Archaic Temple of Apollo in Metropolis, Karditsa: Rising from its ashes

The magnificent Doric peripteral hekatompedos temple (31×13.75m) was built in the mid-6th century BC from local soft sandstone, only to be abandoned shortly after its collapse by fire in the mid-2nd century BC.

It remains the best preserved ancient temple in Thessaly. The fact that no other temple was built in its place meant that all its stone architectural members were found buried exactly as they had been left after the disaster, until their eventual discovery. Among them was the cult statue of Apollo in a rare depiction as a hoplite in full armour.