The eastern façade of the Temple of Aphaia in Aegina.
"Aphaia" is name of the goddess revered locally. The cult of Aphaia dates back at least to the geometric age. The identification of the temple was ascertained in 1901 by an inscription datable to 550 BCE.
The fist large temple at this site was started around 570 BCE, and finished at the middle of the same century. It must have been coloured as other temples. The first temple, however, was detroyed by fire, and the construction of a new and enlarged temple started at about the end of the sixth century, and continued into 490-480 BCE. The temple is Doric. The fat columns and large chapitals are characteristic of the archaic Doric temples. The Korinthian Temple of Apollo has a similar style.
There were 6 columns in front and behind, and 12 columns at the both side; it made 32 (because 4 columns being counted twice) columns, of which 24 are still standing. All the columns except the three at the north side are monolithic, made of local poros stone. The temple was used to be decorated with stucco with red paint.
The cult of Aphaia here disappeared in around the first century BCE.
