The temple was the most prominent and widespread building form in ancient Greece. The earliest stone temples appeared in the early sixth century BC and began to build in great numbers in the next century. A Greek temple was usually built to contain a cult statue or emblem. Religion did not require people to worship inside temples, and temples were largely monuments to the gods. The huge columns are the most distinctive characteristic of the Greek temple. The Greeks utilized three different types of columns: Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian. Here goes an overview of the most beautiful Greek temples throughout the Mediterranean.
Famous Greek Temples
1. Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens
Though only a few columns of Athens’ Temple of Olympia Zeus survive, it does not take much imagination to grasp that this was a massive structure. Construction began in the 6th century BC, during the reign of the Athenian tyrants, with the goal of erecting the grandest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD, some 638 years after the project began.
Also Read: 10 Most Amazing Ancient Egyptian Temples
2. Temple of Poseidon, Sounion
The Temple of Poseidon at Sounion is located near the southernmost extremity of Greece’s Attica peninsula, surrounded by the sea on three sides. It was built in 440 BC over the remnants of an Archaic Period temple. Only a few columns of the Temple of Poseidon remain today, but if it had been complete, it would have mirrored the Temple of Hephaestus beneath the Acropolis, which was possibly created by the same architect.
Also Read: 9 Most Famous Ancient Roman Temples
3. Temple of Zeus at Cyrene, Libya
Cyrene was the largest of the five Greek colonies in modern-day Libya. The Temple of Zeus, which dates back to the 5th century BC, is located high above the rest of the city. It was destroyed during a Jewish insurrection in 115 AD and rebuilt 5 years later by the Romans under Emperor Hadrian’s orders. An earthquake in 365 AD destroyed the temple once more, and it was not reconstructed until modern times by British and Italian archaeologists. This temple is larger than the Parthenon, indicating Cyrene’s riches and status in the ancient Greek world.
Also Read: 10 Most Famous Prehistoric Cave Paintings
Image Source: Wikimedia
4. The Erechtheion or Temple of Athena Polias
The Erechtheum is an Ionic-style ancient Greek temple on the north side of Athens’ Acropolis. The temple as it stands today was constructed between 421 and 407 BC. The common name comes from a temple dedicated to the Greek hero Erichthonius. The temple is most well-known for its unusual portico, which is supported by six female figurines known as the Caryatids.
5. Temple of Segesta, Calatafimi, Italy
Segesta, in the northwest corner of Sicily, was an important city for the Elymian people, one of Sicily’s three indigenous peoples. Segesta’s population was a mix of Elymian and Greek people, yet the Elymians quickly Hellenized and adopted Greek features. The Doric temple close to the old site has been carefully preserved. It was constructed in the late fifth century BC and features 614 Doric columns. Several factors point to the temple never being completed. The Doric columns have not been fluted as they should have been, and the temple appears to have been built without a roof over the main room.
Also Read: Top 10 Most Amazing Pyramids in Mexico
Image Source: Wikimedia
6. Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae
The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae is a well-preserved and remarkable Greek temple located on an isolated mountaintop in the Peloponnese. It was constructed between 450 and 400 BC. In contrast to the bulk of Greek temples, which are aligned east-west, this temple is aligned north-south. The temple is unique in that it contains instances of all three classical orders utilized in Greek construction. The peristyle is formed by the Doric columns, while Ionic columns support the porch and Corinthian columns figure in the interior. To protect the ruins from the elements, the temple of Apollo Epicurius is currently covered in a tent.
Image Source: Wikimedia
7. Paestum
Paestum is a historic Greco-Roman settlement near the beach in southern Italy. Three well-preserved Greek temples can be found on this site. The Temple of Hera, erected approximately 550 BC by Greek immigrants, is Paestum’s oldest temple. The neighboring temple, dedicated to Hera, the goddess of marriage and childbirth, was completed roughly a century later. A little further away is the Temple of Athena, which was built in 500 BC.
8. Valley of the Temples
The Valley of the Temples, located on a ridge outside of Agrigento, Sicily, has the ruins of seven Greek temples. The Temple of Concordia, erected in the 5th century BC, is one of the largest and best-maintained Doric-style temples still standing in the Valley. The Doric columns stand 7 meters (22 feet) tall, including the capitals, and have a base diameter of 1.3 meters (4.5 feet). Other temples on the site include the Temple of Juno, which is used for weddings, and the Temple of Heracles, which is the oldest and has just eight columns today.
Also Read: Top 10 Most Famous Monuments Of Ancient Egypt
Image Source: Wikimedia
9. Temple of Hephaestus
The Temple of Hephaestus, located about 500 meters north-west of the famed Acropolis, is the best-preserved Greek temple in the world, although being far less well-known than its historic neighbor. The temple was constructed in the 5th century BC in an area with many foundries and metallurgy enterprises. As a result, it was dedicated to Hephaestos, the deity of metalworking. Ictinus, one of the architects who worked on the Parthenon, created the Temple of Hephaestus.
10. Parthenon
The Parthenon on top of the Acropolis is one of Greece’s most prominent tourist attractions, and a trip to Athens would be incomplete without a visit to its temple. This is one of the oldest temples in the world was built in 447 BC to replace an ancient temple destroyed by the Persians, and it was finished in 432 BC. The Parthenon was built to contain a huge statue of Athena Parthenos composed of ivory, silver, and gold. One of the Roman Emperors looted the statue somewhere in the fifth century and took it to Constantinople, where it was later destroyed. Throughout its long history, the Parthenon has served as a fortification, a church, a mosque, and a powder magazine.
These are some of the most famous greek temples in the world. Kindly share and do post your comments.