Temple of Augustus

Temple of Augustus is one of the most significant structures from the Roman period in Anatolia and is located in Ankara, the capital of Türkiye, in the Nation neighborhood on Hacıbayram Square, immediately next to the Hacıbayram Camii. This temple, situated on the acropolis of the ancient city known as Ankyra, was dedicated to Emperor Augustus (27 BCE – 14 CE) and the goddess Roma. It is believed to have been constructed in 25 BCE as a votive offering to Augustus by Pylamenes, son of the last ruler of Galatia, Amintos, to celebrate the region’s incorporation into the Roman Empire. The temple holds major historical and archaeological importance due to its architectural features and the inscription known as the “Res Gestae Divi Augusti.”

Temple of Augustus (Culture Portal)

Architectural Features

The Temple of Augustus is a pseudo-dipteral structure in the Corinthian order, oriented southwest to northeast, measuring 36 by 54.82 meters. It rests on an eight-step podium approximately two meters high. The surrounding colonnade (peristasis) originally consisted of eight columns on the narrow sides and fifteen on the long sides; however, most of these columns have not survived, and some scholars suggest the peristasis may have been left unfinished. The front chamber (pronaos) features four columns, while the rear chamber (opisthodomos) has two columns in antis style. Today, much of the southern and southeastern foundations of the temple remain, including parts of the stepped platform and foundation walls. The anta walls of the pronaos, the entrance door of the cella, its side walls, and part of the opisthodomos have been preserved. However, a large portion of the northwestern wall of the cella was destroyed in 1834.

The temple’s architecture underwent modifications over time. In the early 6th century, the Byzantines converted it into a church; during this phase, the floor of the cella was leveled, the wall between the cella and opisthodomos was removed, an apse was added to the rear, and three large windows were opened in the southeast wall. Between 1427 and 1428, the Hacı Bayram Camii was constructed adjacent to the temple’s northwestern corner. The addition to the rear of the opisthodomos and the graffiti on the walls suggest the building was later used as a duration madrasa.

The Res Gestae Divi Augusti Inscription

The Temple of Augustus is renowned for the “Res Gestae Divi Augusti” (The Deeds of the Divine Augustus), known as the “Queen of Inscriptions.” This document, composed after Augustus’s death, was carved into the temple walls in both Latin and Ancient Greek, with letters painted in red. The Latin text is inscribed on the inner surfaces of the pronaos anta walls, while the Greek text is located on the southeast outer wall of the cella. Since the original inscription in Rome has been lost, the copy in Ankara is the only complete version preserved and stands as one of the most valuable sources for understanding the institutional functioning of the Roman Empire and the achievements of Augustus. Additionally, on the anta walls there is a “List of Priests” dedicated to imperial priests and another inscription concerning a priestess.

The inscription was first discovered between 1553 and 1555 by Augier Ghiselin de Busbeck and later studied in the 19th century by researchers W.J. Hamilton, C. Humann, O. Puchstein, and T. Mommsen. The historian Theodor Mommsen named it the “Queen of Inscriptions.” The other two known copies in Anatolia—one in Latin at Pisidian Antiocheia and one in Greek at Apollonia—contain incomplete fragments.

Historical Development and Use

The area where the temple stands has been used as a region since the 8th century BCE. The presence of a pre-Roman structure dedicated to Anatolian deities (Men, Cybele) and the temple’s western orientation suggest continuity with local traditions. During the Roman period, the temple was constructed; in the Byzantine era, it was converted into a church; and during the Ottoman period, it became associated with a madrasa and mosque. The Hacı Bayram Camii and its türbe, located immediately beside the temple, have preserved the sacred character of the site into the present day.

Modern Research and Conservation

The temple was excavated between 1926 and 1928 by the German Archaeological Institute under the leadership of Daniel Krenker and Martin Schede, and further investigations were carried out in 1938–1939 by Hamit Z. Koşay on behalf of the Turkish History Institute. Koşay revealed that the temple’s foundation walls extended four meters deep and that a subterranean passage existed to the east. In the 2000s, the Ankara Metropolitan Municipality reinforced leaning walls with steel structures and carried out environment works. However, erosion of the inscription due to natural factors and the temple’s lack of protection have created an urgent need for conservation. Conservation initiatives launched in 1985 under the leadership of Sencer Şahin and the University of Trieste’s “Progetto Ancyra” project between 1997 and 2008 marked significant steps in documenting and proposing restoration measures. Since 2016, the temple has been on UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites for Türkiye and is currently closed to visitors.

The Temple of Augustus, with its architectural features, the Res Gestae inscription, and its millennia-old history as a sacred site, is one of Ankara’s most important historical monuments. As the only known temple in Türkiye bearing an inscription, it holds a unique position. Although conservation efforts continue, more comprehensive measures are required to secure its future.