TOURISM: Temple of Artemis
August 24, 2008 – 2:41 pm
Travel to Turkey
Temple of Artemis is located at Ephesus, in Izmir, Turkey. It was built for goddess Artemis. Artemis is the goddess of hills and forests. The site is also known as Temple of Diana. Diana is a Roman goddess. It is thought that in mythology, Diana and Artemis are equal and very similar.
Once upon a time, the temple was one of the Seven Wonders of the World. However, now there are only some columns remaining. Nearly the entire of the temple was ruined.
History of Temple of Artemis
The temple is dedicated to goddess Artemis. It was built in 6 BC. It is totally marble. The construction took a long time. The site area is older than the temple. It is predicted that Lydian and Lelege societies inhabited the area.
The Temple of Artemis was designed and built by Cretan architect Chersiphron and his son Metagenes. King of Lydia Croesus gave the required financial support for the construction of the temple.
The area that temple was built on a boggy area. It is predicted that such an area was chosen intentionally. It was a precaution for possible earthquakes. When the construction of the Artemis Temple ended, it became a visitation point for traders, kings, tourists, and believers. They brought some goods, jewelry for the honor of Artemis goddess.
This old site and temple faced many attacks and it was restored many times. The biggest event in its history is Herostratus’ ruining the temple. The temple was destroyed in 4 BC by Herostratus. He believed that the temple would be world wide famous after that event. Despite being destroyed, fame was important. The temple was restored only after the death of king. However, this was not the first and the last destroy of the temple. It was destroyed by Goths during their rush. The temple was rebuilt by Roman Emperor Constantine. With time, the temple lost its religious importance. The ruins of the construction were used in different constructions.
Architectural Features of Artemis Temple
The researches show that the temple was built in three periods. In the first period, there was an altar in the area. Then the Temple of Artemis was built. Finally, restoration period began.
The entire of the temple could not reach to our age. We know only what is recorded. The data shows that it was approximately 155 meters high and 55 meters width. The temple was built totally from marble. Columns formed the temple. It was not just a building. In it, there were many art works. It was a displaying center. Statues, sculptures, paintings made by famous artists of the era were displayed in the temple.
Tourism and Temple of Artemis
Ephesus ancient city is a tourism center. Read the article Pearl of Aegean: Izmir – Turkey to get more information about Ephesus. Visiting Temple of Artemis is a part of Ephesus tour. The temple is not in good condition. However, it is still worth to see this historical and mythological site.