A magnified of the above photo view reveals that each of these golden ratio proportions is very close to perfect, but perhaps not as exact as one might hope, particularly given the preciseness of the design and construction of the Parthenon. Click on the thumbnail image below to see this in more detail. Are the small variations from perfect golden ratio proportions just a result of angular distortions in the photo or evidence that the golden ratio wasn’t actually used? A more precise means of measure is required.
The photo below illustrates the golden ratio proportions that appear in the height of the roof support beam and in the decorative rectangular sections that run horizontally across it. The gold colored grids below are golden rectangles, with a width to height ratio of exactly 1.618 to 1.