Greek Architecture

Architecture in ancient Greece was usually done with wood or mud-bricks, so their ground plans are the only evidence of their existence. Greeks established most of the most enduring themes, attitudes, and forms of western culture. Architecture is one of the Greek legacies that the western civilization has inherited, as Greece established many of the structural elements, decorative motifs, and building types still used in architecture today.

The two main styles of Greek architecture are doric and ionic. The doric style is much more disciplined and austere, whereas the ionic style is more relaxed and decorative. There was a strong emphasis in building temples for the Greek mythological gods and goddesses. But, there were also well known public buildings like the Parthenon.

Building materials used were limestone and some native stones. Highly expensive marble was used mainly for sculptural decoration found in grand buildings of the classical period. The roofs of their buildings were made up of timber beams covered with overlapping terracotta or occasionally marble tiles.

The structure of ancient Greek architecture consists of a basic cube or rectangle, flanked by colonnades, and a long sequence of columns. Building will have a pronao or a portico that open up to a large open court peristyle. Greeks used very little of the principles of the masonary arch, individual blocks bound together by mortar. The front end of the roof has flat triangular shaped structure, the pediment which is usually filled with scultural decoration.

Temples are the best known form of Greek architecture. The altar of the temple was usually found in the sacred fane, an enclosure, in front of the temple. The inner building of the temple, cella, served mainly as the storage room. The other common public builds of the Greek architecture are gymnasiums, the palaestra, and theatres.

In ancient Greece, architects were hardly treated as valuable master craftsmen, unlike today where the architects are closely associated with the work they produce. And moreover, architecture was not seen as an art form, as it is in modern times.

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The Roman Colosseum - Ancient History and Architecture

The Coliseum, found in the very heart of Rome, Italy, is one of the few architectural feats made by man that has endured the forces of nature and time. Even fires and earthquakes haven't subdued the great edifice. Centuries have passed while the immense structure has fallen into ruins, but even today, it is a grand and stunning sight. The Coliseum (originally named Flavian Amphitheater) could accommodate a large crowd of around 50,000 attendees. To accommodate this large crowd they used methods which are similar to our modern day for crowd control. In place of tickets, shards of pottery with section and row numbers directed the spectators to their designated seating sections. To disburse the large crowd in case of emergency there were eighty entrances with each entrance and exit numbered.

It is known that the construction of the Coliseum was started by Emperor Vespasian (the first emperor of the Flavian Dynasty) around 72 AD. The funding for this undertaking came from the ransacking of Jerusalem. It took 8 years before its completion in 80 AD which was after Vespasian's death.

The imposing building was intended for public displays such as executions and dramas themed on Classical mythology. Another use for the coliseum was the famous gladiatorial contests where slaves were made to fight each other to death for the prize of freedom. The coliseum is considered as a ceremonial monument constructed in the Roman tradition of celebrating triumphs intended for placating the Roman people.

The still marble and stones of the remnant shout their story deep within. A look at the remnant would give us a glimpse of the glorious (yet bloody) past of Imperial Rome. It retells the victory of the warriors who fought for their lives. It reminds us of the lingering roars of the audience which was the last sound the fallen gladiators heard as they slowly dropped to the sand, crimsoned by their own blood. It recounts all the bloody games which ironically became the iconic symbol of the empire's prestige and power.

Hosting more than a million visitors annually, the Coliseum remains one of the most popular tourist attractions in Rome. Most of these people come to witness firsthand the grandiose archeological remains and the unbelievable feat of architecture.

The Coliseum proved many things in history. It served as concrete proof of the architectural genius of its creator and showed that the hands of time could never wash into oblivion the glorious past of the Roman Empire as long as remnants of the Coliseum stand firm on the ground.

The author enjoys history and travel.

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Get to Know Ancient Chinese Philosophy From Fung Shui and Chinese Architecture

While on your China tour, you will observe many samples of Fung Shui. That's an ancient Chinese philosophy that seeks to bring our interior and exterior built environment into harmony considering the forces of nature that affect our physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. Classic examples of Fung Shui are asked for destinations on China Tours and hence regarded as primary China travel destinations

An introduction to Fung Shui Principles

This ancient science, for science indeed it also is, is rooted in natural Taoist philosophies and seeks to grasp and make the most the ways wherein we're affected by our immediate physical environment. It seeks to make harmony between us and then the structures that we build for ourselves, both by correctly positioning these, and by placing furniture and other objects appropriately within them. Fung Shui continues to be helpful to orient buildings in China since time immemorial - these include spiritually important structures such as temples and tombs, as well as homes and places of work. The Fung Shui lifestyle holds that orientation of buildings regarding mountains, lakes and hills, points of the compass and in many cases stars can significantly affect the long run health and well being of the folks connected with them.

