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A new 3D reconstruction of the Parthenon shows that the ancient Athenian temple’s interior was much darker than previously thought, designed to inspire awe and reverence.
Juan de Lara, an archaeologist at the University of Oxford, spent four years using advanced 3D modeling and light simulations to recreate how sunlight and torchlight interacted with the temple’s interior between 447 and 438 B.C.E. His findings, published in the Annual of the British School at Athens (de Lara, 2025), reveal that the chamber housing the massive 40-foot gilded statue of Athena was “quite dark and dim,” with carefully controlled light enhancing the statue’s golden robes.
An imagining of how the Parthenon may have been illuminated at night. Photo courtesy of Juan de Lara
De Lara explains the temple was intended to create a dramatic effect: visitors’ eyes would adjust from bright sunlight to the shadowy interior, where beams of light would highlight the goddess statue, creating a “magical” atmosphere. The model also suggests that during the summer Panathenaea festival, the statue was illuminated by the rising sun, acting as a radiant symbol.
While the Parthenon remains the most famous temple on the Athenian Acropolis, other temples such as the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion also contributed to a varied and consciously staged religious experience in ancient Greece.
De Lara emphasizes that this research offers visitors today a deeper understanding of the site’s original sensory impact, enriching the historical encounter with the monument.
Read de Lara's academic article, Illuminating the Parthenon, here.
