Greek Architecture and Culture Dr

Greek Architecture and Culture Dr
Greek Architecture and Culture Dr. Khaled Mohamed Dewidar Professor of Architecture Ain Shams University Cairo - Egypt

What do we expect to learn from the Greek civilization?
Stone construction and decoration The introduction of Proportion in Architecture The introduction of the classical orders of architecture Greek architecture of temples and civic buildings Principles of Greek city Planning and Design

A) Historical Background

Historical Background Location
Greek civilization occurred in the area around the Greek mainland, on a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea Greek civilization spread to other far away places including Asia Minor and Northern Africa

The Greek World

Historical Background Location
Most of the Greek mainland was rocky and barren and therefore bad for agriculture Most Greeks therefore lived along the coastline or on islands where the soil was good for farming The Aegean and Mediterranean Seas provided a means of communication and trade with other places

Historical Background Period
The period of ancient Greek history can be divided into four as follows: 1100 B. C. – 750 B. C. Greek Dark Ages 750 B. C. – 500 B. C. Archaic Period 500 B. C. – 323 B. C. Classical Period 323 B. C. – 147 B. C. Hellenistic Period

Greek Dark Ages ( BC) The Mycenaean people were Greek in Origin Greek civilization is therefore usually viewed as a continuation of the Mycenaean civilization The start of the Greek civilization is therefore dated to the end of the Mycenaean civilization in 1100BC Following the decline of Mycenae, the area around their mainland went into a period of decline that is referred to as the Greek Dark ages

Greek Dark Ages ( BC) These two dialects (Doric and Ionic) produced new architectural forms and languages. This new mix between to cultures and immigrants allowed the Greeks to rediscover urbanized culture that ultimately led to evolution of classical Greek culture

Archaic Period ( BC) The Greeks developed a new political form called city states City states are cities which are ruled as independent nations The archaic period saw the renewal interest in overseas trading contact The polis or city state emerged as the natural and desirable political entity Early examples of these city states include Athens, Corinth, and Sparta on the mainland.

Archaic Period ( BC) The archaic period marked the rise of the aristocratic families; families that are considered noble or of higher status The archaic period was dominated politically by the leading aristocratic families in each city At times individual aristocrats were able to take advantage of popular dissatisfaction to seize power Such rulers were called tyrants

Archaic Period ( BC) Such tyrants stimulated the development of the arts . The archaic period marked the beginnings of Greek monumental stone sculpture and architecture Around 546 BC, the rising Persian Empire conquered some Greek city states The rising threat of the Persian Empire marked the end of the Greek archaic period.

Classical period ( BC) The Classical period of ancient Greek history occurred between 500 BC, and 323 BC. The period started with the Greek city states coming into conflict with the rising Persian Empire The free Greek cities saw the threat that was developing from the Persian Empire and prepared for resistance A seaborne expedition by the Persians to Athens was defeated at Marathon in 490 BC

Classical period ( BC) Under the Persian King Xerxes, Persia attempted a war in 479 BC and was defeated by an alliance of the Greek states headed by Sparta The Greek alliance soon transformed into an Empire under the leadership of Athens Pericles, the ruler of Athens between 444 and 429 BC became a driving force for the development of temple architecture Pericles used the defense revenue from the alliance for temple building in Athens to thank the Gods

Classical period ( BC) Athens reached its greatest political and cultural heights during the classical period The full development of the democratic system of government occurred under Pericles The Parthenon on the Acropolis at Athens was built Philosophical schools such as those of Socrates and Plato were founded Between 431 and 404, Athens entered into a series of wars with Sparta which left it in ruins The fall of Athens gradually led to political chaos in the whole of Greece The 4th century saw the rise of Macedonia as a power in the region

Classical period ( BC) The Macedonian king, Philip rapidly extended Macedonian power and wealth In 338 BC, he defeated a coalition of the major Greek Cities including Athens and Thebes, and created a federation of all Greeks with him as the leader He proposed a crusade against the Persians but was assassinated before undertaking it

Classical period ( BC) His son Alexander undertook the crusade and established himself as the ruler of the former Persian empire Alexander undertook a lot of military campaigns to extend the Greek empire and founded many new cities such as Alexandria in Egypt He died in 323 BC without a heir to inherit him The Death of Alexander marked the end of the classical period of Greece civilization

