Oldest Temple

Stonehenge

One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge is composed of earthworks surrounding a

circular setting of large standing stones in south west England. Stonehenge was produced by a culture that left no written records so many aspects of Stonehenge remain subject to debate. Evidence indicate that the iconic stone monument was erected around 2500 BC while the last known construction at Stonehenge was about 1600 BC. The gigantic stones may have come from a quarry, around 40 kilometers (25 mi) north of Stonehenge on the Marlborough Downs. It is not known for certain what purpose Stonehenge served, but many scholars believe the monument was used as a ceremonial or religious center. Today, it is a popular tourist destination in England and Stonehenge tours are available from several English cities.

Temple of Hatshepsut

The Mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, who ruled Egypt from around 1479 BC until her death in 1458
BC, is situated beneath the cliffs at Deir el Bahari on the west bank of the Nile. It is a colonnaded structure, which was designed and implemented by Senemut, the royal architect of Hatshepsut, to serve for her posthumous worship and to honor the glory of Amun. The temple is built into a cliff face that rises sharply above it and consists of three layered terraces reaching 30 meters (97 ft ) in height. These terraces are connected by long ramps which were once surrounded by gardens.

Hypogeum

The Hypogeum in Malta is the only prehistoric underground temple in the world. The temple consists

of halls, chambers and passages carved out of rock. Thought to be originally a sanctuary, it became a necropolis in prehistoric times. The complex is grouped in three levels – the upper level (3600-3300 BC), the middle level (3300-3000 BC), and the lower level (3150 -2500 BC). The deepest room in the lower level is 10.6 meters (35 ft) underground. 

Temple of Seti I

The Temple of Seti I is the mortuary temple of Pharaoh Seti I on the west bank of the Nile in Abydos.

The ancient temple was constructed towards the end of the reign of Seti, and may have been completed by his son Ramesses the Great after his death in 1279 BC. The temple was not only dedicated to Seti I but also to a number of deities. The raised reliefs in this old temple are some of the finest and most detailed in all of Egypt. The temple also contains the Abydos King List. It is a chronological list of many dynastic pharaohs of Egypt from Menes, the Egyptian king credited with founding the First dynasty, until Ramesses I, Seti’s father.

Ggantija Temples

High on a hill on the island of Gozo, is the Stone Age Ggantija prehistoric temple complex.

Constructed from 3,600-3,000 BC, the Ggantija temples are the earliest of a series of megalithic temples in Malta, pre-dating Egypt’s pyramids and Britain’s Stonehenge by over a 1,000 years. This megalithic monument is in fact two temples, built side by side and enclosed within a boundary wall. The numerous figurines and statues indicate that the temples were possibly the site of a Fertility cult. The temples on Malta are the oldest temples in Europe.

Temple of Amada

The Temple of Amada is the oldest temple in Nubia and was first constructed by Egyptian pharaoh 

Thutmose III in the 15th century BC. The temple was dedicated to Amun and Re-Horakhty. Alterations and decoration were carried out by later pharaohs. Akhenaten had the name Amun destroyed throughout the temple for example while Seti I had this restored again. Although the temple is quite small and has crumbling exterior, its interior features some of the most finely cut reliefs with bright and vibrant colors.