Mendut Temple was first rediscovered in 1836. At that time it was in a state of collapse and buried under the ground and overgrown with bushes, then in that year the temple began to be cleaned. The entire Mendut Temple building was found, except for the roof. A complete survey of Mendut Temple and its surroundings was carried out for the first time at the end of the 19th century by B. Kersjes and C. den Hamer. The survey was intended to determine the actions that should be taken to preserve the temple for future generations. In 1897-1904, excavations and restoration efforts were carried out and the first repairs were carried out by the Dutch. The restoration succeeded in building the foot and body of the temple. In 1908 T. van Erp continued the repair of Mendut Temple along with the repair of Borobudur Temple, but the repairs were not completed because the tap could not be installed. Further repairs were also carried out in 1925 which resulted in several small stupas being able to be reinstalled on the roof of the temple.

It is estimated that Mendut Temple is older than Borobudur Temple or at least, the same age as Borobudur Temple. This is based on the discovery of short writings (inscriptions) which are thought to have come from the upper part of the entrance. In terms of paleography, the writing is similar to the short writings written on the upper part of the Karmawibhangga relief panel of Borobudur Temple. After about a century, this building became a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists. This temple was then neglected along with the collapse of the Ancient Mataran Kingdom, buried by soil and sand due to the eruption of Mount Merapi, earthquakes, and the loss of temple stones because they were used by the local community for their personal needs.

This temple is called Mendut because it is located in Mendut Village. Mendut Temple is a Mahayana Buddhist temple built during the reign of King Indra of the Syailendra Dynasty. An inscription from Karangtengah Village (824), states that King Indra built a sacred building called çrimad venuvana which means a sacred building in a bamboo forest. According to J.G. de Casparis, an archaeologist from the Netherlands, this word is associated with the establishment of Mendut Temple.

Mendut Temple is made of andesite stone on the outside and brick on the inside of the building (not visible). Mendut Temple faces northwest, opposite Borobudur Temple which faces east. The temple plan is rectangular with dimensions of 10 m long x 10 m wide and a building height of 13.3 m. The height of the batur (the foot of the temple) is 3.7 m and there are entrance stairs consisting of 14 steps. The temple building has one chamber, with stairs on the northwest side. Above the foot of the temple there is a 1 m high balustrade and a 2.48 m wide corridor. The temple building is architecturally divided into 3 parts, namely the foot, body, and roof.

The base of the stairs is decorated with makara, which is the shape of a dragon's head with an elephant's trunk whose mouth is wide open. There are 2 makara (a pair). Inside the dragon's mouth is a lion. Under the dragon's head there is a panel in the shape of a dwarf creature (Gana).