Temples
Thirteen kinds of temples from all over the world, from a Greek colonnaded temple to a Khmer temple mountain and a Shinto shrine. Choose the kind, the form and the size. You get a plan, a front and side view, a list of all parts and a layer-by-layer build plan. At the bottom you can see how the main shapes are worked out.
Choose an example to start with and then adjust it.
The length and all other sizes follow from the width.
Rich adds mouldings, statues, gold and details. At the bottom you can see what changes for each kind.
The same number always gives the same statues, holes or loose stones.
The parts are called wall, column, roof, trim, gold and floor. In the block palette below you can give each part its own block.
Elevation
Plan
top view, lighter = higherThe entrance is at the bottom (south). The arrow on a stair points to the high side. Click a block once you have placed it.
Build breakdown
Parts
All parts of the temple, in the order you build them, with their blocks per kind.
| Part | Blocks per kind | Total |
|---|
Layer 1, row by row
| Row | Start | Pattern | Blocks |
|---|
Build tips
- First mark out the middle axis, from the entrance to the back. Stairs, doors, ridges and towers all lie on that line.
- Build from the bottom up: first terraces or steps, then columns and walls, then the entablature and the roof last.
- Big terraces and podiums are solid. Fill the inside with a cheap block and use your nice stone only on the outside.
- For a roof, look at the side view: there you see exactly where a stair and where a slab goes.
- Give every part its own block in the block palette, for example quartz for columns, sandstone for walls and terracotta for the roof.
- Water in a moat or fountain flows away if the rim is not closed. Dig the moat one block deep and put the water in last.
3D and layer-by-layer build plan
To Minecraft
Download the design as a schematic file and paste it into your world with WorldEdit, or rebuild it with a hologram in Litematica. Gold stays gold and water stays water.
Shopping list
Add the amounts of this design to your list. There you see everything together, converted to stacks and shulker boxes.
How it is calculated
History and fun facts
A house for the gods
In ancient times a temple was often not a place for large gatherings. It was the house of a god, with a statue in a room inside.
People celebrated outside, on a square or in front of the steps. This is why temples are richly decorated outside and often small inside.
Egypt, Greece and Rome
In Egypt, temples grew bigger and bigger, with gateways, courtyards and halls full of columns. The temple of Karnak near Luxor was extended for about two thousand years.
The Greeks built a rectangular temple with columns all around, such as the Parthenon in Athens. The Romans placed their temple on a high podium with steps at the front. The Pantheon in Rome got a large concrete dome with a round opening at the top.
India, stupas and temple mountains
Hindu temples have a tower above the room with the statue of the god. In South India, tall gate towers called gopurams stand at the edge of the temple grounds.
Buddhists built the stupa, a round mound with relics. On Java stands Borobudur, a temple mountain of terraces from the 9th century. In Cambodia, King Suryavarman II built Angkor Wat in the 12th century, with five towers like a holy mountain.
China and Japan
Chinese temple halls stand on a stone terrace and have a large wooden roof with curved edges. The Temple of Heaven in Beijing, from 1420, is a well-known example.
In Japan, Shinto shrines are made of wood. A torii gate shows where the sacred ground begins. The Ise shrine has been rebuilt every twenty years for centuries.
The Americas and the north
The Maya and Aztecs built stepped pyramids with a temple on top. Well-known examples are El Castillo at Chichén Itzá and the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan, with two temples side by side.
In Northern Europe, people often worshipped outside, in a sacred grove or at a stone circle such as Stonehenge. Later the Norse also built wooden halls for their gods.
Did you know?
- The Parthenon in Athens was built between 447 and 432 BC.
- The dome of the Pantheon in Rome is about 43 metres wide and is still the largest dome of unreinforced concrete.
- Angkor Wat in Cambodia is the largest religious monument in the world.
- Borobudur on Java is the largest Buddhist temple in the world.
- The great hall of columns at Karnak has 134 large columns.
- The Parthenon has 8 columns at the front and 17 along each side.
About this tool
With this temple generator you can build a temple in Minecraft from almost any culture. You choose the type, the width and the height. The length and the other sizes follow from the width.
There are thirteen types: Greek temple, Roman podium temple, Pantheon, Egyptian temple, Hindu temple, Buddhist stupa, terrace mountain like Borobudur, Khmer temple like Angkor, Chinese temple hall, Shinto shrine, Maya temple, Aztec twin temple and Norse and Celtic temples. With the examples you can start right away, for example with a marble hilltop temple, a jungle pyramid or a stone circle.
For each type you choose the number of columns or tiers, extra parts and simple or rich decoration. Rich adds mouldings, statues, gold and details. With the seed number you get a different variation of statues or loose stones.
You see the temple from the front, from the side and in section, and as a floor plan. The layer-by-layer build plan shows every block, and the 3D view shows the whole temple. The counter gives the number of blocks and stacks. With the block palette you choose a block for wall, column, roof, moulding, gold and floor. Then you download the temple as a .schem file.
Do you only want a row of columns or a temple front? Then use the column planner. For pyramids there is the pyramid generator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I build a Greek temple in Minecraft?
Choose Greek temple and a width. Build the steps first, then the columns and walls, then the entablature and the roof last. Quartz or smooth sandstone for the columns gives a marble look.
How many blocks does a temple cost?
The counter shows the total and the number of stacks. Terraces and podiums are solid and cost a lot. Fill the inside with a cheap block and use nice stone only on the outside.
Which temple suits a jungle or desert?
In a jungle a Maya temple or a Khmer temple fits well. In a desert an Egyptian temple of sandstone fits well. In a mountain forest a Chinese hall or a Shinto shrine fits well.
What does the seed number do?
The seed number sets small variations, such as statues, gaps or loose stones. The same number always gives the same temple. So you can share a design with the link.
Why does the water in my moat flow away?
Water flows away if the edge is not closed. Dig the moat one block deep, close the edge completely and add the water last.
Can I build this temple in Bedrock?
The layer-by-layer build plan works in every edition, including Bedrock. The .schem file is for Minecraft Java Edition, with WorldEdit or Litematica.