What does naos mean?
A naos is an ancient Greek temple, or more specifically the inner sanctuary within one, where the temple's cult statue was displayed. The word is encountered in discussions of Greek religion, archaeology, architecture, art history, and the remains of classical buildings. Unlike the modern English word temple, which can refer broadly to many kinds of religious building, naos is closely associated with the religious and architectural traditions of ancient Greece. Descriptions may use it for an entire Greek temple or for its sacred inner chamber, depending on context. A related architectural term is cella, which can denote the enclosed central chamber of a Roman temple as well as the corresponding space in a Greek temple. For modern audiences, naos is chiefly useful as a precise historical term that helps distinguish the internal organization of a classical temple from the building as a whole.
nounAn ancient Greek temple, especially the inner sanctuary or chamber that housed the cult statue. The term may also refer more generally to a classical temple or sacred building.
- An ancient Greek temple, especially its inner sanctuary or chamber containing the cult statue.
- More generally, a temple or sacred shrine in descriptions of ancient Greek and Roman religion.
"A marble cult statue stood in the naos, the innermost chamber of the temple."
"Excavators uncovered fragments of the naos beneath the temple courtyard."
"The guide explained how the naos was separated from the surrounding colonnade."
The regular plural follows the Ancient Greek pattern and is pronounced to rhyme with “eye.”
"Several naoi have been identified at the archaeological site."
The Greek naos was more than a temple: its innermost chamber housed the deity's cult statue and formed the sacred heart of the building.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does naos come from?
The English word comes from Ancient Greek ναός (naós), meaning a temple or the inner chamber of a temple. Greek writers used the term both for a sacred building and, in narrower contexts, for the sanctuary housing the deity's image, and English later adopted it with reference to ancient Greek religious architecture.
How naos is actually used
This is a specialist historical and architectural term rather than a modern everyday word. In precise archaeological usage, it usually denotes the sanctuary or temple structure and may refer especially to the innermost cult chamber.
Easily confused with naos
A naos belongs to the religious architecture of the ancient Greek world, whereas a nave is the central interior of a Christian church or cathedral.