Temple of Olympian Zeus (rear view)

Agrigento

Columns - TTemple of Olympian Zeus

Agrigento 

08/06/17 - The city of Agrigento, in the island of Sicily, still preserves the ruins of a series of Greek temples. Most of them were sacked or destroyed by earthquakes, but one of them, the Temple of Olympian Zeus can be found almost complete. Of Doric style and made of local limestone, it is believed to have been constructed after the victory against the Carthaginians in the year 480 B. C., in the Battle of Himera, according to the testimony of Diodoro Sículo.

Frontal view - Temple of Olympian Zeus

Agrigento

VFrontal view - Temple of Olympian Zeus

Agrigento

With a base of 113.45 x 56.30 mts and a height of 21 mts, the temple stands on a hill and can be seen from everywhere in the city. Its facade had several large statues (8 mts), placed in niches, which bared the weight of the upper portion of the temple. A copy of those giants can be found on the floor, near the entrance to the temple. 

Apparently it housed several ceremonies but its construction was never fully completed and it was abandoned after the Carthaginian invasion in the year 406 B. C.

General View - Temple of Olympian Zeus

Agrigento