In the ancient city of Xanthos in modern-day Turkey, archaeologists have uncovered a unique 2,300-year-old structure known as the Temple of the Night-Owl. This Hellenistic-period sanctuary is distinguished by its nocturnal-alignment windows, which are precisely angled to capture the light of the star Arcturus during specific lunar cycles.
Excavations revealed dozens of small owl figurines made of glazed terracotta and a central altar inscribed with dedications to a local nocturnal aspect of the goddess Athena. The discovery of charred remains of night-blooming jasmine near the inner sanctum suggests that the temple was the center of a secretive "midnight cult" that flourished in the 3rd century BCE.