Final answer:
The Great Temple refers to various grand religious structures in ancient civilizations, each with distinct features like the Temple of Artemis, the Temple of Zeus at Olympia, and the Acropolis. Important features included grand columns, the tallest obelisk in Egypt, and the combination of Doric and Ionic architectural styles. These structures served as significant religious, political, and social hubs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Great Temple refers to various important religious structures in ancient times, each with its own unique features and shrines. A well-known example is the Temple of Artemis, which covered over three acres and included a long courtyard surrounded by a colonnade. The ritual area housed statues and obelisks, such as the tallest obelisk in Egypt at Karnak, which stood alongside the remarkable Temple of Hatshepsut. The size and design of such temples were meant to impress visitors, with grand columns almost 70 feet in height and more than six feet in diameter.
Another significant structure was the Festival Temple of Thutmose III, with columns designed to resemble tent poles, reflecting the military campaigns of the pharaoh. Greek temples, like the Acropolis, featured Doric and Ionic architectural styles. Noteworthy examples include the Parthenon, the Erechtheion with its caryatids, and the Temple of Athena Nike. The Temple of Zeus at Olympia represented the colossal scale of Greek religious architecture with similar grandeur.
Temples such as the one on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Jupiter Optimus Maximus, and those in city-states like Delphi with its sanctuary of Apollo, exemplified the integration of civic and spiritual life. All these temples played crucial roles in the religious, political, and social spheres of their respective civilizations.