Dieng temples, Hindu temple complex in Central Java, Indonesia

Dieng Temples form a cluster of eight stone structures on the Dieng Plateau in Central Java, Indonesia, standing between volcanic craters and hot springs. The structures are made from dark volcanic stone and show simple square floor plans with narrow doorways and low roofs that barely rise above the surrounding fields.

The structures date from the 7th to the 9th centuries as part of a larger site that once held more than four hundred buildings. The complex was abandoned during the medieval period and fell into obscurity until European researchers rediscovered the site in the early 19th century.

The site sits in an area inhabited by farmers who grow potatoes and vegetables on the cool highland flats. Many of these farmers arrive early in the morning to fields that stretch directly beside the old walls, and the smell of freshly ploughed earth mixes with the sulfur scent from nearby springs.

The Arjuna cluster, the most intact group, has four temples in a north-south line facing west, with Semar temple facing east opposite Arjuna. The Gatotkaca and Dwarawati clusters are mostly ruins, and Bima temple stands alone on a hill. The Kailasa museum nearby keeps sculptures removed from the temples.

The temples are named after heroes of the Mahabharata, but the original names and the king who ordered their construction are unknown. An inscription found near Arjuna temple, dated about 808–809 CE, is the oldest surviving specimen of Old Javanese script and shows the site was inhabited from the mid-7th to the early 9th century. The Kailasa museum nearby keeps sculptures removed from the temples.