Hellenistic period ( BC) The Hellenistic period of ancient Greek civilization started with the death of Alexander in 323 BC When Alexander died, he did not have a heir to inherit him The Greek empire split into smaller states with Alexander’s generals as their rulers

Hellenistic period ( BC) The period saw the transfer of Greek art, civic life and culture to newly conquered areas The period also saw a marked increase in interest in civic buildings The Hellenistic period ended in 147 BC, when the Roman Empire conquered Greece and incorporated the city states into it

B) Social Characteristics and Beliefs

Historical Background Social Characteristics & Beliefs
Introduction Greek civilization is the first major civilization in Europe Greek civilization along with the Roman civilization are said to be at the root of current western civilization They two are referred to as “classical” cultures because of their recognition as the root of western civilization Greek and Roman architecture are also referred to as classical architecture Greek civilization started with the mingling of two Greek cultures, the Dorian and the Ionian to create a single Hellenic culture The two developed a new life style that ultimately gave birth to the concept of the city state

Societal Organization- The city state The ancient Greeks lived in self governing city-states called "polis." The city-states were small, independent communities. The ancient Greek world was made up of hundreds of these independent city states The polis started as a defensible area Over time, towns grew around these defensible areas.

Societal Organization- The city state Every polis was different from another, even though there were similarities between them They were all bounded by common language and religious beliefs They all made efforts to preserve their own unique identity, and each city state believed that their state was better than all the other states The city states often fought with one another. The city state of Athens on the Greek mainland was among the most famous and powerful of the city states

Societal Organization- The city state It was a major center for learning and the arts. When city-states were first formed, they were ruled by a few wealthy men. However, they gradually moved towards democracy. Athens developed an early form of democracy Only men who were born in Athens were allowed to vote.

Social Organization And Responsibility The scale of the polis was small. The philosophers Aristotle and Plato believed that the polis should be of a small size, so that members know each other personally The ideal size of a city state was fixed at 5040 males by Plato Citizens in any polis were related by blood and so family ties were very strong. Membership of the polis was hereditary and could not be passed to persons outside the family

Social Organization And Responsibility The society of the polis had a social hierarchy with citizens at the top, followed by people who are not citizens and finally slaves Public life was for male citizens while women were secluded in the house Greek citizens did not have rights but duties It was not acceptable for Greek citizens to refuse to carryout their responsibilities

Religious Belief The ancient Greeks were polytheistic, believing in many different gods and goddesses The God were regarded as a very powerful concept. All aspect of life was under the protection of the gods, and they controlled everything, from the waves in the ocean to the winner of a race. All the gods and goddesses had specific roles, controlling one or two major aspects of life Zeus was, for example, the supreme leader of the gods, Hermes was the messenger of the gods, and Poseidon was the god of the sea

Place of Worship Temples were the focus of Greek religious worships Temples were usually built in the cities of the Gods called “Acropolis” Temples were built in every town and city for one or more god or goddess The temples were considered as offerings to the gods Each community was therefore under pressure to make them beautiful as possible

Place of Worship The temples were also considered as the house of the gods They usually consist of a large open hall called sanctuary where the statue of the god to whom it is dedicated is kept The temples were the places for routine festivals to the gods The festivals included plays, music, dancing, and then a parade to the temple where they made sacrifices and had a feast. Animals were usually sacrificed as a gift to the gods

Architecture in service of religion Architecture in Greece Started in the Service of Religions Temples were the house and place of gods The Greeks regarded beauty as an attribute of the gods and the conscious pursuit of beauty as a religious exercise. The most important task for architects was how to make the temple beautiful The search for ways to express architectural beauty made the Greek civilization among the first to have established ideals of beauty

Architecture in service of religion The Greeks convinced themselves that the secrets of beauty lie in proportions Man was viewed by the Greeks as having the most ideal proportions and is the measure of all things Greek developed a system of building proportion that reflected those of the human body With time, they refined their system of building proportion, and developed the classical Greek orders

Architecture in service of religion The principal building material of the ancient Greeks was stone Clay and timber were also used Timber was used mostly for roofing and its scarcity coupled with limitations in its length imposed restrictions on the width of buildings Temples were the main building type

Architecture in service of religion Greek society also made buildings other than temples The most common buildings are, council halls, public fountains and theatres, gymnasia, schools and libraries, public baths and lavatories

Architecture in service of religion Greek construction was of a simple post and lintel construction Their ground plans were always very simple, usually rectangular Buildings were constructed by skilled craftsmen who were in demand and traveled from one state to the other for construction work Designs and construction were done on the ground by measuring out the foundation

Architecture in service of religion Blocks of stone were ordered from the quarry Blocks were given initial preparation on the building site Roofs were of wood beams. Carvings and other decorative work were finished when the building is completed The Greeks also made significant contributions to the arts, particularly in sculpture and painting

Elements of Greek Archtecture
Greek Orders Temple Architecture Civic Architecture

Origins Our word “architecture” comes from the Greek architecton, which means “master builder.” Early Greek architecture therefore employed wood, not stone. These early structures, have not survived.

