of this structure functioning as a castle. Researchers may have considered it to be a castle because it was located on the way of invading bordering governments or because it was on the hilltop. This study tries to suggest another probability; regarding the centrality of the Ziviyeh structure and close studying of the surrounding sites within a particular radius of 10 kilometers with due regard to the excavated cemeteries surrounding the hill, the structure is probably a religious temple. 
  
Goals and Objectives
The Mannaeans were frequently invaded by neighboring governments which like other governments it resulted in construction of strongholds. Constructing other structures such as temples alongside governmental castles was a governmental obligation. Regarding the remaining of its structures and various golden artifacts found there, Ziviyeh hill’s structure has more characteristics of a temple than those of a castle. If we could prove that Ziviyeh’s structure was a temple, we might be able to change the attitudes and the approaches of Iranian archeological investigations on religious beliefs of those people.
    
Methodology
Historical descriptive-analytical approach has been used for this study; and by using field and library studies the structure and its function are introduced and the data has been analyzed and its relations to the structure has been discussed.  

Argument
The Ziviyeh structure is built on an uneven area which its natural slope rocks helped its architects. The remains consist of a stone stairway entrance surrounded by pillars, chambers, warehouses, a pillared hall, stone benches, and a paved yard. The achieved divisions can be categorically compared with those of Nush-i jan. With due regard to lack of any battlements being found, primarily we may deduce that it has only an adoptive structural likeness of a castle. It has to be mentioned that one of the most important characteristics of a castle is the existence of battlements, which is absent in Ziviyeh structure.   
In case of considering Ziviyeh a temple, regarding where it is located on highlands, it should have been an important temple in Mannaean era. The entrance stairway has three pillars which are redundant in a military castle because they have decorative purpose. Moreover, the existence of numerous chambers used to store grains and provisions, also could have been places to store gifts presented to the temple by people. The existence of a pillared hall is another redundant element in a castle because a castle is a military structure which is invaded frequently and may sustain huge damage.  Based on my hypothesis the hall was used as a place for congregations.        
The variety and quantity of graves including familial, individual, shared, and in some case buried collected bones and skulls (similar to Changbar graves) indicate the respectability of this structure circa mid-9^th century to mid-7^th century B.C.
 
Conclusion
Ziviyeh was on the way of frequent invasions of the Assyrian and Urartian and as it could be considered a castle to defend, it also could be considered a temple for performing religious rituals, being placed on hilltop to prevent plunder age. This hypothesis is worthy of attention due to the found artistic and decorative artifacts, probably offered to the honored resident of the structure. It may be deduced that Ziviyeh structure was a sacred temple, where people offered gifts to in order to worship their God(s) and honor the resident person. They buried their loved ones near this sacred place. Changbar and Malamacha cemeteries are of these types of cemeteries which the variety of burial methods indicate ritualistic burials.