naos

Examples of naos in the following topics:

• Temple Architecture in the Greek Archaic Period

  • The main portion of the temple was the naos.
  • To the front of the naos was the pronaos, or front porch.
  • A wall separated the naos and opisthodomos completely.
  • The opisthodomos is accessed through the naos by two doors.
  • Despite the connection between the opisthodomos and the naos, the doorway between them is much smaller than the doorway between the naos and the pronaos.

• The Chora Church in Constantinople

  • Metochites's additions and reconstruction in the fourteenth century enlarged the ground plan from the original small, symmetrical church into a large, asymmetrical square that consists of three main areas: an inner and outer narthex or entrance hall, the naos or main chapel, and the side chapel, known as the parecclesion.
  • There are six domes in the church, three over the naos (one over the main space and two over smaller chapels), two in the inner narthex, and one in the side chapel.
  • The artists first decorated the church in the naos and then completed the work in the inner and outer narthices which results in differences in the mosaics' execution as the style progressed to show more liveliness and subtlety.
  • The surviving mosaics in the naos depict the Virgin and Child and the Dormition of the Virgin, a koimesis scene depicting the Virgin after death before she ascends to Heaven.
  • In another important scene above the entrance to the naos, Christ Enthroned is depicted receiving the donor of the church.

• Aegina

  • Both the pronaos and opisthodomos have two prostyle columns in antis and exterior access, although both lead into the temple's naos.
  • Despite the connection between the opisthodomos and the naos, the doorway between them is much smaller than the doorway between the naos and the pronaos.

• Architecture in the Greek High Classical Period

  • Secondly, the temple has a door on the naos, which provides access and light to the inner chamber.
  • Thirdly, it shares some attributes with the Parthenon, such as a colonnade in the naos. 
  • Interestingly, the temple has only one Corinthian column, located in the center of the naos.

• Temple Architecture in the Greek Orientalizing Period

  • In its simplest form as a naos or cella, the temple was a simple rectangular shrine with protruding side walls (antae), forming a small porch.
  • Early anta-planned temples consisted of a portico (pronaos) and an inner chamber (naos/cella) atop a simple platform.

• The Temple of Athena Nike

  • The temple is a small Ionic temple that consists of a single naos, where a cult statue stood fronted by four piers.

• The Parthenon

  • Inside the naos is a two-story row of columns around the interior and set in front of the columns is the cult statue of Athena.
  • The interior Ionic processional frieze wraps around the exterior walls of the naos.

• Delphi and Greek Treasuries

  • Inside the Temple of Apollo was the seat of the Pythia, in a small restricted room in the back of the naos, known as an adyton, which translates to English as "not to be entered."
  • These buildings were single-room naosoi (plural of naos) fronted by two columns in antis and decorated in either the Doric or Ionic style.

• The Acropolis

  • Inside the naos is a two-story row of columns around the interior and set in front of the columns is the cult statue of Athena.
  • The interior Ionic processional frieze wraps around the exterior walls of the naos.
  • The temple is a small Ionic temple that consists of a single naos, where a cult statue stood fronted by four piers.

• The Agora

  • The temple also had an interior u-shape colonnade that encircled the cult statue in the naos, which is also seen in the Parthenon.