The foundation of the Temple of
Artemis is thought to have originated in the 8th century BC. Built in
Ephesus, a now
defunct city which was located on the western coast of
Turkey, the temple itself went through several iterations of destruction, and rebuilding over its 1200 year
history.
The early versions of the temple were dedicated to a godess known as Artemis, but apparently this was not the same goddess of the hunt as worshipped by the Greeks, but a local fertility deity and was often pictured as draped with eggs, or as possessing multiple breasts covering her torso from her waist to her shoulders. One, or possibly more of these earliest temples contained a 'sacred stone', apparently a meteorite, that is described as having "fallen from Jupiter."
The version of the temple that won its place in the 'Seven Wonders of the Ancient World' is known as 'Temple D' by archeologists, so is presumably the fourth attempt in the buildings history. It was started in 550 BC, and was sponsored by the Lydian king Croesus whose army, when invading the region, was responsible for destroying the previous shrine. He employed the architect Chersiphron and his son, Metagenes to design the replacement structure. Their version of the temple was almost entirely made from marble, and consisted of either 106 or 127 ornate columns (the numbers depend on your sources) arranged in a double rows on a raised base approximately 80 metres by 130 metres, which was surrounded by marble steps. These 20 metre tall pillars enclosed a small room, known as a 'cella' which contained a likeness of the goddess carved in marble and decorated with ivory and gold.
This iteration of the temple lasted for a mere 200 years, as on the night of 21 July 356 BC, disaster struck when a man named Herostratus burned the temple to ground in an attempt to immortalize his name. The citizens of Ephesus were so appalled at this act they issued a decree that anyone who spoke of him would be put to death.
The Ephesians did as they always did, and rebuilt the temple. According to Pliny this tooks them almost 120 years. The architect is thought to be a man named Theodorus. Theodorus's temple was 100 metres feet in length and 50 metres wide with bronze statues of Amazons sculpted by Pheidias, Polycleitus, Kresilas, and Phradmon who were among the most skilled artists of their time. One of the friezes that was was designed by Scopas of Paros, one of the most famous sculptors of his day. One interesting fact about this version of the temple, when it was being built was spotted in 333BC by Alexander the Great who was born on exactly the same day as Herostratus had destroyed its predecessor. Alexander offered to pay for the completion of the temple on the proviso he could be credited for it and that they would enscribe his name on it, but the Ephesians refused, claiming that 'It is not fitting that one god should build a temple for another god'
The temple was again destroyed by the Goths in 262AD, and was never rebuilt on the same scale, as the cult of Artemis had been slowly dissolved and its adherents had been converted to Christianity. The buildings final chapter came in 401AD when it was torn down by St John Chrysostom. Some of the remains of the sculptured portions of various versions of the temple were found by archeologist John Turtle Wood in 1869 and are on display in the British Museum.
Sources include:
http://www.unmuseum.org/ephesus.htm
http://ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/wonders/artemis.html
http://www.sd83.bc.ca/stu/9711/jlk2w3.htm
http://tqjunior.thinkquest.org/5983/pages/temple.htm