The Greeks dominated the construction world by producing many magnificent buildings. The Hellenic population is said to have taken heaven to earth through these beautiful pieces, including great temples built in the Greek gods’ name. Using a combination of creativity and ingenuity, the Greeks produced many public buildings with great architectural value; The simplicity, harmony, and view of the Greek architecture were also fundamental to Roman architecture. To understand more about this tremendous architectural style, read the top ten ancient Greek artifacts:
10. Erechtheion, Acropolis
| Type: | Temple |
| Location: | Athens, Greece |
| Construction Started: | 421 BC |
| Completed: | 406 BC |
| Architect: | Mnesikles |
| Height: | 6.58 m |
The temple was constructed in the midst of 421 and 406 BC by the great painter Mnesicles, and his name is acquired from a shrine devoted to the Greek hero Erichthonius. He was considered in the Homer Iliad as the great king and ruler of Athens. Phidias, who also worked for Parthenon, was hired by Pericles as a sculptor and builder for this huge project.
9. Temple of Hephaestus, Agora
| Type: | Temple |
| Location: | Athens, Greece |
| Construction Started: | 449 BC |
| Completed: | 415 BC |
| Architect: | Iktinos |
| Height: | 5.71 m |
A work of Doric and Classical architecture, the Temple of Hephaestus is a well-preserved Greek temple. It was dedicated to the god of craftsmanship, metalwork, and fire. Hephaestus was also known as Theseum and was a bespoke sanctuary for the hero Theseus. From the seventh century to the year 1834, he served as St.George Akamas Greek Orthodox Church. In the early 19th century, this temple became a burial ground for many Protestants and those who gave up their lives during the Greek War of Independence in 1821. In the 1930s, it became a museum and has since been restored to its original Greek glory.
8. Stoa of Attalos, Agora
| Type: | Museum |
| Location: | Agora of Athens, Greece |
| Construction Started: | 150 BC |
| Completed: | 150 BC |
| Architect: | John Travlos |
| Height: | 11.42 m |
The architectural wonder, the Stoa of Attalos, was built as a gift to Athens in return for the education Attalos received there. It was built by King Attalos II of Pergamon, who reigned from 159 BC to 138 BC—combining different architectural orders. Doric order, which dominated Greek architecture, was used on the ground floor for the outer fence and combined with the Ionic style for the columnar row’s inner part. The outer column on the first floor was the Ionic, and the Inside was Pergamene which was destroyed by the German tribe, Heruli, in 267. Till then, it was a fortification wall until it was completely rebuilt from 1952 to 1956.
7. Temple of Apollo, Delphi
| Type: | Temple |
| Location: | Delphi, Greece |
| Construction Started: | 510 BC |
| Completed: | 510 BC |
| Architect: | Spintharus of Corinth, Xenodoros, Agathon |
| Height: | 21 m |
During Delphi’s heyday, Apollo’s Temple was one of the most prominent structures in history, and its remains date back to the 4th century BC. It was an imposing structure of the Doric order and fell to ruin after many turbulent incarnations. The Temple of Apollo in Delphi was built in the 7th century BC by two prominent architects, Troponius and Agamedes. It burned down in the 6th century and was subsequently rebuilt and named Al Khmeoni Grand Temple to honor the noble Athenian family. It started rebuilding with funds donated across Greece.
6. The Great Theatre of Epidaurus
| Type: | Theatre |
| Location: | Epidaurus, Greek |
| Construction Started: | 340 BC |
| Completed: | 340 BC |
| Architect: | Polykleitos the Younger |
| Height: | 7.60 m |
In terms of acoustics and aesthetics, this ancient theater has always been thought of as a perfect theater, featuring an auditorium, stage building, and orchestral area. In keeping with the traveler and geographer from Greece, Pausanias, Polykleitos the Younger was behind the construction of this beautiful symmetrical theater. The theater was large enough to accommodate 13,000 to 14,000 people. This place was not only for singing, music, and dramatic programs but also worshiped the god of medicine, Asclepius. So the place was used to improve patients as witnessing staged drama, behind the thought to have a positive influence on physical as well as mental health.
