Visiting any ruin is like peeping in the past and if you get to see an ancient site of worship, it tells you a lot about the bygone era. Luckily, there are still some old temples that survived for thousands of years especially in and around the cradle of the earliest societies and civilizations. Here are some of them.

GöbekliTepe, Turkey around 10,000–9000 BCE

This is considered the oldest known site of ritual and pilgrimage on the hilltop of southeast Turkey, near the Syrian border. This location was earlier in Ancient Mesopotamia. There are numerous stone circles with animal and priest carvings on this UNESCO World Heritage site. This oldest known site of faith is so massive that a German archaeologist Klaus Schmidt said that it will take 50 years for archeologists to excavate the complete site.

ĦagarQim&Mnajdra, Malta around 3700–3200 BCE

This Megalithic site has two prehistoric stone temples—Hagar Qim and Mnajdra atop a cliff overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. Both of these temples are believed to be devoted to the Sun and changing seasons and have huge stone slabs that create doorways, niches, and apses. The ruins still remain in fantastic conditionto date.

Ġgantija, Gozo around 3600–3200 BCE

This Megalithic shrine is in the Maltese archipelago and as per archeologists, was a site used for ceremonious animal sacrifice given the number of animal bones unearthed during the excavation. This also led to popular folklore that giants resided in this site. There are some remarkable clay and limestone figurines found in and around the site.

 Stonehenge, UK around 3000-2000 BCE

This 5000-year-old famous stone circle is one of the most visited ritual sites in the world. It is believed to be many things; a coronation area, a healing facility, a place of reverence of ancestors, and even a Druid shrine. Interestingly, during summer and winter solstices, believers of pagan religion can get really close to the stone formation.

Ziggurat of Ur, Iraq around 2100 BCE

Ancient Greek geographer and writer Herodotus visited the site and found that the temple once hosted at the top. Build by Ancient Mesopotamian king Ur Nammu, the Ziggurat of Ur is a massive pyramid-like structure in DhiQar Province of modern Iraq. The structure was restored twice, once in 600 BCE and then much later in the 1980s by Saddam Hussein.

ĦalSaflieni Hypogeum, Malta; Temple of Amada, Egypt and Luxor Temple, Egypt isa few more worth visiting ancient temples.