Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Pendentive
Triangular sections of vaulting with
concave sides, positioned at a corner of a rectangular
space to support a circular or polygonal dome; in
churches, often adorned with frescoes of the four
Evangelists.
Períptero
Street kiosk.
Peristereónes
Pigeon towers, in the Cyclades.
Peristyle
Gallery of columns around a temple or other
building.
Pinakothíki
Picture gallery, ancient or modern.
Pithos
(plural
pithoi
) Large ceramic jar for storing oil,
grain, etc. Very common in Minoan palaces and used in
almost identical form in modern Greek homes.
Platía
Square, plaza.
Polygonal masonry
Wall-building technique of
Classical and Hellenistic periods, using unmortared,
closely joined stones; often called “Lesvian polygonal”
after the island where the method supposedly
originated. The much-(ab)used term
Cyclopean
refers
only to Bronze Age mainland sites such as Tiryns and
Mycenae.
Propylaion
Monumental columned gateway of an
ancient building; often used in the plural,
propylaia
.
Pýrgos
Tower or bastion; also tower-mansions found in
the Máni or on Lésvos.
Skála
The port of an inland island settlement, nowadays
often larger and more important than its namesake,
but always younger since built after the disappearance
of piracy.
Squinch
Small concavity across a corner of a column-less
interior space, which supports a superstructure such
as a dome.
Stele
Upright stone slab or column, usually inscribed
with an edict; also an ancient tombstone, with a relief
scene.
Stoa
Colonnaded walkway in Classical-to-Roman-era
marketplaces.
Távli
Backgammon; a favourite café pastime, especially
among the young. There are two more di
cult local
variations (
févga
and
plakotó
) in addition to the standard
international game (
pórtes
).
Témblon
Wooden altar screen of an Orthodox church,
usually ornately carved and painted and studded with
icons; more or less interchangeable with
ikonostási
.
Temenos
Sacred precinct of ancient temple, often used
to refer to the sanctuary itself.
Theatral
area
Open area found in most of the Minoan
palaces with seat-like steps around. Probably a type of
theatre or ritual area.
Tholos
Conical or beehive-shaped building, eg a
Mycenaean tomb.
Triglyph
see
Frieze
.
Tympanum
The recessed space, flat or carved in relief,
inside a pediment.
Kástro
Any fortified hill, but most often the oldest,
highest, walled-in part of an island hóra, intended to
protect civilians.
Katholikón
Central church of a monastery.
Káto
Lower; common prefix of village names.
Kendrikí platía
Central square.
Kouros
Nude Archaic statue of an idealized young
man, usually portrayed with one foot slightly in front
of the other.
Megaron
Principal hall or throne room of a Mycenaean
palace.
Meltémi
North wind that blows across the Aegean in
summer, starting softly from near the mainland and
hitting the Cyclades, the Dodecanese and Crete full on.
Metope
see
Frieze
.
Minoan
Crete's great Bronze Age civilization, which
dominated the Aegean from about 2500 to 1400 BC.
Moní
Formal term for a monastery or convent.
Moreas
Medieval term for the Peloponnese; the
peninsula's outline was likened to the leaf of a mulberry
tree,
mouriá
in Greek.
Mycenaean
Mainland civilization centred on Mycenae
and the Argolid from about 1700 to 1100 BC.
Naos
The inner sanctum of an ancient temple; also, the
central area of an Orthodox Christian church.
Narthex
Western vestibule of a church, reserved for
catechumens and the unbaptized; typically frescoed
with scenes of the Last Judgement.
Neolithic
Earliest era of settlement in Greece;
characterized by use of stone tools and weapons
together with basic agriculture. Divided arbitrarily
into Early (c.6000 BC), Middle (c.5000 BC) and Late
(c.3000 BC).
Néos,
Néa,
Néo
“New” - a common prefix to a town or
village name.
Nomós
Modern Greek province - there are more
than fifty of them. Village bus services are organized
according to their borders.
Odeion
Small theatre, used for musical performances,
minor dramatic productions or councils.
Orchestra
Circular area in a theatre where the chorus
would sing and dance.
Palaestra
Gymnasium for athletics and wrestling practice.
Paleós,
Paleá,
Paleó
“Old” - again a common prefix in
town and village names.
Panayía
Virgin Mary.
Pandokrátor
Literally “The Almighty”; generally refers
to the stern portrayal of Christ in Majesty frescoed or in
mosaic in the dome of many Byzantine churches.
Paniyíri
Festival or feast - the local celebration of a
holy day.
Paralía
Beach, or seafront promenade.
Pediment
Triangular, sculpted gable below the roof of
a temple.
