Temple of the Ancients

The Temple of the Ancients is a location in Final Fantasy VII. It is a large structure that the Ancients converted the Black Materia into to prevent it from being used by others. The exterior resembles an Aztec pyramid. On the map, the Temple of the Ancients is on an island near the center of Gaia.

Final Fantasy VII
In Final Fantasy VII, toward the end of Disc 1, the party goes to the Temple of the Ancients in pursuit of Sephiroth. There, they want to take the Black Materia in order to keep it safe from Sephiroth. Along the way, they have to solve a variety of puzzles. One of them is an optical illusion maze where several of the paths and stairways blend into the empty scenery. The Temple of the Ancients contains two very powerful boss monsters: Red Dragon and Demon Gate.

Since the Temple of the Ancients is the Black Materia, albeit enlarged, it can only be removed by shrinking it, which can only be done by solving puzzles from inside the Temple. The type of puzzles are never described. A member of the party, Cait Sith, volunteers to stay inside the Temple and shrink it. As the others leave, the Temple of the Ancients shrinks, crushing Cait Sith inside, and returns to its original Black Materia form.