What was the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus rebuilt after?

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The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus was rebuilt after a fire in 356 BC.

The fire was deliberately started by Herostratus, who sought lasting fame by destroying the celebrated sanctuary. Ancient writers connected the event with the birth date of Alexander the Great, though that association belongs to the historical tradition surrounding the fire rather than proving a direct connection.

The rebuilding produced the most famous version of the temple and took many years. It was a vast Ionic sanctuary dedicated to Artemis, the Greek goddess associated with hunting and, in Ephesus, with a distinctive local cult tradition.

The temple had an earlier history and was damaged or rebuilt more than once. Its ruins are near modern Selçuk in Turkey. Marble architectural fragments and foundations help archaeologists reconstruct the scale of the sanctuary, although little survives of the complete superstructure.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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