Hieron (architecture)

A hieron ( ancient Greek τὸ ἱερόν , sanctuary ' ; plur. Hiera) was a Greek place of worship, originally considered sacred due to certain features that indicated the effect or the appearance of a deity.

Usually these are initially remote places, groves , grottos, etc. The sacred area of Temenos and an altar , surrounded by boundary stones or a wall, peribolos , were the first components of a Hieron. Sacred springs, stones ( Omphalos in Delphi ), sacred trees followed as features. As a result, such places developed: temples and cult buildings emerged. Processional streets that connected temples for various deities, altars, treasure houses , shrines for votive gifts, etc., led through the sacred area. Theater was often a part of itto Greek sanctuaries. Columned halls and accommodation options for the numerous visitors were built.

There was urban and suburban hiera. The latter were often associated with oracles like in Delphi or were considered supra-regional, panhellenic like Olympia . Periodically recurring competitions and festivals attracted numerous visitors. There were also important sanctuaries in Epidauros and Kos , which were frequented because of the Asclepios cult and in search of recovery. Many sanctuaries were linked to mystical or orgiastic cults, such as the Demeter sanctuary in Eleusis near Athens or the sanctuary of the Magna Mater near the Idean grotto on Crete .

literature

• Gottfried Gruben : The temples of the Greeks. 3. Edition. Hirmer, Munich 1980, pp. 27-29 and passim.