10 of the Most Ancient Temples in the World (and What They Look Like Now)
Of the buildings that still remain today from the early years of civilization, many of the most spectacular are the ancient temples. Given the importance of religion in ancient civilizations, it's not surprising that these spiritual sites were built using the latest architectural innovations and are imposing in scale. Many of these sites are still shrouded in mystery about their past uses and creators, while others are well documented and have been studied for more than a century. Luckily for architecture and history buffs, some of the oldest temples around the globe can actually be toured by visitors today. Get your Indiana Jones hat and field boots ready—we’ve rounded up 10 awe-inspiring temples you’ll want to explore right now.
1/10Temple of Hatshepsut
Location: Egypt. Built: Around 1,470 B.C. Also known as Djeser-Djeseru, this ancient funerary shrine in Egypt was designed by pharaoh Hatshepsut’s royal architect, Senenmut, and can be recognized by its lengthy colonnade and many terraces. Although many of the site’s original statues and ornaments have been stolen or destroyed over the years, its relief depicting the divine birth of a female pharaoh is still intact. A monastery was built on top of the temple in the seventh century A.D. The site's first large-scale excavation took place in the 1890s and the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Egyptologist Herbert E. Winlock led an excavation and restoration of the site from 1923 to 1931.
© 20152/10Temple of Amada
Location: Nubia. Built: 18th and 19th Dynasties (Between 1,550 and 1,189 B.C.) Originally constructed on the east bank of the Nile, this temple, which is the oldest temple in Nubia, was moved in the 1960s and '70s to a new, higher site on Lake Nasser to protect it from flooding. The effort was led by French Egyptologist Christiane Desroches Noblecourt and included a number of Nubian temples and historic sites. The temple’s most notable features include a well-preserved relief and two significant inscriptions describing the military accomplishments of the pharaohs who built the temple, Tuthmosis III and his son Amenhotep II.
Photo: Mark Daffey/Getty Images3/10Göbekli Tepe
Location: Turkey. Built: 10,000 B.C. It is believed that 6,000 years before Stonehenge was built, a remarkable stone temple was erected on a hilltop in southeastern Turkey by prehistoric people. Known as Göbekli Tepe, the site was previously dismissed by anthropologists, who believed it to be a medieval grave. In 2008, however, the German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt determined that Göbekli Tepe is, in fact, the oldest known temple in the world. The site was purposefully buried around 8,000 B.C. for unknown reasons, although this allowed the structures to be preserved for future discovery and study.
Getty Images/Perspectives4/10Luxor Temple
Location: Egypt. Built: Between 1,100 and 1,600 B.C. This Ancient Egyptian temple on the east bank of the Nile has served as a place of worship for nearly 3,500 years. The site is known for its avenue of sphinxes and the towering Pylon of Ramses II. The structure was constructed during the reigns of several pharaohs, including Amenhotep III, Ramses II, and Tutankhamen, who is credited with much of the temple's decoration. The Luxor Temple is considered the largest and most important site in ancient Egypt and was dedicated to Amun, the king of the gods, as well as the mother goddess Mut, and Khonsu, god of the moon and time.
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This content is subject to copyright.5/10Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni
Location: Malta. Built: Around 2,500 B.C. Unlike the other temples on our list, the Hypogeum in Malta was constructed underground. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this enormous, subterranean labyrinth has false windows, trilithon doorways, decorative red ocher paintings, and carved-stone ceiling accents that mimic corbeled masonry. The Hypogeum was discovered in 1902 during construction and was first excavated beginning in 1903. The site was closed between 1990 and 2000 for conservation, and while it has reopened to the public, only 80 visitors are permitted per day.
6/10Stonehenge
Location: England.
Built: Beginning in 3,000 B.C.
One of the world’s most famous—and mysterious—monuments, Stonehenge dates back approximately 5,000 years, when an early monument, consisting of a circular ditch with inner and outer banks, was installed. The stone structure we know today was constructed around 2,500 B.C. Though its original function remains unknown, it’s possible that Stonehenge was built as a temple for the worship of ancient earth deities. Comprising a symmetrical arrangement of bluestones (some weighing up to four tons), the structure is regarded as a major feat of engineering. The monument was privately owned until 1918, when it was given to the country. Stonehenge and its surroundings were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986.
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Danita Delimont7/10Ġgantija Temples
Location: Malta. Built: Between 3,600 and 3,200 B.C. Inhabitants of the island of Gozo once believed these two temples were built by a race of giants, hence their name, which is derived from the Maltese word for giant. The temples are constructed of coralline limestone, and some of the stones weigh over 50 tons. Inside, softer globigerina limestone was used for decorative elements. The temples, as well as five other temples in Malta, were named UNESCO World Heritage sites in 1980.
De Agostini/G. Dagli Orti8/10Temple of Apollo
Location: Delphi, Greece. Built: 330 B.C. The Temple of Apollo is located at Delphi, the center of the Ancient Greek world, and was built on the site of two earlier temples. The architects, Spintharus, Xenodoros, and Agathon, built the peripteral Doric temple following a similar plan as the previous temple, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 373 B.C. Athenian sculptors Androthenes and Praxias created work that decorated the pediment. The village of Kastri was built over the site in the seventh century A.D. and was later removed in 1891 for long-term excavations. Delphi was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.
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B.SCHMID/a.collectionRF9/10Tchogha Zanbil
Location: Iran. Built: 1,250 B.C. Tchogha Zanbil was founded by Elamite ruler Untash-Gal as the religious center of ancient Elam, a site which is now part of the Khuzestan province. The holy city contains a ziggurat (a rectangular stepped tower), temples, and three palaces. The ziggurat at Tchogha Zanbil is the largest outside of Mesopotamia and the best-preserved structure of its kind. The city was never completed and was attacked and damaged by Assyrian king Ashurbanipal around 640 B.C. It was discovered in 1935 by prospectors for an oil company and was excavated between 1946 to 1962 by archaeologist Roman Ghirshman.
HomoCosmicos10/10Ziggurat of Ur
Location: Iraq.
Built: 21st century B.C. The Ziggurat of Ur was built by King Ur-Nammu and dedicated to the god Nanna. Today only the foundations remain, and part of the structure, including the staircase and lower façade, was rebuilt by Saddam Hussein in the 1980s. It has been closed to the public since 2003, although U.S. military personnel have been able to access the site thanks to its proximity to the Tallil Air Base.
