Temple of the Nymphs

On your left, you can see what remains of the columns of what was once the Temple of the Nymphs. In ancient Greek mythology, nymphs were nature deities, tied to a specific place and usually depicted as maidens. This temple was built around the 3rd century BC and got severely damaged sometime in the 1st century BC. It closed its doors for good when the Romans started persecuting pagans towards the end of the Roman Empire. Indeed, Constantius II, son of the first Christian emperor Constantine, signed several edicts banning sacrifices, witchcraft and the worship of images, and ordered all non-christian temples to be shut down.