5. Temple of Artemis, Corfu
| Type: | Theatre |
| Location: | Corfu, Greek |
| Construction Started: | 580 BC |
| Completed: | 580 BC |
| Architect: | Croesus |
| Height: | 6.10 m |
The temple was built in the ancient city Corkira of Corfu Island in the suburbs of Garita. It was built first with a double stone. The temple was built in 580 BC, measured at 49 m by 23.46 m. It was the largest temple at that time. The temple’s Metope can be seen that Achilles and Memnon sculptures were decorated on its walls. Its greatness and reliability are ancient Greek landmarks. This temple is also counted in 150 masterpieces of Western architecture.
4. Temple of Hera, Olympia
| Type: | Temple |
| Location: | Olympia, Greece |
| Construction Started: | 590 BC |
| Completed: | 590 BC |
| Architect: | People of Skills, one of the cities in Triphylla |
| Height: | 16 m |
The ancient Archaic Greek Temple, dedicated to the Queen of the Greek goddess Hera, was built in 590 BC. Initially, the thought behind its construction was of wood, and it was later replaced by stone. Dedicated to Hera, one of Greece’s oldest temples, the Temple of Zeus was built nearby it. According to the aesthetics of Doric architecture, the temple had 16 pillars. This beautiful Hera house was destroyed by an earthquake in the 4th century AD. During the excavation process on the premises, the marble head of Goddess Hera was discovered by the sculptor Praxiteles and Hermes’ statue in the temple. The statue is currently housed in the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.
3. Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Acropolis
| Type: | Odeon |
| Location: | Athens, Greece |
| Construction Started: | 160 BC |
| Completed: | 161 BC |
| Architect: | Herodes Atticus |
| Height: | 28 m |
The ancient theater has been an essential part of Greek culture. The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theater structure on the southwestern slope of Athens’s Acropolis, Greece, in remembrance of his beloved wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla, a three-story front wall and a wooden roof made of expensive Lebanese cedar. It was also renowned as one of the best venues for various Greek cuisine and international performances.
2. Parthenon, Acropolis
| Type: | Temple |
| Location: | Athens, Greece |
| Construction Started: | 447 BC |
| Completed: | 432 BC |
| Architect: | Iktinos, Callicrates |
| Height: | 13.72 m |
One of the most influential buildings in Greek history, the Parthenon stands on top of the Acropolis Citadel. It was dedicated to the Athenian goddess of wisdom and her patron Athena. The Parthenon was originally built as a celebration. The gods of the Greek victory over the Persians also stand as a permanent symbol of Athenian democracy, ancient Greece, and Western civilization. It has played many roles for a long time since the church dedicated the Virgin Mary in the past decade of the 6th century to the mosque after the Ottoman Empire’s conquest in the early 1460s.
1. Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens
| Type: | Temple |
| Location: | Athens, Greece |
| Construction Started: | 561–527 BC |
| Completed: | 131 BC |
| Architect: | Antistatis, Kallaischros, Antimachides and Phormos |
| Height: | 20.7 m |
The Temple of Zeus in Olympia was dedicated to the “Olympian” Zeus, also known as the pillar of Olympieon or Olympus Zeus. It is a huge temple in the center of Athens, the capital of Greece. Construction of the temple began in the 6th century by Peisistratos, but work was stopped for unknown reasons. Then it was abandoned under the reign of Roman emperor Hadrian in 131 AD, 638 years after the project began.
Conclusion!
These wonders of Greek architecture have dominated our view of ancient Greece as their beauty, and compelling history can be seen by visitors even today. The ancient Greeks were considered the cradle of civilization, with art at the heart of their accomplishments. Though most of their historic buildings have fallen into ruin, these ruins continue to speak of their great importance.