Origins Greek temples, like Egyptian temples, used basic post-and-beam construction.

Origins Temple of Hera, Paestum Early temples had massive pillars as architects worried about their ability to support the weight above. Later temples appear more elegant. Hephaistion, Athens

Temples - Purpose Unlike modern churches or mosques, Greek temples were not meant to be meeting places religious practices. They were homes for the community’s god or goddess and a place for offerings

C) The Greek Orders and its componenets

The Orders Introduction
Refer to the entire components that makes up the principal elevation of a temple. Composed of a base, an upright column or support called the shaft, with its capital, and the horizontal entablature. All the parts of an order are proportionally derived from the dimensions of the human body( man, woman, madian) It determines all aspects of the elevation of a building including its shape and the arrangement and proportion of its parts

The Orders Greeks are credited with originating the three orders of the classical language of architecture, Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. Columns were understood by the Greeks to be anthropomorphic or representative of the body of a human The base suggests the feet, the shaft the torso and the capital the head.

The Orders Introduction
Each order had its own conventions about the design of the entablature The entablature is divided into three sections; the cornices, the frieze and the architrave According the rules of classical architecture, the entablature should always be divisible into these three zones

(1) The Doric Order

The Orders Doric Order The Doric order was the earliest to be developed By the 6th century, a set of universal proportions for the Doric temple had been developed. The Doric order is made up of three elements; stylobate, Column and entablature The stylobate is a podium raised three steps on which the temple sits The Doric column is further divided into the shaft and a square capital

The Doric Order Doric columns are the heaviest in appearance
The capital is plain. The shaft is thick – though it loses some of its mass over time. There is no base.

The Orders Doric Order It had a height of between 5 and 6 times its diameter. The shaft is tapered slightly to provide correction for optical illusion. The shaft is usually divided into 20 shallow flutes. The concept of verticality The entablature is divided into an architrave, a frieze and the cornice. The Doric column represents the proportions of a man’s body, its strength and beauty.

Doric Order Entasis A characteristic of the Doric order is the use of entasis Entasis refers to the practice of optical correction in Greek Doric temples All buildings are arranged with a slight curve and in the upward direction to correct for optical illusion when they are viewed This is done to counteract the concave appearance produced by straight edges in perspective The shaft of the column is built to be slightly convex in shape for optical correction Columns were also built with a slight tilt and in the upward direction

Doric Order Entasis The drawing to the right explains entasis
Diagram one on top shows how the ancient Greeks wanted the temple to appear If the temple is built without correction, then diagram two shows how it would actually appear To ensure that it appears correctly as desired in one, the Greeks introduced the distortions shown in diagram three The application of entasis is an expression of the desire for perfection by Greek architects The best example of the application of entasis is found in the Parthenon

(2) The Ionic Order

The Orders Ionic Order The Ionic order evolved and took its name from Ionia a city in Turkey The ionic column including the capital and base had a height of 9 to 10times its diameter It had 24 flutes, which is more than that of the Doric column, even though it is smaller in diameter. More sense of verticality and slenderness

The Orders Ionic Order The Ionic order had a capital developed from a pair of volutes about two-thirds the diameter of the column in height Ornaments are used to decorate the area between the capital and the volute The Ionic column has a base unlike the Doric order that has no Base

The Ionic Order These have greater elegance.
The capital has distinctive volutes. The shaft is thinner than its Doric equivalent. A base is apparent.

The Orders Ionic Order At the corner of rectangular buildings, an angular volute had to be used. Entasis was not applied to the ionic column The Ionic column is said to represent the shape of a women with its delicacy and feminine slenderness.

