Nanto Shichi Daiji

Nanto Shichi Daiji (南都七大寺), literally "the seven great temples of the southern capital (meaning Nara)", is a historical common name generally referring to the powerful and influential seven Buddhist temples located in Nara. Although there have been some changes as to which temples are included over the years, since there have been fluctuations in power. The following is a list as it stood at the early stage, all of which were originally built by imperial order:
Sometimes the temples were called "the fifteen great temples of the southern capital" too, including other prestigious temples such as Tōshōdai-ji (唐招提寺) and Hokke-ji (法華寺).