London Mithraeum: Discover the history of the Roman Temple of Mithras in the City
Review: A visit to the relocated Roman ruins in the basement of a City office complex.
The Temple of Mithras ruins stand in the basement of the Bloomberg HQ
Most of us have seen parts of the Roman London wall, but when it comes to actual buildings from the period, there’s not much left to see. However, a fairly substantial ruined temple has managed to survive, albeit it has moved around a bit in the intervening centuries.
Today, the Roman Temple of Mithras is available to visit in the basement of a London office building. The London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE opened in the City in 2017 after the temple’s remains were relocated from nearby Temple Court. It is accompanied by some Roman artefacts found during excavations prior to the construction of Bloomberg’s European headquarters, which sit above the attraction.
When was London’s Temple of Mithras built?
A Roman Londoner built a temple to the God Mithras in the 240s AD . It was situated by the now-subterranean River Walbrook, which ran north to south through the centre of what is now the City of London. When the temple was erected, Londinium had existed for nearly 200 years. The structure was initially dedicated to Mithras, and perhaps also other gods.
Imagery from the period usually depict Mithras slaughtering a sacred bull. The act was depicted as taking place in a cave, and as a result, temples dedicated to him tended to be below ground and missing windows. The Cult of Mithras was secretive and for men only, predominantly military and merchants, who are believed to have taken part in initiations. However, by the early 4th century, the temple was rededicated, most likely to Bacchus (also known as Dionysus). The columns were taken down and the artefacts concerning Mithras were buried under the floor. However, being so close to the Walbrook, the structure was weakened by subsidence. Not long after, the Romans abandoned London and the temple was abandoned around 380AD.
The Roman bricks, believed to be Kentish ragstone
When were the Temple of Mithras ruins discovered?
An image of the God Mithras has been recreated for the altar
The rebuilding of London following World War II was a lengthy one. When the site was excavated in preparation for the construction of Modernist office block, Bucklersbury House, in September 1954, builders were shocked to find the ruins. Originally they thought it could be an early church, but after calling in experts from the Museum of London, soon realised it was Roman. Among the discoveries was a marble head of Mithras. It made headline news with members of the public coming to witness the archaeologists at work. The discovery of the ruins didn’t impact the construction plans for the new Legal & General offices, with a compromise being reached to move the temple 100 metres to Temple Court by Queen Victoria Street. The temple was reconstructed – inaccurately and with added cement mortar – at street level in 1962, and exposed to the elements. Meanwhile, Bucklersbury House paid tribute to the site’s predecessor with a stained glass window depicting Roman gods.
Fast forward to the 21st century and the original site was bought by the Bloomberg company in 2010. Bosses decided to restore the Mithraeum to how it looked when it was first uncovered in the 1950s. Situated 23ft below modern street level, the temple is subterranean again as it was originally intended. The ruins are made primarily of stones and bricks, with modern additions of wood, render and lime mortar to complete construction. Today, you can booked a free time slot and enjoy an immersive and atmospheric multi-media experience amongst the ruins before exploring the accompanying exhibition.
- London Mithraeum Bloomberg SPACE, 12 Walbrook, City of London, EC4N 8AA. Nearest stations: Mansion House, Bank or Cannon Street. Open Tues-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12pm-5pm. To book a free time slot, visit the London Mithraeum website.
Behind the curved altar of the Roman Temple of Mithras
Learn more about London’s Roman origins
Posted on 12 Jun 2024, in Architecture, History, London and tagged City of London, history, London, Roman, ruins. Bookmark the permalink. Comments Off on London Mithraeum: Discover the history of the Roman Temple of Mithras in the City.
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