PRYTANEION ( MUNICIPAL HALL)    The Municipal Hall, built together with the Altar of Hestia alongside it, was at the same time used as the sacred precinct of the City.    There was a sacred flame kept constantly alight over the Altar of Hestia, and there were statues of Artemis of Ephesus here which were marble copies of the wooden statues located in the Temple of Artemis. The Prytaneion was primarily a place where religious ceremonies and rituals were held.    Although the building was first constructed in the 3rd century B.C during the reign of Lysimachos, the remains we see today are those of the sections which were reconstructed during the reign of Augustus. The four-cornered pit in which the sacred fire burned is a relic from the reign of Lysimachos.    The building is constructed in the Doric style and is surrounded by a large number of late-period structures which were used for municipal services. A great number of structural elements were removed from this building during the construction of the Scholastikia Baths.       <<<BACK     NEXT>>>