Temple of the Lord of Light

For the temple in Braavos, see Temple of the Lord of Light (Braavos).

The Temple of the Lord of Light is a red temple in Volantis dedicated to the god R'hllor, the Lord of Light. The temple is protected by a private army of slave soldiers known as the Fiery Hand. Its High Priest is Benerro.

About

Prior to the construction of the temple, the site was a great plaza in the half of the city east of the Rhoyne, near the Black Wall. The date of its construction is not known. The temple is an enormity of pillars, steps, buttresses, bridges, domes, and towers flowing into one another as if they had all been chiseled from one colossal rock. It looms high like Aegon's High Hill. A hundred hues of red, yellow, gold, and orange meet and meld in the temple walls, dissolving one into the other like clouds at sunset.

According to Archmaester Gramyon in Remnants of the Dragonlords, it is three times the size of the Great Sept of Baelor.

At some point Triarch Malaquo Maegyr tried to hire the Golden Company to clean out the red temple and have Benerro put to the sword.

Recent Events

A Dance with Dragons

In Volantis, thousands of slaves and freedmen crowd the temple plaza to hear Benerro shriek of bleeding stars and a sword of fire that will cleanse the world. He stands atop a red stone pillar, joined by a slender stone bridge to a lofty terrace when the lesser priests and acolytes stand.

Tyrion Lannister and Ser Jorah Mormont pass through the crowded temple plaza as Benerro preaches. Tyrion is stunned by the temple's enormity, thinking it is about three times the size of the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing. He thinks the temple is fire turned to stone.

As Benerro speaks shouts erupt from the crowd, with women weeping and men shaking their fists. The atmosphere reminds Tyrion of the day Myrcella sailed for Dorne and the riot that boiled up as they made their way back to the Red Keep.

Quotes

I think that red R'hllor has more worshippers in this city than all the other gods together.

—the widow of the waterfront, to Ser Jorah Mormont