Stoa (ˈstoʊə; plural, stoas, stoai, or stoae ˈstoʊ.iː) in Ancient Greek architecture

Architecture of Ancient Greece

The architecture of Ancient Greece is the architecture produced by the Greek-speaking people whose culture flourished on the Greek mainland and Peloponnesus, the Aegean Islands, and in colonies in Asia Minor and Italy for a period from about 900 BC until the 1st century AD, with the earliest...

; covered walkways or portico

Portico

A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...

s, commonly for public usage. Early stoae were open at the entrance with columns, usually of the Doric order

Doric order

The Doric order was one of the three orders or organizational systems of ancient Greek or classical architecture; the other two canonical orders were the Ionic and the Corinthian.-History:...

, lining the side of the building; they created a safe, enveloping, protective atmosphere.

Later examples were built as two stories, with a roof supporting the inner colonnade

Colonnade

In classical architecture, a colonnade denotes a long sequence of columns joined by their entablature, often free-standing, or part of a building....

s where shops or sometimes offices were located. They followed Ionic

Ionic order

The Ionic order forms one of the three orders or organizational systems of classical architecture, the other two canonic orders being the Doric and the Corinthian...

 architecture. These buildings were open to the public; merchants could sell their goods, artists could display their artwork, and religious gatherings could take place. Stoae usually surrounded the marketplace

Marketplace

A marketplace is the space, actual, virtual or metaphorical, in which a market operates. The term is also used in a trademark law context to denote the actual consumer environment, ie. the 'real world' in which products and services are provided and consumed.-Marketplaces and street markets:A...

s of large cities.

The name of the Stoic

Stoicism

Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early . The Stoics taught that destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment, and that a sage, or person of "moral and intellectual perfection," would not suffer such emotions.Stoics were concerned...

 school of philosophy derives from "stoa".

Famous stoae

For a complete list, see List of stoae.

• Stoa Poikile
  Stoa Poikile
  The Stoa Poikile or Painted Porch, originally called the Porch of Peisianax , was erected during the 5th century BC and was located on the north side of the Ancient Agora of Athens. The Stoa was the location from which Zeno of Citium taught Stoicism...
  
  , "Painted Porch", from which the philosophy Stoicism
  Stoicism
  Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early . The Stoics taught that destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment, and that a sage, or person of "moral and intellectual perfection," would not suffer such emotions.Stoics were concerned...
  
   takes its name
• Stoa of Attalos
  Stoa of Attalos
  The Stoa of Attalos is recognised as one of the most impressive stoæ in the Athenian Agora. It was built by and named after King Attalos II of Pergamon who ruled between 159 BC and 138 BC.-Description:...
  
  
• Stoa Basileios
  Stoa Basileios
  Basileios Stoa , also Basilike Stoa , both meaning Royal Stoa, was a stoa constructed in Ancient Athens in the 5th century BC. It was located in the northwest corner of the Athenian Agora.The Royal Stoa was the headquarters of the King Archon and of the Areios Pagos council Basileios Stoa , also...
  
   (Royal Stoa)
• Stoa of Zeus
  Stoa of Zeus
  The Stoa of Zeus at Athens, was a two-aisled stoa located in the northwest corner of the Ancient Agora of Athens. It was built circa 425 BC–410 BC for religious purposes in dedication to Zeus by the Eleutherios : a cult founded after the Persian War...
  
   at Athens
  Athens
  Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
  
  
• Stoa Amphiaraion
  Stoa Amphiaraion
  Stoa Amphiaraion is located on the east side of the Sanctuary of Amphiaraios, southeast of the Theater. It was built circa 360 BC. The two-aisled stoa opens towards the southeast with an outer Doric colonnade of forty-one columns and an inner Ionic colonnade of seventeen columns...
  
  
• Stoa of the Athenians
  Stoa of the Athenians
  The Stoa of the Athenians, in the Sanctuary of Apollo in Athens, is located south of the Apollo Temple threshold. The southern polygonal wall of the platform forms the north wall of the stoa. It was constructed circa 478 BC-470 BC during the early Classical period. The one-aisled stoa with Ionic...