A steepish climb up the hill from the rest of the site is the famed Temple of Zeus, one of the highlights of Cyrene. Reflecting Cyrene's importance in the ancient Greek world, the Temple of Zeus was larger than the Parthenon in Athens. Constructed in the 5th century BC, the sanctuary measured 32m by 70m and was surrounded by two rows of eight and two rows of 17 columns.
In the sanctuary itself there were two rows of Doric columns as well as two columns in the porch. On the main platform in the sanctuary was a statue of a seated Zeus holding Victory in his right hand and a sceptre in his left. Animal sacrifices were carried out in the temple. The ancient entrance was from the east. Under the Romans the temples was used to honour Jupiter; it also served the Greek/Libyan hybrid deity, Zeus Ammun.
