This blog post today is going to be partly inspired by the post that I made yesterday regarding the great library. I wanted to discuss a little about the ancient Greek architecture as I think the buildings and the landmarks are fascinating. There are many amazing pieces of architecture that has been created by the ancient Greeks, and sadly many of the buildings that they had erected no longer stand. This is either through wars in history or time degrading the buildings. Either way, I think many of them were truly beautiful and I think it is a brilliant idea that they are beginning to restore some of the older architecture that is currently standing. Although many believe that Greek architecture mainly revolves around temples, but this is a common misconception. They created many buildings for multiple uses, and despite the purpose many of them are still beautiful.
One of my personal favourites that I am glad is currently going through a restoration period must be the Parthenon. This building is an ancient temple to the Ancient Greek gods, and it was constructed in Athens. As it was built in Athens, you may be able to deduce that it was built in dedication to the goddess Athena. The temple itself had taken 15 years to complete and was finally finished in 432 BC. The building itself hasn’t just become a landmark for modern Greece, but also one of the defining landmarks for Greek and Ancient history altogether. The building is even described as the most important surviving aspect from Classical Greece. Some people say that it be a vocal point of classical Greek art and as an enduring symbol of the Greek empire and the country.
While I would like to discuss the Parthenon a bit more, there are many buildings that can be discussed from both ancient and classical Greece. Another classical Greek building that is still standing today is the Heraion, otherwise known as the temple of Hera. The temple of Hera was constructed in Olympia, and the temple is one of the oldest in the entirety of Greece. The temple itself, is one of simple design. Even though it is one of the most beautiful in the whole of Greece, the temple itself follows a simple building plan of three rectangles within each other. The temple itself was obvious dedicated to the Greek goddess Hera, who was the wife of Zeus. Just after the temple of Hera had been constructed, the famous Temple of Zeus had been constructed.
The Temple of Zeus is one of the most magnificent to have been built. The temple of Zeus had been created in dedication of the Greek god Zeus and had finished construction by 457 BCE. Unfortunately, this is one of the few ancient Greek architecture that is no longer standing within the country. The temple itself was destroyed in 426 AD and turned into a sanctuary, which was later intentionally destroyed. Before the temple was destroyed however, it once housed the statue of Zeus, which was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
I hope you enjoyed todays post. I think that ancient Greek architecture is still relevant today because it caused a reimagination of art and building design years after its end. Please make sure to stick around for future and past blog posts too!