The hotels you stay in on your China tour may incorporate similar principles, in addition to you should ask the friendly staff you meet during your China travel experience about this, including their advice on China tours in general. Although discouraged in the course of the Maoist cultural revolution on the 1960's, Fung Shui has regained popularity in modern China where architects are using it to style and remodel the built Chinese environment you might say that enhances both quality of life and material well-being. This represents a shift in architectural values from theoretical principles in your direction of the wants of clients within a greater whole, and draws on the understanding that nothing stands in isolation, knowing that everything is connected.

A Practical Example

Fung Shui finds expression in all aspects of contemporary living. Through an example, let's consider how perhaps applied to some kitchen in a modern family home - in the end, kitchens do represent nourishment and prosperity in most minds, and reported by supporters of this ancient science, can therefore affect yourself and wealth too.

The next principles ought to be kept at heart:

Kitchen Placement. The Kitchen needs to be towards the rear of the house, to discourage the family from eating all the time, and encourage guests to linger after a meal. If undoubtedly impossible, then it must be partly obscured from direct view by positioning louvered panels or hanging beads - it is because a publicly visible kitchen could portend digestive or other problems.

Kitchen Layout. The principle cooking point must place the Chef in any commanding position that permits him or her to watch what's going on including retaining eye contact with family and guests. This is achieved by setting up a central cooking island, or through strategic placement of mirrors.

In using this method the fundamentals of Fung Shui blend seamlessly with modern needs for more open homes and greater family interaction - isn't it great when ancient and modern values merge to make fresh visions like this? You will find many practical examples of Fung Shui on your Chinese tour. In truth looking for these is among the fun aspects of China travel and the idea of several specialist China tours.

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Importance of Columns in Ancient Egyptian Architecture

When you think about an ancient Egyptian temple like Karnak...it isn't easy to imagine it without thinking of its columned halls...is it??

One of the most beautiful and impressive aspects of architecture which comes to mind when you think about any Egyptian temple, are the spectacular columns, resembling groves of stone trees.. These columns, especially at Karnak and Luxor, dwarf human beings and bear inscriptions, carved relieves, and a weighty majesty unequaled anywhere else in the world. Most people who have some interests in ancient Egyptians will identify immediately the shape of Lotus and Papyrus style columns, but actually no less the about 30 different column forms have been isolated from temples of the various periods!!

Columns held special significance for the Egyptians, representing as they did the expanses of nature. Columns alluded to the times when vast forests dotted the land, forests that disappeared as the climate changed and civilization took its toll upon the Egyptian environment. They also represented the Nile reed marshes. The columns were introduced in order to simulate nature, and to identify man again with the earth. The first tentative columns are still visible in the Step Pyramid of Saqqara, but they are engaged columns, attached to walls for support and unable to stand on their own. Imhotep designed rows of such pillars at the entrance to various buildings and incorporated them into corridors for Djoser's shrine (2600 B.C.E.).

In the Fourth Dynasty (2575-2465 B.C.E.) masons experimented with columns as a separate architectural entity. In one royal tomb built in GIZA in the reign of Khufu (2551-2465 B.C.E.) limestone columns were used effectively. In the tomb of Sahure (2458-2446 B.C.E.) of the Fifth Dynasty, the columns were made of granite, evincing a more assured style and level of skill.

Wooden columns graced a site in the reign of Kakai (2446-2426 B.C.E.) in that same dynasty, and another king of the royal line, Nisuerre (2416-2392 B.C.E.), had limestone columns installed in his Abusir necropolis complex.

At Beni Hasan in the Eleventh Dynasty (2134-2140 B.C.E.) local nomarchs, or provincial chiefs, built their own tombs with wooden columns. The same type of columns was installed in tombs in the Twelfth Dynasty (1991-1773 B.C.E.), but they were made of wood set into stone bases. With the coming of the New Kingdom (1550-1070 B.C.E.) the columns become part of the architectural splendor that marked the capital at Thebes and at the later capital of Per-Ramesses in the eastern Delta. Extensive colonnades stood on terraces, or in the recesses of temples, opening onto courts and shrines.

Muhammed Khaled is concerned about Egyptian culture and history and the owner of Egyptian Panorama blog where you can discover more about Egypt through a collection of informative and simple articles and reviews on both ancient and modern Egypt. To see more details about Columns in Ancient Egyptian Architecture click here

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A Brief Comparison of Greek and Roman Architecture

The Ancient Greek World was one of the most dynamic, innovative and progressive periods of art in western civilization. The Greeks were a people who strove for naturalism and perfection in their art. In their buildings, exterior structure and aesthetics were of primary concern. The Greeks considered beauty a distinctive feature of the gods and their pursuit of beauty was almost a religious exercise. The job of the ancient Greek Architect was to make a beautiful temple for the god. The development of Greek temple design also brought about the three column orders; doric, ionic and corinthian, which were used extensively in Greek buildings and have highly influenced other cultures.

