Relief orthostats from a citadel gate

myminifactory

In classical Greek architecture, massive stone blocks known as orthostates stand tall above the lower part of a wall. Their height far exceeds their width, and they are usually built into the base of a structure. The name "orthostate" comes from the fact that these stones seem to be standing upright rather than lying on their sides. Typically, in Greek architecture, pairs of orthostates form the thickness of a wall, with one serving as the inner face and the other as the outer face. Above each course of orthostates, it's common to lay a course of stones that spans the width of the wall and joins its two faces - a binder course that holds everything together. The term "orthostat" has been broadened to describe the architecture of many cultures beyond ancient Greece. In Hittite and Assyrian sculpture, orthostats are often intricately carved with intricate designs. This term can also be used more generally to refer to other upright-standing stones, including massive megalithic menhirs that dot the landscape.