Greek Temples

Though nowadays we call most Greek religious buildings "temples," the earliest Greeks would have referred to a temenos, or holy area. Its holiness, often related with a holy grove, was more significant than the building itself, as it contained the open air altar on which the sacrifices were made. The construction which housed the cult statue in its naos was initially a rather simple structure, but by the middle of the 6th century BCE had become increasingly complicated. Greek temple architecture, where the classical orders were developed, had a deep influence on Western architectural traditions.