Parthenon

The Parthenon, in Athens, Greece, is considered the most perfect Doric temple ever built. Its name means "the virgin's place". It was dedicated to the goddess Athena. The main function was to house an over-sized, gold and ivory statue of the Goddess.

The building itself has many subtle aspects. It is rectangular in shape, with a series of Doric columns. There are 8 columns at the facade and 17 at the flanks. There are no absolute straight lines in the building. The columns taper on a slight arc. The columns tend towards the center of the building. The corner columns are slightly larger than the others.

The metopes represent instances of the struggle between the forces of order and justice, and criminal chaos. Mythical battles are represented on all sides of the temple. Relief structures, larger than the metopes, occupy the triangular spaces at the corners. One depicts the battle between Poseidon and Athena for the right to be the patron deity of Athens. The frieze runs around the upper edge of the temple. It is small and has a single subject on all four sides depicting horsemen, musicians, sacrificial animals and other ritualistic figures.

Throughout history, the temple has served as a Christian Church, dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and then a mosque. In 1687, the Ottomans used it as storage for ammunition, which caused severe damage to the inside of the structure. They gave permission to Lord Elgin to take possession of some of the remaining sculptures in 1816, which were then placed in the British Museum. The Greek government is presently seeking their return.

Restoration of the Parthenon is presently being attempted. One of the problems is that the acid rain present in modern day Athens is causing severe erosion. The future of the temple is now in doubt.