- For other uses, see Temple.
A temple was a type of building used for religious purposes; places of worship, ceremony, or other religious activities. Temples were commonly used by religious and spiritual groups in many races and cultures. Common architectural elements in temples include large interior spaces, often in the form of colonnaded halls, and sometimes including an altar.
Overview[]
Temples are typically man-made structures, although the term can also be used in a more spiritual context; the Bajorans for instance referred to the Bajoran wormhole, the home of their gods, the Prophets, as the Celestial Temple. (DS9 episode: "Emissary")
The Bajoran temple on Deep Space 9.
The Bajorans also operated conventional temples for followers of the Bajoran religion. The Bajoran temple on Deep Space 9's Promenade remained in operation not just when the station fell under Federation jurisdiction, but also as a hub for Bajorans when the station was operated as Terok Nor under the Cardassians. (DS9 episode: "Emissary"; Star Trek Fact Files Issue 27-Appendix 1: "Bajoran temple")
The interior of a Rajathan temple.
The Rajathan civilization built their temples atop large ziggurats. Rajathan temples featured two entrances, representing ways into heaven and the underworld. Because the Rajathans were pathologically non-judgemental both entrances led to a single interior space. (TNG - The Space Between comic: "Captain's Pleasure")
Vulcan mystics were thought to have erected temples at the Kurat Temple Complex at the base of the Kurat Mountains on the planet Vulcan as early as the 6th millennium BC. The temple complex included steps leading up to further sites on Mount Seleya. The Forge, an area of desert at the base of the mountains was also home to several temples, and the Vulcans continued to use these sites after the Time of Awakening and well into the 24th century. Off-worlders were seldom allowed to enter the temple areas and witness the ceremonies performed within. (ST - New Worlds, New Civilizations short story: "Tempered by the Forge")
A Temazi temple.
The Temazi worshiped their god Thanatos in large colonnaded temples; Temazi rituals were known to last as long as eight hours. In line with their generally xenophobic attitudes, the Temazi were intolerant of any alien presence in their temples, considering them demons. When the Temazi discovered USS Enterprise and IKS Varchas personnel in one of their temples in 2254 they reacted violently, attacking the Federation and Klingon personnel. (EV comics: "Thanatos", "Nemesis")
Primitive Skorr temples were characterised by their large angular monolithic design, with a tall open interior space and a single entrance. (TAS episode: "The Jihad")
The Egyptian-style "temple" on Zeta Reticuli II.
While exploring the remains of an Ancient-Egyptian-like civilization on the surface of Zeta Reticuli II in 2273 a landing party from the USS Enterprise discovered a building they perceived to be a temple, finding within it hundreds of mummies. The building was in fact a large computer controlled sleep chamber, holding the last members of the civilization in suspended animation. Upon entering the "temple" the landing party activated the computer system which was awaiting the return of other members of the civilization which had gone out into the galaxy to find a new world to live on. (TOS comic: "We Are Dying, Egypt, Dying!")
Known temples[]
- Temple of Iponu, a temple on Bajor where the Orb of Time resided by 2374. (DS9 episode: "Wrongs Darker Than Death or Night")
- Temple of the Prophets, a structure on Bajor. (Decipher RPG module: Worlds)
- Klingon temples
- Taklar Temple, a Klingon structure on Qo'noS. (DS9 - The Left Hand of Destiny novel: Book One)
- Temple of Molgar, a site in the First City on the Klingon homeworld, Qo'noS. (TLE novel: Serpents Among the Ruins)
- Temple of Rogax, a building in the Klingon's First City on Qo'noS. (TLE novel: Serpents Among the Ruins)
- Vulcan temples
- Kurat Temple Complex, an area of temples at the base of the Kurat Mountains on Vulcan. (ST - New Worlds, New Civilizations short story: "Tempered by the Forge")
- Temple of Amonak, one of the most sacred sites on Vulcan. (VOY episode: "Hunters", VOY novel: Fusion)
- Temple of Logic, a Vulcan temple on Mount Seleya on Vulcan. (TOS novel: Captain's Blood)
- Temple of T'Panit, a Vulcan temple. (VOY episode: "Ashes to Ashes")
- Other temples
- Apollo's temple, a structure on Pollux IV. (TOS episode: "Who Mourns for Adonais?")
- Golden Temple, a Sikh site in Amritsar, India. (TOS novel: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Volume 1)
- New Temple of Zeus, a temple in New Athens on Macedon III. (TOS - Star Trek II Short Stories short story: "Under Twin Moons")
- Temple of Akadar, an ancient seat of power on Valt Minor. (TNG episode: "The Perfect Mate")
- Temple of Kural Hanesh, a notably harmonious Dokkaran building. (TNG episode: "Hero Worship")
- Temple of Ozari, a Tkon temple on their homeworld. (TNG - The Q Continuum novel: Q-Zone)
- Temple of Uzaveh, an Andorian temple dating back to at least the 3rd century. (DS9 novel: Andor: Paradigm)
