Temple of Apollo Epikourios in Bassae

The Temple of Apollo Epikourios was erected between 420-400 B.C. by the citizens of Figaleia. The architect, Iktinos, designed the Parthenon in Athens. Iktinos combined different elements of the preceding archaic period with a contemporary classical style and introduced a variety of novel ideas both externally and internally. The result was so impressive that Pausanias, the ancient author and traveller of the 2nd century CE, considered it to be among the finest temples of the Peloponnese.

The Temple of Apollo Epikourios is the only temple of Antiquity to combine three architectural orders: the Doric, Ionic, and Corinthian styles. Of the 23 marble slabs of the temple's frieze, 12 depicted the battle between Greeks and Amazons and the remaining eleven presented the mythical battle between Lapiths and Centaurs. The frieze was unearthed by foreign antiquaries in 1812, and in 1815 it was sold to the British Museum, where it is exhibited today. The temple was abandoned in the late Roman era and its roof collapsed into the interior causing extensive damage. The outer colonnade (peristyle) remained standing throughout the centuries.

The first serious restoration effort for the building started in 1902-1908. From 1982-1997, an anti-seismic scaffold was placed (1985), a lightning protection was installed (1986), and a temporary shelter (tent) was erected (1987) to protect the temple against the region's extreme weather conditions.