Temple of Tyr-Apollo
Artashat (Artaxata), Armenia
1st century CE
The site is located on the left bank of the Arax River, next to the Taperakan (Artashat) Bridge. An earlier temple complex (189/188 BCE) was destroyed in the early 1st century, during the Roman campaign led by Domitius Corbulo, which sacked the city in 59.
A new platform was built over the old during the reign of T'rdat I (r. 53-60) and a new building was built on top. Both the platform and temple were made of limestone. Six wide steps (4.85m) led to the eastern entrance of the temple. The walls were decorated with bas relief sculptures. For a long time the locations of this site had been unknown and widely disputed. Among the artifacts found were varying sizes and types of imported and locally-made pottery including a remarkable find, a polished red lion-headed lug bowl. Also found was an eagle head made from limestone with eyes and neck painted dark red. In ancient times the lion was the symbol of the summer sun and the eagle was the symbol of both the sun and a messenger of the gods.
After Christianity was adopted as state religion the new temple, too, was destroyed.
Sources: 1, 2