( C) The Corinthian Order

The Orders Corinthian Order
The Corinthian order takes its name from the city of Corinth in Greece This order is similar in its proportions to the Ionic order but has a different capital The core of the capital is shaped like an inverted bel. The bell-like capital is decorated with rows of carved acanthus leaves

The Orders Corinthian Order
The rich decorative effect of the Corinthian capital made it attractive. Because of its symmetry, the Corinthian capital unlike the ionic capital is designed to be seen from all directions The Corinthian column, the most beautifully ornate of the three orders represents the figure of a maiden This order was not extensively used during the Greek period It became popular during the ancient Roman period

The Corinthian Order This is also a tall, elegant form.
The capital has distinctive acanthus leaf decoration. A base is also employed.

A Comparison Between Greek And Roman Columns

(D)The Construction of Columns

The Orders Column Construction
Do you wonder how the columns of the Greek orders were constructed? Each column was made up of several drums of marble They were held together by a stone peg in the center The stones were assembled and put together in their rough form

The Orders Column Construction
The capital was also carved out After they were put together, the grooves called flutes were cut up and down the shaft of the column and all around it This gave the column its slim, elegant and vertical look

(E) Parts of Greek Temples

Parts of a Greek Temple There are four distinct parts to a Greek temple. The bottom; It is The horizontal part made of steps. Most Greek temples had three of them. This part is called the stylobate.

Parts of a Greek Temple The next section is vertical and is the column. Most columns had a base (though not the Doric), at the bottom, a shaft in the middle, and a capital at the top. The shaft may be smooth or fluted.

Parts of a Greek Temple Above the column is the entablature. If the column is the table leg, think of this as the tabletop. It has 3 parts: the architrave, a kind of base. The frieze, a decorated part The cornice the top.

Parts of a Greek Temple The top section is angled and is called the pediment. The sloping top part is called the sloping cornice. The triangular part below is called the tympanum. This is often carved and decorated.

(F) Architecture of Greek Temples

Temple Architecture Introduction
The most important Greek building was the temple The temple had the finest building materials and the richest decoration. It was also the most complex of architectural form. It was designed not to hold worshippers, but as symbolic dwelling of the gods The temple is usually rectangular in plan It is lifted on a podium, and in plan has colonnades on all its external sides

Temple Architecture; Introduction
The number of columns is always even to allow the location of the entrance in the center; temples with odd number of columns are uncommon Temples with 2 columns in front are diastyle, 4-tetrastyle, 6-hexastyle, 8-octastyle and 10-decastyle Greek temples usually have two rows of columns in front and rear and one row in the two side. The number of side columns is double the rear and frontal ones

Colonnades define a portico around the temple The temple building is made up of four walls enclosing a rectangular space called the naos or sanctuary This was the house of the god to whom the temple is dedicated The interior rectangular space of the naos is framed by a pair of colonnades on the long side creating a central processional space At the head of the processional space is the statue of the god to whom the temple is dedicated The temple interior was generally dark, with only the entrance as a source of light

The temple always faced east so that the rising sun would light the statues inside Temples were designed to be admired from the outside rather than used The Greek temple is believed to originate from the Mycenaean megaron through different stages of evolution as shown in the diagram By 470 BC, the final form of the Greek temple had emerged

Temple Architecture Doric Temple
The Doric temple is based on the Doric order Both the Doric order and temple went through a simultaneous process of evolution The Basilica at Paestum 550 BC is an example of early Doric temple It was built during the archaic period of Greek civilization

Temple Architecture Doric Temple
The columns on the front are 9, while on the sides they are 18 The Doric columns appear heavy in comparison with later temples The columns have a bulge, pointing to the practice of optical correction or entasis by the time of its construction The capitals are also huge, heavy and very wide

Doric Temples Temple of Hera Argiva at Paestum
The Temple of Hera Argiva (or Neptune) at Paestum 460 BC was built later than the Temple of Aphaia It is one of the best preserved of all Greek temples It is more mature in its proportions than all the others examined The columns are 8.8 meters high with a correction of the optical illusion.

Doric Temples Temple of Hera Argiva at Paestum
The temple is hexastyle but with 24 columns on its flank to give a sense of horizontality as opposed to the sense of verticality on the columns It also has a double row of columns in the interior, and divided into two separated by a stone architrave The most perfect of the Doric temples is the Parthenon

Ionic Temples Introduction
Ionic temples were built using the Ionic order The most famous of the Ionic temples is the temple of Artemis at Ephesus It was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient World It was commissioned by Alexander the Great and was believed to have been built and destroyed several times Unfortunately the temple has not survived to the present time

Corinthian Temples Introduction
The Corinthian order was not widely used during the Greek period Earliest known example is inside the 5th century Temple of Apollo at Bassae. The temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens was in the Corinthian order The column was constructed in 131 A.D. well after the Roman conquest of Greece The Corinthian order became very popular during the Roman period.

