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The elegant colonnade has 6 Doric columns on the ends & 13 on the sides. [The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of Ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic & the Corinthian. In their original Greek version, Doric columns didn’t have a base, & had fluted vertical shafts topped with smooth capitals that flared from the column to meet a square abacus at the intersection with the horizontal beam.] This temple is a typical example of the architectural refinement in temple building known as “optical correction” - the columns are tapered (narrower at the top) so as to appear taller, they have a slight convex curve about 2/3 of the way up to create the illusion that they are hollow, & they are slightly inclined towards the central axis of the temple façade which allows an observer to see a perfectly straight image when standing at a certain distance from the temple.
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Western Europe
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