 Though today we call most Greek religious buildings "temples," the ancient Greeks would have referred to a "temenos", or sacred precinct.Its sacredness, often connected with a holy grove, was more important than the building itself, as it contained the open air altar on which the sacrifices were made.The building which housed the cult statue in its "naos" was originally a rather simple structure, but by the middle of the 6th century BCE had become increasingly elaborate.