Pictures images and photos of the ancient Greek Doric Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, Greece. Photos by photographer Paul E Williams. The temple of Poseidon at Sounion was constructed around 444–440 BC during the era of the Athenian statesman Pericles, who also rebuilt the Parthenon in Athens. Today the temple ruins are a landmark sight raised above the sea on the cape and visible to the ferries leaving Piraeus on their way to the Greek Islands. In ancient times the temple complex and its impressive temple would have demonstrated Athens wealth and importance to all visitors by sea. The temple was also built by the sea which was the realm of Poseidon. The temple had a front portico with six Doric columns and 16 out of the 38 columns are standing today. The temple closely resembles the contemporary and well-preserved Temple of Hephaestus beneath the Acropolis, which may have been designed by the same architect. The columns are of the Doric Order. They were made of white marble quarried locally at Laureotic Olympus. They were 6.10 m (20 ft) tall, with a diameter of 1m (3.1ft) at the base and 79 cm (31inches) at the top. At the centre of the temple was an enclosed hall ( the naps) with a door at one end which housed a colossal, ceiling-height (6 metres (20 ft)) bronze statue of Poseidon. Efforts at restoring and preserving the remains of the Poseidon temple began in 1875. The monument's present state is due to the work performed in the 1950s by the Greek Archaeological Service. Browse or download a royalty free photos or buy as photo art prints on line