Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple in Nara, Japan, founded under Emperor Shōmu, who made it the head of the network of provincial temples across the country. It houses the Great Buddha, a bronze statue of the cosmic Buddha Vairocana about fifteen meters high, whose eye-opening ceremony in 752 was attended by thousands of monks and officials, including visitors from India and China. The Great Buddha Hall has burned down twice, in 1180 and 1567, and the present building, dating from 1709, is about two thirds the size of the original, though it is still among the largest wooden buildings in the world. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara and is surrounded by a park famous for its free-roaming deer.
Before and after
- from 744 CE to 840 CEUyghur Khaganate
- from 750 CE to 1258Abbasid Caliphate
- from 750 CE to 1517Abbasids
- c. 751 CEOrigins of Shanghai
- 752 CEConstruction of Tōdai-ji Temple
- from 754 CE to 1870Papal States
- from 16 December 755 CE to 17 February 763 CEAn Lushan Rebellion
- from 756 CE to 929 CEEmirate of Córdoba
- from 757 CE to 1393Origins of Sijilmasa
More in Civilizations & archaeology
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- 778 CEConstruction of Kiyomizu-dera
- from 800 CE to 1258Islamic Golden Age
- 1070Construction of Windsor Castle
- 1460Construction of Topkapı Palace
The era
This moment belongs to the Medieval world (500 CE to 1500 CE), kingdoms, faiths and trade routes. You can also browse everything in the 8th century.