Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Greek temples are the most famous part of Greek architecture. They combine the Greek tradition of the megaron house with the Egyptian temple to make a new, simple, and elegant form.

drawing of early Greek temple in wood

Early Greek temple in wood

The first Greek temples, built around 800 BC, were made of wood, which was easier to build in than stone. They were long rectangular buildings with a porch all the way around them supported by columns made of tree trunks, like this, and thatched or tiledroofs. (Compare these to Chinese palaces of the Shang Dynasty, just a little earlier.)

(Notice the stone altar in front of the temple for sacrifices).

Learn by doing: build a Lego Greek temple, or do it in Minecraft
More about Archaic Greek Architecture

Bibliography and further reading about Archaic Greek architecture:

More about Classical architecture
Quatr.us home