Meander pavement in the streets of Rhodes

In art and architecture, a meander is a decorative border constructed from a continuous line, shaped into a repeated motif. Such a design is also called the Greek fret or Greek key design. The name "meander" recalls the twisting and turning path of the Maeander River. This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... The Parthenon on top of the Acropolis, Athens, Greece Architecture (from Latin, architectura and ultimately from Greek, αρχιτεκτων, a master builder, from αρχι- chief, leader and τεκτων, builder, carpenter) is the art and science of designing buildings and structures. ... The Büyük Menderes River (historically the Maeander also spelled Meander); Turkish: Büyük Menderes Nehri, Greek: Μαίανδρος) is a river in southwestern Turkey. ...

Meanders are common decorative elements in Greek art and Roman art. The design is common in present-day architecture as a neoclassical element. Greece has a rich and varied artistic history, spanning some 4000 years and beginning in the Minoan prehistorical civilization, giving birth to Western classical art in the ancient period (and developing this during the Hellenistic Period), to taking in the influences of the East and the new religion of Christianity... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Neoclassicism (sometimes rendered as Neo-Classicism or Neo-classicism) is the name given to quite distinct movements in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture. ...

The word meander is of Greek origin and has also a special meaning in Greece: most ancient Greek temples incorporate the sign of the meander. Even the shield of Philip, the second king of Macedonia, was decorated with multiple symbols of the meander (The shield can be found in the Macedonian museum of Vergina in Greece). It is sometimes used as a symbol by Greek nationalist groups such as Hrisi Avgi, although its non-nationalist use is also common. Vergina´s ( Βεργίνα ) location in Macedonia, in Greece Vergina (in Greek Βεργίνα; also spelled Verghína and Veryína) is a small town in northern Greece, located at coordinates , in the prefecture of Imathia in the region of Central Macedonia. ... Hrisi Avgis logo, featuring a meander pattern. ...

Examples of meander shapes

External links

• Illustrated Architecture Dictionary: Fret (a short description, with a list of links to photographs of meander designs in art and architecture)