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10 Oldest Temples in the World
Last updated on October 24, 2017 in Culture, History 7 Comments

A temple is roughly defined as a structure reserved for religious or spiritual activities. Temples have been built throughout the ages and many new ones open their doors every year. The Akshardham Temple in New Delhi built in 2008 and the White Temple in Chiang Rai which is still under construction are just two recent examples. The ancient temples on this list however were built millenniums ago by people who’s religion and believe system are nog longer practiced. These buildings are among the oldest man made structures found on earth. They serve as a testimony to the gods and deities of cultures and civilizations long gone.

1. Palace of Knossos
   Palace of Knossos
   Located some 5 km (3 mi) south of Heraklion, the Palace of Knossos is the most important and best known Minoan palace complex in Crete. The great palace was built gradually between 1700 and 1400 BC, with periodic rebuildings after destruction until it was devastated once and for all by fire. The palace comprised living spaces, reception rooms, workshops, shrines and store rooms all built around a central square. The main function of the palace is still under debate. It could have been used primarily as an administrative center, a religious center—or both, in a theocratic manner. Knossos is also often associated with the legend of the Athenian hero Theseus killing the Minotaur.

2. Gobekli Tepe
   Gobekli Tepeflickr/tonynetone
   Sometimes referred to as the first temple or oldest temple, Göbekli Tepe is a sanctuary built on a hilltop in southeastern Turkey. The houses or temples are round megalithic buildings while the walls are made of unworked dry stone and include numerous T-shaped monolithic pillars of limestone that are up to 3 meter (10 ft) high. The site, was erected by hunter-gatherers in the 10th millennium BC (!) making it by far the oldest human-made place of worship yet discovered. Göbekli Tepe not only predate pottery, and the invention of writing or the wheel but it was also built before the beginning of agriculture and animal husbandry.

1. Temple of Amada
   Temple of Amadaflickr/Rivertay
   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