Jedi Temple ( Ilum ) / Legends The Jedi Temple of Ilum , also known as the Ilum Temple , was an ancient structure constructed by the early Jedi Order as they spread out from Tython and established training grounds across the galaxy . Selected for its isolation and placed over a massive subterranean network of caves in which the Order ' s rare lightsaber crystals grew . While the training grounds were eventually abandoned , Ilum ' s temple served as a mecca for Jedi seeking to construct their very own lightsaber . History . Construction . During the Jedi Order ' s formative years circa 22 , 800 BBY , hyperspace scouts for the Order discovered the frozen world of Ilum and unearthed its hidden treasure trove of crystals , prized for their usage as a focus lens in the Order ' s symbolic weapon , the lightsaber . As the crystals of Adega were the primary source of crystals previous to the discovery , the kathracite , mephite , and pontite crystals found on Ilum bolstered the Order ' stockpiles to these rare formations . The Jedi High Council decided to establish a temple and training center on the inhospitable world , embracing the cold and the isolation the world afforded the Order . In order to keep their solitude undisturbed , the Order kept the hyperlane and the world ' s coordinates a secret , per Galactic Republic law giving the Order exclusive access to all planetary discoveries . Indeed , the route to Ilum was not only treacherous but required Force - sensitivity to navigate ; this extremely difficult trek was the first test for students seeking to train on the world . As the training grounds on Ilum saw its heyday in the years preceding the rise of Exar Kun during the Great Hyperspace War , the ravages of war saw the facility downsize considerably . As the number of Jedi stationed on the world dwindled , the Temple was maintained by an honor guard while it received visitors seeking to construct their lightsabers . Treks on Ilum were known to be hazardous throughout history . One of the earliest visitors , Jedi Master Seta - Le , fell through a weak patch of ice into a dark cavern . Having broken her lightsaber during her fall , Seta - Le was able to use her knowledge of the lightsaber ' s inner workings and apply it to a large crystal formation in the cave . Once activated , the beam created was able to melt through the ice and enable her escape . The Temple was threatened once more during the Great Galactic War , a conflict between the resurgent Sith Empire and the Republic . As the Empire swiftly attacked the world , the few Jedi stationed there were overwhelmed and quickly slain . As the Empire began to garrison troops on the world the Temple was made inaccessible and , due to thinly - stretched resources , the Order was unable to reclaim it for over a decade . Following the destruction of the Sith Empire the Order restored their Temple on Ilum and once more maintained a small group of Jedi on the planet to protect their coveted crystals . Time of the Republic . During the Golden Age of the Old Republic , the Temple and the caves below were a constant journey point for members of the Order . As the caves only produced blue and green crystals , the Order ' s members carried weapons that reflected this as Ilum held the largest stockpile of crystals . During the final decades of the Republic , the young Anakin Skywalker , Padawan of Master Obi - Wan Kenobi ventured into the Temple ' s caves and sought to create his first lightsaber . Like many before him the Force - permeated grottoes induced Force visions or hallucinations , sending him into combat with a manifestation of the mysterious Zabrak Sith Lord his master had killed on Naboo . Upon defeating the manifestation , Skywalker realized his lightsaber was complete and left the Temple with his new weapon . Several years later during the Clone Wars , a deadly conflict between the Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems , Jedi Master Luminara Unduli led her Padawan Barriss Offee into the Temple to instruct her as she crafted her lightsaber . Upon completion of the ancient ritual the pair were attacked by Confederate probe droids sent to destroy the caves by Count Dooku , the leader of the Separatist movement . During the skirmish , the caves were heavily damaged by bombs placed by the droids and the Master - Padawan team were trapped under rubble . Detecting the disturbance , Grand Master Yoda , leader of the Order , descended upon Ilum and entered the Temple in time to rescue Unduli and her student . Following the attack , the Jedi High Council determined that the coordinates to the secret Jedi world were compromised by Dooku , a former member of the Order who had fallen to the dark side of the Force and become a Dark Lord of the Sith . Fearing that the Confederacy would use to caves ' treasures against the Order or prohibit Jedi from making new lightsabers , the Council ordered that all crystals be harvested and taken to the Coruscant Jedi Temple for safe keeping . As for the Temple , reconstruction efforts would take a year before it was safe for students to reenter , while all treks were placed on hold . The Gathering . In 20 BBY , a group of Jedi Initiate s including Petro , Ganodi , Zatt , Byph , Katooni , and Gungi came to collect their Lightsaber crystal s for the construction of their Lightsabers . Rise of the Empire . When the war concluded with the overthrow of the Galactic Republic and the dissolution of the Jedi Order , the newly - formed Galactic Empire took control of the coordinates to Ilum . Several Jedi found their way back to Ilum , assuming it would be safe and hiding in the Temple ' s caves . Among the survivors were Masters Fy - Tor - Ana and Garen Muln ; Master Ana soon departed for Coruscant while Muln wasted away inside the caverns . Within months of the start of the Great Jedi Purge , former Jedi Padawan Ferus Olin went searching the caves and discovered Muln ill and near - death . Rescuing the Jedi Master , Olin escaped offworld before the Imperials secretly stationed on the world were able to reach the fugitive Jedi . Layout . Constructed in the icy face of one of Ilum ' s frozen mountain cliffs , the Jedi Temple was snow - covered and bare . The vast entrance was hidden behind large sheets of ice which adhered to the Temple facade after long periods of disuse . Large transparisteel windows let in the pale light from the snow - swept world , illuminating the cave - like interior of the Temple . Inside the main tower of the Temple , the Jedi Order carved long elegant pillars into the circular chambers high walls , and adorned the room with tall statues of Jedi . Along the upper walls of the chamber , circular windows could be opened to allow in natural light using the Force . When the light shined through , it refracted through a series of massive crystals suspended in the chamber and when focused with the Force , would melt the ice which formed over the entrance to the Crystal Caves . This crystal array was originally used by the trapped Jedi Master Seta - Le several millennia before the rise of the Galactic Empire . When melted , the ice wall ran down like a waterfall to reveal the massive gates leading into the darkness . Beyond , tall and slender black rock formations stood like pillars in the main hall ; embedded in each were hundreds of small crystals that appeared to shimmer in the dim light . Spiraling ramps stretched into the darkness of the place , leading to seldom used rooms and construction galleries . Deep within the heart of the Temple were other paths into the caves , caverns made of natural shiny black stone ; a rock that swallowed light instead of reflecting it . As time progressed and the Jedi Order grew , the many Jedi that visited the cave recorded their histories on its walls , expansive cave etchings that seemed to come to life during the Force - induced hallucinations many Jedi were known to succumb to while constructing their weapons . The caves of the Temple held many secrets such as a hidden entrance that led into the subterranean grottoes . During the later centuries gorgodon s began to nest in this area , making the entrance more of a hazard then a shortcut .