Ancient Temples of the world
Some of the ancient temples featured in the list below are older than the written word itself, some have been built underground, and some have been able to maintain their architectural splendor even after thousands of years. Take a look.
1. Göbekli Tepe, Turkey
Göbekli Tepe is often referred to as the first temple or the oldest temple in the world. Built in 10th millennia BC, this massive, ancient temple in Turkey is made out of pillars structured into great stone rings. This remarkable stone temple was built by prehistoric people (hunter-gatherers) on a hilltop and is considered the oldest human-made place of worship ever discovered.
2. Temple of Amada, Egypt
The Temple of Amada is one of the oldest temples in Egypt and was first constructed by Egyptian pharaoh Thutmose III of the 18th dynasty, sometime around the 15th century BC. One of the most significant features of the temple is a relief along with two important inscriptions describing the military feats of the pharaohs who built it – Tuthmosis III and his son Amenhotep II. While the temple is quite small and dilapidated, it is still quite fascinating and vibrant from inside.
3. Luxor Temple, Egypt
Located on the east bank of the Nile River in Luxor, in the ancient city of Thebes, the Luxor Temple was built in 1,100 and 1,600 BC during the reigns of several pharaohs – Amenhotep III (1390-52 BC), Tutankhamun (1336-27 BC), and Horemheb (1323-1295 BC), and then added to by Rameses II (1279-13 BC). The Luxor temple served as a place of worship for nearly 3,500 years and was also the center of the festival of Opet (ancient Egyptian festival of the second month of the lunar calendar).
4. Hypogeum of Ħal-Saflieni, Malta
Built around 2,500 BC, the Hypogeum in Malta is the oldest prehistoric underground temple in the world. The island of Malta has several Megalithic Temples and this structure is easily one of the most remarkable ones. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Hypogeum is one of the world’s best-preserved prehistoric sites and contains halls, chambers and passages carved out of rock.
5. Temple of Apollo, Greece
The Temple of Apollo is located at Delphi, the center of the Ancient Greek world, and was built on the location of two earlier temples. The temple was first built around the 7th century BC by the two iconic architects Trophonios and Agamedes and was rebuilt after a fire in the 6th century BC. The temple was of the Doric order and had 6 columns at the front, and 15 columns at the flanks.
