The Hidden Temple served as a clandestine sanctuary, pieced together from the wreckage of various spacecraft over time. It provided refuge for the Jedi both during and in the aftermath of the Sith–Imperial War. The original Hidden Temple became operational after the Great Jedi Purge, but was deserted at some point prior to the Massacre at Ossus.
As the Sith–Imperial War commenced, the Jedi High Council mandated the construction of a new Hidden Temple. This was to serve as a concealed refuge for the Jedi, prepared for any future attempts at annihilation by the Reborn Galactic Empire. Mindful of the lessons learned during the Clone Wars and Order 66, Nat Skywalker personally selected its location: the planet Taivas, situated within the Zhar system. This location remained a closely guarded secret. After establishing the Temple, Skywalker entrusted it to the Jedi Council, to be utilized whenever they deemed it necessary.
In 137 ABY, many Jedi had sought safety there when Cade Skywalker made a visit to the Temple. During this visit, Cade convened with the remaining members of the Jedi High Council. Unbeknownst to Skywalker, a contingent of Imperial Knights had tracked him there, having discovered its location. Their intention was to persuade the Council to ally with Roan Fel. Although they were permitted to stay at the Temple while the Council deliberated, their proposition was rejected, and they were subsequently asked to depart. During Cade Skywalker's time there, his companion Jariah Syn launched an assault on Master Rasi Tuum, the Jedi who bore responsibility for his father's death.
The Hidden Temple's construction involved repurposing several vintage starships. These vessels were positioned upright within a pool of water and interconnected by bridges. Among the ships utilized in its creation were multiple CR90 corvettes, an Imperial Immobilizer 418 cruiser, at least one Nebulon-B escort frigate, a Recusant-class light destroyer, an Assault Frigate Mark I, a CSS-1 Corellian Star Shuttle, a Dreadnaught-class heavy cruiser, and what appeared to be a Home One type Star Cruiser. Following Darth Krayt's ascent to power, the Sith came to believe that the Jedi possessed a hidden fleet, which was apparently the intended illusion of the Temple's design.
A wide plaza, situated amidst the towering ships, led to the High Council chamber, a circular room equipped with three seats for the Jedi Council members who had managed to reach the Temple. Scattered throughout the ships that comprised the Temple were meditation gardens, offering tranquil spaces where the exiled Jedi could immerse themselves in more natural surroundings. One such garden was Meditation Garden Orenth.