The most important and widespread building type in ancient Greece was the temple. The first stone temples appeared some time during the early 6th century BC and began to appear in large numbers in the next century. The purpose of a Greek temple was usually to house a cult statue or emblem. Religion did not require people to gather inside the temple to worship, and their temples were primarily monuments to the gods. The most recognizable feature of the Greek temple are the massive columns. The Greeks used three types of columns: the Doric, Ionic and Corinthian order.

Roman temples, while related to the Greek temple form in general design and use of the orders, represent a separate category of temple form. For example: Romans temples were built on an elevated plateau with a front staircase while the Greek temples were on a on a a base of three steps (a stylobate). The Romans also added two new orders: the Tuscan and Composite orders.

Also included in this list are two Egyptian temples that were build during the Greco-Roman period of Egypt. This period started with the conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great and the foundation of the Ptolemaic Kingdom in 305 BC by one of Alexander’s generals. Ptolemaic Egypt lasted for almost three centuries until the death of queen Cleopatra and the Roman conquest in 30 BC. Rome turned the Ptolemaic kingdom of Egypt into a Roman province and Egypt would come to serve as a major producer of grain for the empire.

Maison Carrée

Maison Carrée, located in Nimes, France, was built in 16 BC by the Roman General Marcus Vipanius Agrippa, and was dedicated to his two sons who both died young. It is one of the best preserved Roman temples in the world. The Maison Carrée owes its exceptional state of preservation to the fact that it was transformed to a Christan church in the 4th century, saving it from destruction. It has also been a town hall, a stable, a storehouse, and finally a museum.

Hotels near Maison Carrée

Trajan's Kiosk

Trajan’s Kiosk was built at the island of Philae, by the Roman Emperor Trajan in 100 AD and probably served as a river entrance into the larger temple of Isis. In the 1960s the temple and other monuments on the island were transported to the island of Agilika by UNESCO to save it from being submerged by the rising waters of the Nile due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam.

Hotels near Trajan's Kiosk

Temple of Hephaestus

Located about 500 meters north-west of the famous Acropolis, The Temple of Hephaestus is the best-preserved Greek temple in the world, although it is far less known than its illustrious neighbor. The temple was built in the 5th century BC in a district which contained many foundries and metalwork shops. It was therefore dedicated to Hephaestos, the god of metal working. The Temple of Hephaestus was designed by Ictinus, one of the architects who also worked on the Parthenon.

Hotels near Temple of Hephaestus

Paestum

Paestum is an ancient Greco-Roman city in southern Italy, not far from the beach. The side boasts three well preserved Greek temples. The oldest temple in Paestum is the Temple of Hera, built around 550 BC by Greek colonists. The nearby temple was built about a century later and was also dedicated to Hera, the goddess of marriage and childbirth. Further away stand the Temple of Athena built in about 500 BC.

Hotels near Paestum

Temple of Edfu

The Temple of Edfu, dedicated to the falcon god Horus, is the second largest temple in Egypt after Karnak and one of the best preserved. The construction of this temple began in 237 BC during the reign of Ptolemy III, and completed almost two centuries later in 57 BC by Ptolemy XII, the father of the famous Cleopatra. This temple consists of traditional elements of Egyptian Temples of the New Kingdom, together with a few Greek elements such as the house of birth (the Mammisi).

Hotels near Temple of Edfu

Valley of the Temples

Located on a ridge outside the city of Agrigento, Sicily lie the remains of seven Greek temples called the Valley of the Temples. The Temple of Concordia, built in the 5th century BC, is the best preserved in the Valley and is one of the largest and best preserved Doric style temples still standing. Other temples include the Temple of Juno, used for the celebration of weddings, and the Temple of Heracles, the oldest Temple at the site which today consists of only eight columns.

Hotels near Valley of the Temples

Palmyra

Situated in an oasis 130 miles north of Damascus, Palmyra is one of Syria’s most popular tourist attraction. For centuries Palmyra was an important and wealthy city located along the caravan routes linking Persia with the Mediterranean ports of Roman Syria. There is much to see at the site today, including the huge Temple of Bel, the monumental arch and the colonnade that once consisted of 1,500 Corinthian columns.

Hotels near Palmyra

Pantheon

One of the best preserved Roman buildings, The Pantheon was built in 126 AD as a temple for all the Roman gods. The temple has served as a Roman Catholic Church since the 7th. The Pantheon consists of a large circular portico with three ranks of huge granite Corinthian columns. The portico opens into a rotunda which is topped with a concrete dome with a central opening: the oculus. A great time to visit the Pantheon is when it’s raining in Rome and you can see the rain pouring into the building through the oculus.

Hotels near Pantheon

Baalbek

Baalbek, also called Heliopolis, is a spectacular archaeological site in northeastern Lebanon. From the 1st century BC and over a period of two centuries, the Romans built three temples here: Jupiter, Bacchus and Venus. Created to be the largest temple in the Roman empire, the temple of Jupiter was lined by 54 massive granite columns each each of which were 21 meters (70 feet) tall. Only 6 of these titanic columns remain standing but even they are incredibly impressive. The best preserved temple at the site is the Temple of Bacchus built in 150 AD. The temple was dedicated to Bacchus, also known as Dionysus, the Roman god of wine.

Hotels near Baalbek

Parthenon, Acropolis

The Parthenon on top of the Acropolis is one of the most famous buildings in the world and a visit to Athens is not complete without visiting this temple. The construction of the Parthenon started in in 447 BC, replacing and older temple that was destroyed by the Persians, and completed in 432 BC. The purpose of the Parthenon was to house a massive statue of Athena Parthenos made from ivory, silver and gold. Sometime in the 5th century the statue was looted by one of the Roman Emperors, and taken to Constantinople, where it was later destroyed. During its long life the Parthenon has also served as a fortress, a church, a mosque and as a powder magazine.

Hotels near Parthenon, Acropolis