The Architecture of the Parthenon:
A close-up of the columns in the Parthenon
The Parthenon was constructed between 447 and 432 B.C. This lovely structure was designed by the Greek architects Ictinus and Callicrates.The Parthenon is a Doric peripteral temple, which means that it consists of a rectangular floor plan with a series of low steps on every side, and a lot of Doric columns extending around the periphery of the entire temple. Each entrance has an additional six columns in front of it. The larger room, the naos, housed the cult statue. The smaller room, the opisthodomos, was used as a treasury. The ninety-two metopes were carved in high relief, a practice employed until then only in treasuries (buildings used to keep votive gifts to the gods). According to the building records, the metope sculptures date to the years 446–440 BC. Their design is attributed to the sculptor Kalamis. The most characteristic feature in the architecture and decoration of the temple is the Ionic frieze running around the exterior walls of the cella. The bas-relief frieze is dated in 442 BC-438 BC.