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Altars should face the east, and should always be placed on a lower level than are the statues in the temples, so that those who are praying and sacrificing may look upwards towards the divinity.

"De architectura (Ten Books on Architecture)". Book by Marcus Vitruvius Pollio (Book IV, Chapter IX, Section 1), circa 15 BC.
Altars should face the east, and should always be placed on a lower level than are the statues in the temples, so that those who are praying and sacrificing may look upwards towards the divinity.