The temple had already suffered significant damage by the time Elgin made his casts. It was damaged by fire in the 3rd century AD, and some sculptures were deliberately damaged when it was converted to a church in the early Christian era, around AD600. By the 15th century it had been converted to a mosque by the Ottomans, and in 1687 was being used as a gunpowder store when an explosion caused significant damage to parts of the building.
Ithempeli laselilimele kakhulu ngenkathi u-Elgin enza iminyakazo yakho. Loniwa ngumlilo emakhulwini amathathu okuqala, okunye okubaziwe kwakoniwe ngamabomu ngenkathi liguqulelwa ekubeni lisonto ekuqaleni kwesikhathi sobuKristu, eminyakeni ecishe ibe ngamakhulu ayisi-6. Ekhulwini leshumi nanhlanu lase liguqelelwe ekubeni kusontele khona amaSulumani ngu-Ottomans, kwase kuthi ngo-1687 lasetshenziselwa ukuthi libe yisitolo sempushana yokuqhumisa izibhamu, ngenkathi ukuqhuma kwadiliza kanzima izingxenye zesakhiwo.