Acropolis archaeological sights
The Parthenon in Acropolis
The temple of Caryatids Athens

The Acropolis of Athens

The Acropolis Hill is the most important sight of the city. During Perikles’ Golden Age, ancient Greek civilization was represented in an ideal way on the hill and some of the architectural masterpieces of the period were erected on this ground: the Parthenon, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Nike. Apart from the Acropolis Museum here you will find the Propylea, that is the monumental entrance to the sacred area was also constructed at the same period.

The Parthenon

The Parthenon is the most important characteristic monument of the ancient Greek civilization and still remains its international symbol.

  • It was dedicated to Athena Parthenos, the patron goddess of Athens.
  • It was built between 447 and 438 BC by Pheidias, the famous Athenian sculptor, while Iktinos and Kalikartes were the architects of the building.
  • The temple is built in the Doric order and almost exclusively on Pentelic Marble.
  • The central part of the temple called the cella, sheltered the famous chryselephantine cults statue of Athena, made by Pheidias.

During the Turkish occupation one Venetian bomb fell on the Parthenon and caused a tremendous explosion that destroyed a great part of the monument which had been preserved in a good condition until then. The disaster was completed in the beginning of the 19th century, when the British Ambassador in Constantinople, Lord Elgin, stole the greatest part of the sculptural decoration of the monument (frieze, metopes, pediments) transferred them to England and sold them to the British Museum, where they are still exhibited, being one of the most significant collections of the museum.

The Erechtheion

The Erechtheion was built in 420 BC in the Ionic order. It has a prostasis on the east side, a monumental propylon on the north, and the famous porch of the Caryatids on the side.

The Temple of the Athena Nike

The Temple of the Athena Nike was constructed in 420 BC by the architect Kallikrates. A marble parapet decorated with the relief representation of Nike (Victories), protected by the edge of the Bastion on which the temple was erected. The site is open daily 8am - 7.30pm