The Romans were the first builders in Europe, and probably the first in the world to recognize the advantages of the arch, vault and dome. The structures they left behind are a reminder of the genius of Roman engineering. They invented concrete and loved building arches and monuments to themselves. They also loved to be entertained. The Romans enjoyed everything from chariot races to gladiator contests to musical plays to the ballet. Three of the most important buildings designed for mass entertainment were the theatre, the ampitheatre and the circus.

The Hepaisteion, Athens

A Greek temple's primary function was to shelter the god it was built for. That is why the temples were decorated on the outside, no one went inside. No part of a Greek temple was symbolic or meant anything other than what it was, a temple for a god, with a sheltered colonnade for worshippers. Greek architects did not strive for individuality, the ancient Greek builder could erect a standard temple with a brief verbal description.

Early Roman temples differed from Greek both on the inside and in their relationship to their surroundings. Often up to three gods were housed together, while their rooms were narrow, the temple as a whole tended to be loftier and grander than Greek temples.

The Hepaisteion is a typical peripteral style temple. It is massive in appearance with simple doric capitals and thick heavy columns made of built up drums of stone all around. Its forms of mass and and volume are simple rectangles, cylinders and cones with a triangular roof. The temple stands in isolation resting on a low foundation, approachable from all sides by three steps. The site of the temple was almost as important as the temple itself. Unlike Greeks, Roman temples had a focus of attention and most had a frontal access only.

The Hepaisteion is basically a room called a cella with a porch in the front and rear, that is enclosed inside a colonnade that supports the roof, which in turn protects the cella from rain and sun. Many early Roman pagan temples are similar to the Hepaisteion, but with the difference that pushes the cella to one end of the room and decoration inside the temple.

Stone was the main building material used in Greek temple construction. Timbering was used in the roof and ceiling. Terracotta roof tiles were also used. Everything that was marble was cut in large blocks and held together by clamps and dowels. Paint was used to highlight molding to strengthen the contrasting elements of the frieze.

The Theatre of Marcellus, Rome

The Greeks may have invented drama, but theatre design was revolutionized by the Romans. They changed the Greek theatre, a structure that was usually built into a hillside, with its circular orchestra and detached scene building into a freestanding structure that united auditorium and stage. The back of the stage was as high as the auditorium so that the audience could not see outside as they could in a Greek theatre. Many Roman theatres, like Roman ampitheatres had a velarium or awning that was rigged to shade the audience from the sun. Roman theatres were regularly built on concrete vaulting that supported the auditorium and allowed easy access to seating, as crowd control was a big worry to the Roman builder.

The Theatre of Marcellus in Rome was first commissioned by Julius Caesar and was completed during the reign of his grandnephew and adopted son Augustus. The facade was travertine and had forty one bays with a half column on both sides of each bay. This style was widely copied after the theatre was built. Similarities can be seen in the Colosseum, which was built much later. Llike many Roman structures, the Theatre of Marcellus was built of concrete and baked bricks that were 3.5 to 4.5 centimeters thick. The bricks were very pourous to absorb the mortar and to give a better bond. The structure in the shape of a half circle which was a standard design for Roman theatres. The back of the stage area or the scaena frons was decorated with a continuous row of columns three tiers high that ran the width of the stage. The scaena frons was another Roman innovation that was first used the 4th century BC but didn't reach its ideal until the 2nd century AD.

In Roman theatres, the orchestra was part of the auditorium. It would often be set up with moveable chairs for the V.I.P.s. The Greeks used the orchestra as a stage area.

Summary

There are many differences between Greek and Roman architecture. The Greeks built many structures on top of hills, the Romans changed the hills into architectural structures. Early Greeks used the post and lintel system, whereas Romans extensively used the arch, vault and dome. Concrete was a major building material for the Romans, the Greeks were always trying to find better building materials and used huge stones held together with clamps and dowels.

In theatre design, both Greeks and Romans preferred to use hillsides, but because of large cities the Romans were forced to build their theatres on flat ground. This practice brought on the revolutionary design of a freestanding theatre structure.

The Greeks took their religion seriously and built their temples for the gods. The Romans took the view, brought it inside the temple interior and declared that what went on inside was very important so the temple must look good on the inside too.

Martha Vega is a freelance graphic designer in San Diego. She has a passion for design and enjoys learning about the arts including fine art and architecture.

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