Temple of Artemis Azzanathkona

The city of Dura-Europos was built as a military colony by Seleucus I Nicator, one of Alexander's generals, following Alexander's death in 323 BC.  The Temple of Artemis Azzanathkona sits on the west bank of the Euphrates River to the south of a ravine, at the northern edge of the urban area. It honors a syncretized combination of the Greek goddess Artemis and the Syrian goddess Azzanathkona (Atargatis). The temple is a square building with an inner chamber at the rear. It also has a small area with elevated theater seating around an auditorium, one of five in Dura-Europos. The sanctuary was covered in paintings, like many of the other religious buildings in this city. In the Roman period, in addition to its religious functions, the complex also served as headquarters for the Cohors XX Palmyrenorum, an infantry and cavalry regiment recruited from Palmyra.

The temple was destroyed with the rest of the site in 256 AD. It was excavated by Yale University and the French Academy of Inscriptions and Letters from 1928-1929.  Found on the eastern wall is a horoscope dated to July of 176 AD.