Eye Temple

temple, Tall Birāk, Syria

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June 26, 2026

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Tall Birak, an ancient Syrian site inhabited from approximately 3200 to 2200 BC, is notable for its "Eye Temple." This temple, dating to around 3000 BC, is named for the thousands of small stone "eye idols" discovered there. These idols feature square bodies and thin heads, often carved with multiple large eyes. The temple's decorative motifs are characteristic of southern Mesopotamia. During the reign of Akkadian king Naram-Sin, Tall Birak served as a royal residence and a strategic point for desert roads. The term "temple" can also refer to a specific anatomical area on the side of the head.12

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Tall Birāk
…discoveries at Birāk was the Eye Temple (c. 3000), so named because of the thousands of small stone “eye idols” found there. These curious objects have almost square bodies and thin heads carved with two to six large eyes. The temple itself is important for its use of typically southern…
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…discoveries at Birāk was the Eye Temple (c. 3000), so named because of the thousands of small stone “eye idols” found there. These curious objects have almost square bodies and thin heads carved with two to six large eyes. The temple itself is important for its use of typically southern…
Read More