Built: Circa 550 BC

Location: Greek city of Ephesus, near the modern town of Seluck, 50 km south of Izmir (Smyrna) in Turkey

History:

The Temple of Artemis (Diana) at the great Ionian city of Ephesus was built to honour the Greek goddess of hunting and wild nature. It was considered one of the largest and most complex temples built in ancient times, some deemed it the most beautiful structure on earth.

The temple was build around 550 BC, but the foundation on which it stood dated back to the seventh century BC. Sponsored by the Lydian king Croesus, it was designed by Greek architect Chersiphron and decorated with bronze statues sculpted by Pheidias, Polycleitus, Kresilas, and Phradmon. It was often referred to as the great marble temple and Temple D.

On the night of July 21, 356 BC, the temple was burned to the ground by a man named Herotratus. Twenty years later, the temple was rebuilt. This was labeled "temple E" by archelogists. The second temple was destroyed by the Goths in AD 262.

All that reminds of the temple today is a foundation and the road leading to the site. Recent attempts were recently made to rebuilt the temple, but so far, only a few columns have been re-erected.

Description:

The foundation of the temple was rectangular in shape measuring approximately 80 m (260 ft) by 130 m (430 ft). The structure was made of marble, with a tile-covered wooden roof, overlooking a courtyard. Marble steps surround the building platform and led to a terrace.

The inside of the temple is filled with a double row of a total of 127 columns, each reaching a height of 20 m (60 ft). The columns are covered with Ionic capitals and carved circular sides.

Interesting Facts:

• Alexander the Great was born on the same night that the original Temple of Artemis was destroyed, July 21, 356 BC
• Roman historian Plutarch later wrote that the goddess Artemis was "too busy taking care of the birth of Alexander to send help to her threatened temple"