Temple of Zeus Megistos
Ruins · Syria
- Abandoned
- 256
- Founded
- 149 BC
- Population
- —
- Coordinates
- 34.747, 40.733
Why it was abandoned
☢️ Disaster
Detected automatically from the text: Earthquake of 160 CE at Dura-Europos
History
The Temple of Zeus Megistos is in Dura-Europos in the east of the city in a part of the city that is modernly referred to as the Acropolis. It was one of the main temples of the city, the oldest construction phases of which perhaps go back to the time when the city was under Greek rule. The temple is not well preserved and the results of its excavations are not fully published. Several times the temple has been the target of excavations. The first excavations took place in 1928–37. The ceramics have hardly been recorded, which makes dating the older layers more difficult. The excavators presented some reconstructions of the oldest Greek temple. In particular, the more recent excavations from 1992 and 2002 raise doubts about older reconstructions and interpretations.