The Great Temple in Ga-Metru was arguably the most important building in Metru Nui and the spiritual center of the city. It was built on a spit of land apart from the rest of Ga-Metru and revered by Matoran from all districts. It was heavily patrolled by Bordakh to protect it from Rahi attack. The Great Temple contained the Toa Suva. Kanohi Masks of Power were also stored in the Great Temple. Amazingly, the Great Temple survived the Great Cataclysm relatively intact.1 The Great Temple was dedicated to the Great Spirit Mata Nui.2, 3
Notes
The Great Temple in Ga-Metru was the spiritual center of the whole island city and probably the most revered of all places.4
A series of clues to the locations of the Great Disks were carved on the wall of the Great Temple.5
On the far side of the Great Temple facing the sea, only a narrow stone walkway separated the building from the sea.5
The Temple of the Great Spirit was located on a spit of land off the coast of the southeast part of Ga-Metru.6, 7
Many Matoran considered the Great Temple to be the most important building in all of Metru Nui, rivaled only by the Coliseum. It was built on a spit of land so that it stood apart from the rest of Ga-Metru. It was a haven for those who were troubled and a symbol of hope for all citizens. Deep within the Great Temple lay the Toa suva. The Great Temple was heavily guarded by Vahki. They would normally allow Matoran to come and go from the site, but they responded swiftly to any signs of disorder there.8
Liquid protodermis was drawn into Ga-Metru from the sea via a channel which passed into the Great Temple. There, all purification work was done by a special group of Ga-Matoran. While a few read passages in an ancient Matoran dialect asking for the protection and aid of Mata Nui, the others supervised the rapid heating and cooling of the liquid to remove impurities. When the process was finished, the protodermis turned clear and took on a bluish color. From the Great Temple, the protodermis traveled over the falls and into the canals of Ga-Metru, or through pipes and superheated on its way to Ta-Metru.9
The very best students in the Ga-Metru schools got to work in the Great Temple as protodermis purifiers.10
Great and Noble Masks forged in Ta-Metru were sent to Ga-Metru and stored in the Great Temple.11
Since its construction, the Great Temple took over the role of storing Kanohi Masks of Power from the Coliseum storage room.12
It was also called the Temple of the Great Spirit.13
Spiritual center of the city, the Great Temple attracted visitors from all over Metru Nui. Once cleared by the Vahki Bordakh to enter, one could marvel at the beautiful interior, tour the ancient hallways, and if one was very lucky, even see protodermis being purified. As of mid-story year 2004, visitors were then forbidden to approach the Toa suva, allegedly due to a rash of thefts from the chamber prior to Toa Lhikan's disappearance.14
The Great Temple was one of the most revered sites in Metru Nui.15
Deep in the Great Temple, an ancient carving on a wall contained clues to the locations of the six Great Disks.15
The Great Temple was one of the most important buildings in Metru Nui. It was dedicated to Mata Nui. The temple was the site of the Toa suva. The Great Temple was badly damaged a number of times over the years, but it was always rebuilt bigger and more beautiful than before.16
The scroll in the Great Temple was made by the Great Beings before the construction of Mata Nui was complete.17
The Great Temple was set apart from the rest of Ga-Metru because it was a very important site.18
According to an unofficial theory within the story team, in Metru Nui, the inhabitants got energy from the Great Temple, so they did not need to eat at all.19
The theory about how Toa eat and going to the Great Temple to get energy came from the story bible writer, not the head of the story team, so it was not necessarily official.20