Saturday 20 December 2014

Ancient Temples in Greece

Ancient Greece, temples were not places of worship but monuments dedicated to the beloved gods and goddesses. Many important ancient temples are located in Greece and other countries, such as Italy, which were then part of the ancient Greek empire.

Ancient Greece the temple was the most important building. The first temples to be constructed from stone began to appear in the 6th century. The Greek temples were not used as places of worship, but rather as famous monuments to their beloved gods and goddesses. Some of the best examples of Greek temples standing today are located not only in Greece.                                          

Temple of Zeus at Cyrene

Cyrene was the most important of the five Greek colonies in present-day Libya. High up from the rest of the city, lies the Temple of Zeus, dating back to the 5th century BC. It was destroyed during a Jewish rebellion in 115 AD, and was restored 5 years later by the Romans on order of Emperor Hadrian.In 365 AD an earthquake reduced the temple to rubble once more and it was not rebuilt until modern times by British and Italian archaeologists.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

The Temple of Olympian Zeus is the biggest ancient Greek temple remaining. This colossal temple, built approximately 540 yards southeast of the Acropolis, was dedicated to the king of the Olympian gods, Zeus. The intention when construction began in the sixth century B.C. was to surpass the size of the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the Temple of Zeus accomplished that feat when it finally was completed in 131 A.D.

Temple of Hephaestus

The Temple of Hephaestus, dedicated to the god of metal-working and craftsmanship, is located in Athens, Greece. The temple was designed by Ictinus, one of the Parthenon’s architects. The Temple of Hephaestus is the best-preserved ancient Greek temple in the world.

Temple of Apollo Epicurius

The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae is a well-preserved and unusual Greek temple. It was built somewhere between 450 and 400 BC. The temple is aligned north-south, in contrast to the majority of Greek temples which are aligned east-west. The temple is unusual in that it has examples of all three of the classical orders used in ancient Greek architecture.

Valley of the Temples

The city of Agrigento, Sicily lie the remains of seven Greek temples called the Valley of the Temples. The Temple of Concordia, built in the 5th century BC, is the best preserved in the Valley and is one of the largest and best preserved Doric style temples still standing.

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