The Parthenon, built in mid 5th century BCE in Athens for the goddess Athena, represents the epitome of Greek architecture with its intricate design and mathematical proportions. Constructed primarily of marble, it features a Doric style with significant elements such as metopes and a sculpted pediment depicting mythological scenes. The document details the construction materials and architectural significance, alongside references for further exploration.

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Ancient
Building –
Parthenon of
Greece
Azra Maliha 201420058
Al Ghurair University, Dubai

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Contents
 Introduction & Concept
 Plans & Sections
 Construction
 Materials
 References

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Introduction &
Concept
Parthenon is the temple built for the Greek goddess Athena, in
the city of Athens in mid 5th century BCE. It was built under
political influences, replacing an older temple. It was constructed
by the architects Ictinus and Calibrates. Some historians believe
that Athens concluded a peace treaty with Persia in 449, two
years before work began on the Parthenon.
The Parthenon epitomizes all the principles of Greek through
artistic visualization. Concept of Parthenon includes the
understanding of mathematics of natural world, proportions of
building and the architectural decorations and elements. The
temple was to honor their goddess Athena and reflect the
spirituality, because the people thought she watches over the
city to protect them.

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Plans & Sections

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Construction
It is basically a Doric temple with eight rows of columns along
the back and front of the building, and seventeen on the
sides. The center columns are little bit smaller than the corner
columns. Marble blocks were used for construction which
were cut to fit together with the help of clamps and dowels.
The Doric order of this temple had different parts which are
very significant in architecture:
- Metopes: these were squares placed over the architrave
with sculptures depicting historical combats, mythical
creatures and other scenarios. There are 92 metopes
found on the Parthenon.
- Pediment: the triangular space occupied above the
metope and triglyph which had reliefs of sculptures larger
than metopes.This is what gives the Parthenon its
significant look.The west end of the temple depicted the
contest between Poseidon and Athena for the power of
Athena and the eastern part showed the birth of Athena
from Zeus' head.

8. Materials
 Marble was used for the main construction
material
 Lead and iron were used for joints and
supports

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References
 http://www.sacred-destinations.com/greece/athens-parthenon
 http://ancient-greece.org/architecture/parthenon2.html
 https://www.britannica.com/topic/Parthenon
 http://www.reed.edu/humanities/110Tech/Parthenon.html
 http://www.athensguide.org/athens-acropolis.html
 http://www.loeser.us/examples/parth.html
 http://ancient-greece.org/architecture/parthenon.html
 http://www.ancient.eu/parthenon/
Parthenon Documentaries
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICmlfXZnkns
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8smmU8MseWE