World Heritage Photos

The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae is situated on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, about 50 km from Olympia and about 6 km south of Andritsaina. The temple was built in the 5th century BC in the isolated Arcadian Mountains. The ancient Greek geographer, traveler and writer Pausanias attributed the design of the temple to the Greek Iktinos, who also designed the Parthenon in Athens. The temple was partly inspired by the fourth Temple of Apollo in Delphi. The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae is an attractive combination of the three ancient Greek architectural orders Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. The temple has the oldest Corinthian capital yet found. The temple was dedicated to the god of healing and the sun. In 1815, twenty-three slabs of the Ionic cella frieze were removed by a British archaeologist, they are exhibited in the British Museum in London (room 16). The temple was covered by an enormous tent in 1987, to protect it against the extreme weather conditions in the Arcadian Mountains. The conservation work on the temple is still not finished yet and probably never will be. The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae was declared a UNESCO World Heritage in 1986.

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   The sheltered Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae. The Temple of Apollo Epicurius is situated on an isolated mountain side in Arcadia, Greece. It was built in the 5th century BC on a specially built terrace. The temple was in use throughout the Hellenistic period and Roman period. The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986.

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   In 1987, an enormous tent was erected over the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae to protect the building against the extreme weather conditions in the Arcadian Mountains. The Temple of Apollo Epicurius is situated on the Peloponnese peninsula in Greece, about 14 km south of the town of Andritsaina.

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   British and German antiquarians brought some sculptures of the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae to their countries in 1811-1812. The cella friezes were bought by the British Government and placed in the British Museum in London where they remain until today. The temple frieze depicts Hercules, the Centaurs and the Amazons.

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   The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae was constructed of grey limestone. Over the centuries, the temple was severely damaged by frost. There are speculations, that the central Corinthian column of the Temple of Apollo Epicurius was built to reflect the first rays of sunlight during the summer solstice, midsummer, symbolizing the eternal light of the Greek god of the sun, Apollo.

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   The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae was built in a striking combination of the orders Doric, Ionic and Corinthian, but the outer architectural elements are strictly Doric, the central column of the temple is Corinthian, its capital is the oldest surviving example of the Corinthian order in the world. The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae was declared a UNESCO World Heritage.

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   The Temple of Apollo Epicurius stands in the bare and rocky landscape of Bassae in Arcadia. The Temple of Apollo Epicurius is orientated east-west, instead of the usual north-south. The temple was dedicated to the Greek god Apollo Epicurius, Apollo the Helper, by residents of Arcadia, this unusual dedication have kept scholars preoccupied for centuries.

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   Archaeologist are convinced that beneath the foundations of the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae, the ruins of a much older temple are situated. A foot fragment of a stone statue of the god Apollo Epicurius was discovered in one of the chambers of the temple, it is exhibited at the British Museum in London. Fragments of the frieze were excavated in the 1960s.

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   The sheltered Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae. Because of its isolated location, the temple remained undiscovered by archaeologists until 1765. The temple was carefully restored in the period 1902-1906, fallen columns were re-erected and the walls of the cella were restored. A further restoration was carried out in the 1960s. Nowadays, renewed restoration is necessary.

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   Numerous ancient stone fragments on the grounds of the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae. The temple is situated on a rocky outcrop of Mount Kotylion at an altitude of 1131 metres. The ancient Greek geographer, traveler and writer Pausanias attributed the design of the Temple of Apollo Epicurius to the Greek Iktinos, the architect of the Parthenon in Athens.

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    The sheltered Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae, the huge tent was erected over the temple to protect it against the extreme weather conditions in the mountains of Arcadia. Restoration work is currently carried out. It will take years before the Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae will see the sun again. The temple is dedicated to Apollo Epicurius, the god of healing and sun.