naos

naos (nā'os) [key], inner portion of a Greek temple, enclosed within walls and generally surrounded by colonnaded porticoes. In it stood the statue of the deity to whom the temple was consecrated. The naos was provided with a columned porch, typically only in front (pronaos) but often also at the back (opisthodomos). It was the prototype for the cella of the Roman temple.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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