The largest Doric temple ever constructed in Sicily's Valley of Temples

The unfinished Temple of Olympian Zeus lies at the heart of Sicily's Valley of Temples. This monument was probably founded to commemorate the Battle of Himera (480 BC), in which the Greek cities of Akragas (Agrigento) and Syracuse defeated the Carthaginians under Hamilcar. Built using Carthaginian slave labour - presumably defeated soldiers captured after the battle - the temple was never completed and now lies in ruins.

Focusing on the colossal stone figures, these figures stood some 7.5 meters high. They are generally believed to have stood on a recessed ledge on the upper part of the outer wall, bearing the weight of the upper portion of the temple on their upheld hands. These atlases are an exceptionally unusual feature and may possibly have been unique in their time, with some interpreting them as symbols of the Greek enslavement of the Carthaginian invaders.

One of the fallen atlases has been assembled in the nearby archaeological museum, while a replica can be seen among the ruins of the temple. The original figures are heavily eroded and all of their feet appear to be missing. The structure was never finished due to the Carthaginian conquest of the city in 406 BC. Today, the temple survives only as a broad stone platform heaped with tumbled pillars and blocks of stone, standing alongside other major Greek temples in the valley.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons