The Minoans had a civilization that prospered on the island of Crete. This period is the first known from an architectural point of view. The most famous architectonical achievement of this period is definitely the impressive Palace and Residential complex of Knossos. It is also the best preserved. The palace is situated on a hill, surrounded by pine forests and with an easy access to the sea.
According to the palace’s remains and the lack of defensive walls, it seems that the Minoans had peaceful relations with the other civilizations of the Aegean.
Around the Palace are located many residential buildings like the “little palace”, the “Royal Villa” and the “South House”, which form the large city of Knossos. According to the remains, the city must have had a population of about 100 000 inhabitants and the city was built giving a great importance to space.
The Palace is divided in two courts: the west wing where you can visit the religious and official staterooms and the East Wing which was used for domestic and workshop purposes.
According to history, the destruction of Knossos could have been connected to the huge volcanic eruption of Santorini in 1450 BC.
Many things can be seen today with an architecture importance: the palace of Knossos, the little palace, the Royal Villa, the house of the Frescoes, the caravanserai, the Temple tomb…
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Mycenaean (Achaean) civilization architecture
(1300-1000 BC) |
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The Mycenaean architecture is completely different from the Minoan. As the architecture of a city follows the need of the
civilization, according to the remains, the Mycenaean civilization had a tendency for war. They built compact citadels, orderly plan and fortified by huge walls. These walls took the name of “Cyclopean” for the reason that people thought that only Cyclopes could lift the stones that composed it.
The Mycenae Palace was destroyed and the only remains you’re going to find are walls and tombs.
The most important monuments of the site are: the palace, the wall-painted “cult-centre”, the Lion gate and “Grave Circle A” which contained the treasures.
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sacred site of the Acropolis, in Athens. It is the most brilliant
example of Doric architecture and has the reputation of the most perfectly angle calculated temple.
The temple was built in 477-438 BC by Ictinus and Callicrates, with the collaboration of Phidias, and under the rule of Pericles.
The temple of Parthenon stands on the conventional three steps and has two cellar rooms with porches of six columns. Inside the temple, colonnades and a huge ivory and gold statue of the goddess Athena were creating an awesome scenery.
According to archaeologists, the temple’s ceiling was made of wood and covered with painted decorations.
Another interesting example of the Doric architecture is the temple of Hera in Olympia. It is the earliest monumental temple of Greece and has 14 Doric columns.
The Ionic order is much different from the austere Doric style. It has an ornamented necking, a base in several tiers and more
flutes. The Ionic style is much more graceful than the heavy Doric architecture.
One of the best examples of this architecture is the Temple of Athena Nike at the Acropolis of Athens.
It is the earliest Ionic temple built on the Acropolis. Another famous example is the Erechtheion, opposite the Parthenon. It is the temple where the famous Caryatids stand and support the heavy roof.
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are still standing. The Greek classical order is also a period characterized by the construction of the many theatres: the Theatre of Dionyssus, the theatres of Epidaurus, Dodoni, Megalopolis, Argos…
The Romans were very inspired by the Greek architecture. This alliance gave birth to many buildings, fountains, gymnasiums, baths… One of the best examples is the Roman Agora in Athens, at the bottom of the Acropolis. Another example is the theatre of Herodes Atticus and the famous Arch of Adrian which stands in the middle of Athens.
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Byzantine architecture |
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The Byzantine period explains the incredible amount of churches. The Byzantine churches have a unique architecture. The most important example of Byzantine architecture is the church of Aghia Sofia in Istanbul. In Athens, the most important Byzantine churches are the church of Kapnikarea, the church of Kaisariani and many others. The architects under the Byzantine Empire have built many churches with Greek and Roman temple features. The most distinctive characteristic of the churches were the domed roof. The churches are usually cross-shaped, with the combination of a basilica and a symmetrical central-plan.
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Neoclassical architecture |
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After the War of independence of 1821 and more especially during monarchy, Athens was embellished by buildings in a
Neoclassical Period. Some of the best examples of the neoclassical style are the National Library and the Athens University in Panepistimiou avenue, the majestic Parliament, and some hotels (Grande Bretagne) and museums.
The neoclassical Greece architecture can be described by the simplicity of the geometrical forms teamed with a great inspiration from the Hellenistic period (Doric and Roman order). |
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