(G) Architecture of Greek Civic Buildings

Civic Architecture Introduction
Greeks became very fascinated by civic buildings Treatments once reserved for temples and the gods, were gradually extended to civic and government buildings. The Agora or market place also became very important in Greek cities. The theater and council chamber are examples of civic buildings found in every Greek city

Civic Architecture Theaters – Theater Epidarus
The Greeks invented the theater design that is still used in movies and auditoriums today Every important Greek city had a theater Their theater was built into a hilly landscape The theater had a bank of seats or steps created from the landscape

Civic Architecture Theaters – Theater Epidarus
The theater had a bank of seats steps created from the landscape It would usually commands a view to the landscape This was the largest theater in ancient Greece It is still in use today

(H) Greek City Planning and Design

Greek City Planning and Design
Greek Architecture in Athens

Greek City Planning and Design Planning and Design Principles
The ancient Greek civilization had established principles for planning and designing cities City forms were of two types 1)Old cities such as Athens had irregular street plans reflecting their gradual organic development 2)New cities, especially colonial cities established during the Hellenistic period, had a grid-iron street plan

Greek City Planning and Design Planning and Design Principles
3)Towns had fixed boundaries and were protected by fortifications Much of the town was devoted to public use 4)The Greek City was usually divided into three parts; the acropolis, the agora and the town hall. 5)Site planning and design was centered on the appreciation of buildings from the outside. 6)The location of buildings was therefore such that it could command a good view to it.

Greek City Planning and Design 1) The Acropolis
The Acropolis was the city of temples It is the location where all the major temples of a city are located It was built to glorify the gods Greeks considered high places to be important & sacred this required contour line in the site The Acropolis were usually located on the highest ground Other public buildings such as gymnasia, stadia, and theaters were generally regarded as part of religious rituals They are normally found attached on lower ground to the hills of the Acropolis

Greek City Planning and Design 2) The Agora
The Agora was the most important gathering place in a Greek city It started as an open area where the council of the city met to take decisions With time buildings were constructed to define and enclose the space It also transformed into a place for combined social, commercial and political activities It emerged as the heart of Greek intellectual life and discourse. It was usually located on a flat ground for ease of communication It was placed to be easily accessible from all directions In many cities, it is also located close to the Acropolis

Greek City Planning and Design 3) The Town
The town as we know and define it was where the people lived This was the domain of women, who did not have any public role Early Greek towns had an irregular street pattern, resulting from its organic growth The town was made up of only residential houses

Greek City Planning and Design The Town
Houses were usually constructed of mud bricks Houses were of the courtyard type, with rooms arranged around a courtyard Houses vary according to standing in the society Houses of poor people were very simple compared to the house of the rich, which had more rooms and better finishing

Greek Architecture in Athens Architecture, Planning & Design
Athens is a very good example of a typical ancient Greek city The city has the three components of acropolis, agora and town found in a Greek city The Acropolis and Agora in Athens also have some of the best examples of ancient Greek architecture We will examine the Acropolis and Agora in Athens to understand Greek architecture, planning and city design.

1) THE ACROPOLIS

The most famous Greek buildings are located at the Acropolis.
These include: the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Parthenon, and the Erectheum.

Greek Architecture in Athens The Acropolis in Athens
The Earliest versions of the Buildings in the Acropolis existed until 480 BC In 480 BC, the Persians under Xerxes burnt Athens and the Acropolis to the ground Not long after that the Greeks defeated the Persians

Greek Architecture in Athens The Acropolis in Athens
The Acropolis in Athens was rebuilt in about 450 BC The rebuilding of the Acropolis was begun by Pericles, the wise statesman who ruled from 460 BC to 429 BC Pericles commissioned artist and architects to build a new city of temples to glorify the gods The acropolis combined Doric, ionic and corinthian orders in a perfect composition in four buildings; the Propylea, the Parthenon, the Erechtheumn, and the temple of Nike.

