Greek Architecture

One of ancient Greece's most famous contributions to the world is its architecture. Due to the high number of artists and architects in the country, there were many beautiful structures created during Greece's golden age that still stand today. Most of the things that we know about Greek architecture comes from the late archaic period, the Periclean age, and the early to pure classical eras.

The temple is a very common and well-known form of Greek public architecture. Temples were used as storage places for treasures like statues, helms, and weapons. Two main styles of early Greek architecture were Doric and Ionic. The Doric style was known to be used by mainland Greek and those who lived in Italy. Examples of this style are the Parthenon and the Temple of Hephaestus, located in Athens. Doric style has a higher formality than Ionic whereas Ionic is more decorative than Doric. Examples of Ionic style are the Erechtheum and the Temple of Athena. The Hellenistic period was known for the popularity of Ionic style architecture. Many people also have heard of Corinthian style, which had its foundations in the Ionic style, but with a better and more temporary development. These are known as the three main styles (or "orders") of the Greek architecture.

Obviously, the various styles of Greek architecture are different. However, they all share a certain delicate and beautiful quality, and this is the reason that every style is still examined and studied today.