The Temple of Mercury itself, built by Nicolas de Pigage, 1787-1792, was built in ruins. As a mortuary temple, it was modeled on a Roman domed tomb and is therefore a symbol of transience. On its south side there is a rocky area with access to a grotto. These rocks, parts of which seem to have fallen into the pond, also allude to their character as a mortuary monument. The grotto is also the substructure of the Mercury Temple.
Reliefs are attached above the entrances to the temple:
Hermes/ Mercury put the guardian Argos to sleep in order to rob him of Io in the form of a cow.
Below: a bull's skull decorated with ribbons as a symbol of the cult of the dead (above one of the windows)
The temple of Mercury and the mosque face each other on the side arm of the large pond and are reflected in its water, depending on where the viewer is standing. It can only be seen in its entirety across the surface of the water in which it is reflected. If the visitor approaches by land, v