The Temple of Dibella crowns a rocky crag in Markarth, the same city as Understone Keep. It’s the place to seek the blessing of Dibella, goddess of beauty, at her shrine – and for the curious, it hides a sanctum that only women may enter. Come for the blessing, stay for the quests (and try not to eye the statue too greedily).
What you’ll find
- Shrine of Dibella – pray here for Dibella’s blessing.
- The priestesses – Anwen, Hamal and Orla pray inside the sanctum, while Senna wanders the temple grounds.
- Inner Sanctum – a sanctum where only women are allowed.
- Sybil’s Antechamber – the High Priestess’s sleeping quarters.
Quests
- The Heart of Dibella – the temple’s main quest.
- A Night to Remember
- A Thieves Guild job for Degaine: steal the Dibella Statue from the temple.
Notable items
- Illusion skill book 2920, Sun’s Dawn.
- The Dibella Statue.
- A flawless amethyst on a shelf in the Inner Sanctum, plus a flawless sapphire.
- A silver emerald necklace on the left as you enter the Inner Sanctum.
- A grand soul gem and several other soul gems.
- Various potion ingredients.
Tips
The temple is full of shiny, easily pocketed valuables – gems, a necklace, soul gems and of course the statue Degaine wants. Remember that priestesses are watching, and that the Inner Sanctum is off-limits to men. Grab the Illusion skill book first: reading it is free and entirely legal. Markarth’s guards are famously unforgiving, so if you do go statue-hunting, make it quick and quiet, or you may find yourself touring a much less pleasant part of the city.
Good to know
The temple has no beds at all, so the priestesses never sleep – devotion, or simply very uncomfortable stone floors. Sybil’s Antechamber, meanwhile, is reserved for the High Priestess’s rest, so it’s another room where a nosy stranger will stand out.
Details checked against community wiki articles and the Skyrim game files, summarised in our own words.