Dipartimento di Scienze dell'Antichità

The Roman Temple at Elaiussa Sebaste, built in the 1st century A.D., is of the Corinthian order, with 6 fluted columns on the front and 12 on the long sides. The temple rises on a high podium which was in origin faced with limestone blocks, and reached by a stairway on the southern side. The divinity to whom the temple was dedicated is not yet known. In the Byzantine age (5th century A.D.) the temple was transformed into a small convent which included a church and other rooms for religious activities which were constructed by re-utilising some of the architectural elements of the pagan building. Subsequently in some of the rooms were installed manufacturing facilities maybe related to olive oil production. A violent earthquake caused the definitive collapse of the complex, probably during the 7th century A.D., but the area was still used subsequently as a quarry for building materials at least until the 12-13th centuries.