The inner room of the temple is called the cella and measures 19.19 by
29.89 metres. The cella was the shrine, and the heart, of the temple and
housed the immense statue of Athena. It was divided in three aisles by
two rows of each nine columns. On top of these first level columns stood
another level of lighter columns which supported the painted wooden roof.
Behind the sanctuary wall was another room of 13.37 by 19.19 metres
which was called the opisthodomos where the most valuable gifts for the
gods were stored. This room was also known as the parthenon, room of
virgins, as the Athenian virgins of the Athenian aristocracy gathered
in this room to create the peplos which would be given to Athena during
the Panathenaea.
Only the western portion of the cella wall has survived with two small
segments of the north and south walls. The great west doorway is in
the center.
In spite of the heavy damage to the cella wall, it is still possible to
imagine what the original marble looked like, with the carefully cut and
polished blocks. The entire temple was polished to catch the light. Notice
the large lintel block over the doorway. The statue of Athena stood on the
platform on the bottom right.
The great statue of Athena was a masterpiece of Phidias. The torso was
made out of wood, but all uncovered parts of the body like the neck, the
arms and the face were of ivory. The crown with the winged horses and the
Greek robe, or peplos, were covered with leaf-gold. In one hand Athena
held in one hand a shield, while she carried in the other a winged Nike.
The 12 metres tall statue was lit by the sun rising in the east and stood
on a socle which was decorated with reliefs.
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