Stonehenge, United Kindgom
Stonehenge is an absolutely stunning, extremely ancient temple, with the word "temple" used here in the broadest sense. It is located in south-east England, near the historic town of Salisbury, and the moment you arrive at the site, it's as if everything stops and you can immediately feel the spiritual, historical vibes in the wind.
Stonehenge is dated to around 2500 BCE and is considered a prehistoric megalithic structure made up of 25-ton stones four meters and 13 feet high, which together form a ring, topped by connecting horizontal stones. It was built to align with the sunrise on the year's longest day and the sunset on the year's shortest day.
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Angkor Wat is one of the youngest temples on this list and the world's largest religious structure. It was the grandest Hindu temple in the world for its first hundreds years, until it was converted to become the grandest Buddhist temple. It might be the most incredible "site" humans have ever built, once we include the temple complex and the city around it.
Angkor Wat, meaning "City of Temples" was built in the 1100s CE by the Khmer Hindu Empire of modern Cambodia, and the temple has five towers arranged like a 5 on a die (dice). At its peak, the City of Temples housed a million people, compared with the 10,000 who lived at the same time in London. When it was converted into a Buddhist temple, Buddha's face was carved and added to the city gates and to many of its existing temples. These carvings and many others are considered some of the finest to be found the world over
Angkor Wat is world-renowned for its epic yet harmonious and pleasant architectural design and if you can make a visit, you should.
More Fantastic Ancient Temples
Gobelki Tepe, Turkey
Abu Simbel Temple, Egypt
Gobelki Tepe, Turkey
The most ancient human structure still standing is highlighted by this temple,
dated to about 8,000 BCE
Ziggurat of Ur, Iraq
Abu Simbel Temple, Egypt
Gobelki Tepe, Turkey
When the Sumerians dominated Mesopotamia, this was their greatest temple, built around 2000 BCE
Abu Simbel Temple, Egypt
Abu Simbel Temple, Egypt
Abu Simbel Temple, Egypt
These Pharaonic temples were carved on the mountainside in the 1200s BC for Pharaoh Ramesses II and his wife, Nefertari
Chogha Zanbil, Iran
Chogha Zanbil, Iran
Abu Simbel Temple, Egypt
This ancient Elamite temple is one of the few existing ziggurats outside Mesopotamia, and is dated to around 1200 BCE
Parthenon, Greece
Chogha Zanbil, Iran
Parthenon, Greece
One of the most iconic structures in the world was built in the 400s BCE, and it still dominates the Athenian skyline
Pantheon, Italy
Chogha Zanbil, Iran
Parthenon, Greece
The classical design of this temple was inspired by the temple to its left, and it is the most intact Roman structure we have today
More Unbelievable Temples
Masjid, Saudio Arabia
Borobudur Temple, Indonesia
Borobudur Temple, Indonesia
The grandest mosque is in Mecca, and it's the world's number one pilgrimage site, dated to the 600s CE
Borobudur Temple, Indonesia
Borobudur Temple, Indonesia
Borobudur Temple, Indonesia
With thousands of carvings and hundreds of Buddha statues, this 800s CE temple is Indonesia's most spectacular
El Castillo, Mexico
Borobudur Temple, Indonesia
Brihadeeswara Temple, India
The biggest and best-preserved Maya site is a step-pyramid temple, built around the 800s CE
Brihadeeswara Temple, India
Brihadeeswara Temple, India
Brihadeeswara Temple, India
India's southernmost state, Tamil Nadu, draws millions of pilgrims a year to its famous temples, including its crown jewel
Tikal Temple, Guatemala
Brihadeeswara Temple, India
Tikal Temple, Guatemala
This Maya temple is known as the Temple of the Great Jaguar because of arepresentation of a king sitting upon a jaguar throne
Encore Wat?
Brihadeeswara Temple, India
Tikal Temple, Guatemala
I promised my man Vuthy a shout-out here. If you're visiting Angkor, you need a driver, and he's great: +855-78-707-133 (WhatsApp)
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