Greek Architecture in Athens Acropolis Athens
The best example of Greek emphasis on visualization in design and site planning is seen at the Acropolis at Athens All the buildings on the Acropolis are designed to be seen than used All the temples on the Acropolis are place at an angle that enables them to be seen on two sides If a building cannot be seen from two sides, it is completely hidden

General Layout of the Acropolis Complex

Greek Architecture in Athens Acropolis Athens
From the entry at the Propylae, a visitor has a view of all the prominent buildings in the Acropolis Buildings are also positioned at a distance that ensures the appreciation of their details The central axis of view from the propylae is left free of building for a view into the country side

2) Propylae The propylae is the entrance to the Acropolis
It was built around 437 B.C by Mnesicles The image highlights what is currently left of the propylae To reach the acropolis, people had to enter through the center section of the propylae The two wings on either side were never finished The columns on the outside of the propylae were Doric The columns in the interior were however Ionic, refelecting the sense of richness

Propylae A combination of Doric and Ionic orders were used in this structure. Explanation for this is found in the proportions of the Doric and Ionic columns If the Doric order were used in the interior, the height of the roof would make its diameter very large To overcome this difficult, the designers used the Ionic column which is much slender than the Doric column Inside the propylae was a library and picture gallery with a place for people to read and rest In times of peace, the gates of the propylae were usually left wide open When an enemy threatened, the wooden doors of the propylae were closed and there was no other access to the acropolis

Greek Architecture in Athens The Parthenon
The Parthenon was the most prominent building on the Athenian Acropolis It was designed by Ictinus and Callicrates in 447 BC The Parthenon is the most perfect Doric temple ever built. It was lighter and more graceful than previous temples

It also embodies the perfection of the Greek system of proportioning The proportions of the Parthenon are based on the proportions of a man, which is seven to one The ideal human body was seven heads tall

The Parthenon is an octastyle temple with 8 columns in front and 17 columns by its side In the Parthenon we also find the best example of the application of entasis The Parthenon had two rooms in plan; the treasury, which is most often empty and the naos or inner sanctuary An ivory gold statue of Athena, 11 meters tall carved by Phidas once stood in the noas or inner sanctuary of the Parthenon

The statue reached the wooden roof of the temple Parts of the inside and outside of the Parthenon were once painted The inside of the temple was often not used Processions and ceremonies were held outside The temple’s alter was placed on the Eastern side During the Christian period, the Parthenon was used as a 1) church

Later the Turks converted it into a 2) Mosque In 1687, the Turks used it to store ammunition and when they were attacked by the Venetians, it exploded The images shows what remains of it In 1801 An Lord Inglin gathered the broken pieces and shipped them to the British museum in England

3) The Erectheum The Erechtheum is located at the point of a mythical fight between Poseidon and Athena ( Greek Gods). Athena is believed to have won the fight and so Athens was named after her The Erechtheum was named after Erechtheus, the legendary king of Athens, whose mother was the goddess of the earth and whose father was the fire god

Greek Architecture in Athens The Erectheum
The shape of the Erechtheum is not a perfect square or a rectangle and it does not have a colonnade surrounding it.

Two porches spring out from the temple at different levels A small porch faces the Parthenon This has columns in the shape of a woman called caryatid The caryatids are linked to a historical story The caryatids are a people who lived in Asia minor They were believed to have fought with the Persians against the Greeks When the Greeks won, they destroyed their cities .

They killed all the men and brought back the women as slaves For revenge the Greeks copied the Caryatid slave women in stone and forced them to carry the roof the Erechtheum for all time The weight of the roof is carried from the top of the head of the caryatid through their leg

4) Temple of Athena Nike Just beside the propylae is the Temple of Athena Nike, meaning victorious Athena It was built around 420 BC and was designed by Callicrates during the Peloponnesian wars The Athenians worshipped Athena Nike in the hope of victory

Greek Architecture in Athens Temple of Nike
This is an ionic temple It had a pediment that no longer exist The temple has an entrance of four ionic columns on two sides The temple looks the same from the front and back, it is a symmetrical architectural design and form

5) The Agora The Agora in Athens was a space used for social, commercial and political activities The Agora at Athens was located at the base of the hill of the Acropolis Civic and religious buildings were progressively erected around the perimeter of the Agora space

CONCLUSION

Ancient Greeks not only develop ideals of architectural aesthetics, but they also developed principles for the design and planning. The city consisted of three defined elements; the town, acropolis and Agora The town was a place to retire for the day It was composed of simple courtyard houses separated by streets It could either be organic or grid-iron

Thank You.

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