The temple measuring 17.09 x 33.42 metres and equipped with 6 columns on the narrow side and 12 columns on the long side stood on a 4.50 metre high platform which could be entered via a monumental open staircase. The calculated total height of the building was 11.50 metres.

The history of Elaiussa Sebaste

The Roman temple at Elaiussa Sebaste is the only temple found in the city besides the round temple on the Agora. On the basis of the architectural ornamentation found, its erection in the middle of the 1st century B.C. is considered probable. There is no certainty today as to which deity he was consecrated to. Both Zeus and Athena and Poseidon are considered possible "candidates". Even as a temple for the cult of the emperor he is under discussion.
The location of the temple was on a hill outside the original city area, but from there it was clearly visible from both land and sea.

Its use as a sacred building was abandoned in the 4th or 5th century AD. In the late fifth century, a church was built across the temple axis. In line with the decline in the city's population due to the silting up of the port, the church building was comparatively small at 11 x 7 metres. Earthquakes, deliberate destruction and the use of building materials for buildings in nearby Korykos led to the present appearance of the ruin.