Temple of Aphrodite Euploia

In the mid-fourth century BCE, the city of Knidos erected a temple to the goddess Aphrodite, the city's patron. The temple was a round, open, monopteros with 18 columns in the Doric order, located in a sanctuary at the western edge of the city. It was made of limestone, sandstone, and marble, and underwent repairs at some point during its use. There is some evidence that the Corinthian order was also present, either as the result of later modifications or in internal columns. There was an altar in front of the east side of the temple, and since a series of steps leading up to the temple base are located on this side, it is thought to be the main entrance. The temple housed the famous nude marble statue of Aphrodite created by the sculptor Praxiteles. Its plan allowed the statue to be viewed from all sides. The temple was used to house the statue until it was taken to Constantinople, where it was destroyed in a fire. The temple was rediscovered in 1969 by American archaeologist Iris Cornelia Love.