A building is constructed and consecrated as the dwelling place of a deity or as the primary site of sacrificial worship. That building is a temple. Temples have stood at the center of many ancient and continuing religious systems.

The Jerusalem Temple focused Israelite worship until its destruction. Hindu temples house images of deities and support daily ritual. Buddhist temples and monasteries serve as centers of teaching and meditation. Greek and Roman temples expressed civic as well as religious identity. Architecture, orientation, and restricted access mark the sacred character of the space.

Temples require ongoing maintenance, priesthood or attendant staff, and economic support. They attract pilgrims and focus the religious calendar. Destruction of a temple is experienced as a profound communal wound. Living temples continue to structure the daily and annual rhythm of devotion.

• Building dedicated to the worship of a deity
• Often houses images or serves sacrificial functions
• Architecturally and ritually set apart
• Center of communal religious life