The Parthenon in Athens is a monument in mainland Greece, a classical temple located atop the Acropolis. Built in the 5th century BC, it was dedicated to Athena Parthenos (Greek goddess) to emphasize the power of Athens. Among the classical Greek architectural orders (Doric, Ionic and Corinthian), the Parthenon uses the Doric order, being considered the largest Doric temple in Greece. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay On the facade of the classical temple there are 8 x 17 Doric columns. Compared to previous Doric temples, the Parthenon featured subtle optical refinements, consequently also solving the problem of corners. These consisted of slightly concave foundations/columns that appear straight. The Parthenon houses the statue of Athena which has 23 small Doric columns surrounding the statue and 6 standard Doric columns supporting the portico. Furthermore, the classical temples of mainland Greece, including the Parthenon, are designed to be looked at from the outside and perceived as "perfect"; reflecting on the fact that these temples are to be seen only from the outside and not to be inhabited. On the other hand a typical Asia Minor temple is built on different terrain so the temples incorporate the Ionic order. Compared to the Parthenon in Athens and the classical temples these are taller, thinner, fluted and have a flat surface while the Doris orders consist of a thick, baseless and much larger column. Despite this, the room containing the treasure of Athena in the Parthenon houses 4 Ionic columns which reinforce the roof [4] so some classical temples in mainland Greece incorporate both Doric and Ionic styles. The temple of Apollo at Didyma is a temple in Asia Minor, very different from the acropolis of Athens (Doric form). In ancient Greece this temple is known to be the fourth largest[5], as it held both political and deeply religious beliefs within it, prompting numerous rulers (e.g. Alexander the Great) to travel to the temple for guidance. In total Apollo had a total of 3 known temples (while the Parthenon has 2) although some were destroyed; for example, the second temple. Compared to the Parthenon in Athens, this temple is much larger in width, although the length of both temples is more or less the same. Indeed, the additional temple (Hevenishe Didyamion) in the temple of Apollo at Didyma was thought to be "twice as large as the Parthenon in Athens". Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Despite this, this third temple was built to resemble a classical Greek temple from the outside, similar to the Parthenon, thus reflecting the same beliefs in having a “perfect” exterior. However, unlike the Classical Greek temple, the interior of Didyma had the adyton (inner chamber) on the ground floor because it was built around a "sacred spring", whereas the adyton of the Classical Greek temple was located right above the platform of the temple. The inner chamber of Didyma was also left open for religious representations such as sacred trees.