The Temple of Apollo was one of the earliest temples at Cyrene, with the foundations dating from the 6th century BC. The initial structure was little more than an open courtyard, but was soon enhanced by rows of six columns along two sides and eleven on the other two. Fragments of the temple's pediment suggest a representation of the nymph Cyrene strangling a lion.
A statue of Apollo playing the lyre was found here and now resides in the British Museum in London. The temple was rebuilt during the 4th century BC, again with 34 columns. It was destroyed during the Jewish Revolt and what you see now is essentially a 2nd-century AD Roman building in the Greek Doric style (the columns are smooth, not fluted).
