propylon
Propylon, in architectural and archaeological usage, is a monumental gateway or entry structure at the entrance to a sacred precinct, temple complex, or urban ensemble. The term is derived from the Greek propylaion, literally describing a gateway situated before a principal enclosure. In classical texts and in modern scholarship, a propylon designates the gateway component that marks the ceremonial approach to a sanctuary, rather than the interior sanctum itself.
Design and features: A propylon may be a freestanding gate with one or more arches, sometimes integrated
Examples: The most famous is the Propylaea, the monumental gateway to the Acropolis of Athens, built in