The city of Cyrene was founded c.631 BCE as a colony of the Greek island of Thera. It became the most important Greek city in the region and got its name from the Greek princess, or Nymph, Kyrene. The God Apollo fell in love with her and took her to Libya, where they had a child together. This ancient Greek city ,which was known as the Athens of Africa, was the location of the Temple of Zeus. Dating to the 6th century BCE, this temple is larger than the Parthenon in Athens; a reflection of the wealth and importance of the region of Cyrene in the ancient Greek world.
The Temple was built in the Doric style, with two rows of 17 X 8 Doric columns, 70 X 32 meters. Though initially a Greek temple, later stonework on the temple shows evidence of Egyptian style workmanship.
The temple was destroyed during a Jewish rebellion in 115 CE, which took place in various Roman districts as far as Cyprus and then was restored in 120 CE. During its restoration, it was given a new marble frontage and a high podium, in the traditional Roman style which was popular within the Empire.
In the great earthquake of 365 CE, the Temple suffered severe damage and was left abandoned for many centuries.In 1957,Italian archaeologists restored the building to its present state temple of Zeus to its present state. All work for restoration in Libya ceased in 1974. The temple is now an UNESCO World Heritage site.
Archaeological evidence suggest that animal sacrifices were carried out within the temple. Also, numerous coins have been found in the area which depict Zeus- Ammon, a syncretic image of Zeus.This worship could have appeared during Hellenistic Times. Under Roman rule, the Temple was devoted to Zeus as Jupiter.
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