There are several old temples in Sanchi. The most noteworthy of them is the Temple 18 called the Gupta Temple, which was built to serve as a prayer hall or chaitya. The temple dates back to 7th century AD. Built like the old Greek columned structures, this majestic architecture still has remnants of earlier wooden buildings underneath it. The oldest of these temples is Temple 40, which was built in the period of Ashoka.