Famous Temples of the World

Joshua J. Mark
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Temples have been raised in honor of a peoples’ deities since before recorded history as evidenced by sites now regarded as religious centers including Gobekli Tepe, Stonehenge, Newgrange, among many others. Temples met the needs of the people in providing them with a sacred space to commune with the Divine.

There are thousands of temples around the world today, whether in use or in ruin, and the following collection presents only a small fraction of the best known.

Articles & Definitions

Temple
Definition

Temple

A temple (from the Latin templum) is a structure usually built for the purpose of, and always dedicated to, religious or spiritual activities...
Gobekli Tepe - the World's First Temple?
Article

Gobekli Tepe - the World's First Temple?

Located in modern Turkey, Göbekli Tepe is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. The...
Ziggurat
Definition

Ziggurat - Mountains of the Gods

A ziggurat is a form of monumental architecture originating in ancient Mesopotamia, which usually had a rectangular...
Karnak
Definition

Karnak

Karnak is the modern-day name for the ancient site of the Temple of Amun at Thebes, Egypt. The Egyptians called the site Nesut-Towi, "Throne...
Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
Definition

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was located on the western coast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and built in the 6th...
Parthenon
Definition

Parthenon

The magnificent temple on the Acropolis of Athens, known as the Parthenon, was built between 447 and 432 BCE in the Age of Pericles...
Pantheon
Definition

Pantheon - Rome's Best-Surviving Building

The Pantheon (Latin: pantheum) is the best-preserved building from ancient Rome and was completed in c. 125...
Borobudur
Definition

Borobudur

The Temple of Borobudur or sometimes "Barabudur" is a Mahayana Buddhist temple located close to Muntilan on the island of Java in Indonesia...
Angkor Wat
Definition

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat is a temple complex in the province of Siem Reap, Cambodia originally dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu in the 12th century...
The Temple of the Emerald Buddha
Article

The Temple of the Emerald Buddha

A small carved figurine sits high on a grand multi-tiered pedestal in a magnificent wat (temple) in Bangkok, Thailand...
Chichen Itza
Definition

Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza, located at the northern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula of modern Mexico, was a Maya city which was later significantly...
Temple at Uppsala
Definition

Temple at Uppsala

The Temple at Uppsala was a religious center dedicated to the Norse gods Thor, Odin, and Freyr located in what is now Gamla Uppsala...

Illustrations

Add External Link

External Links

10 of the Most Ancient Temples in the World (and What They Look Like Now) | Architectural Digest
www.architecturaldigest.com
11 Most Famous Ancient Temples in Rome - Easy Guide + Map
www.romeactually.com
Karnak Temple | World Monuments Fund
www.wmf.org
Parthenon
www.ancient-greece.org
Angkor Wat - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
whc.unesco.org

Questions & Answers

What is the most famous temple in the world?

The most famous temple in the world is Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

What is the oldest temple in the world?

The oldest temple in the world is Gobekli Tepe in modern-day Turkey dated to between 10,000 - 11,500 years old.

What is the largest temple in the world?

Angkor Wat in Cambodia is considered by some the largest temple in the world while others claim that Karnak in Egypt is larger.

Are there any ancient temples in North America?

Ancient religious sites in North America, built by the indigenous peoples, include the great mounds, such as that at Cahokia, which would be regarded as temples.
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