Greek Ακρόπολη Αθηνών
eng. The Acropolis of Athens

general information

Among all the attractions of Greece, the Acropolis occupies a special place. The Acropolis of Athens stands out from all the architectural monuments of the ancient Greeks.

Each Greek polis had its own Acropolis, but none of them can be compared with the splendor and monumentality of the Athenian one. The architectural ensemble was erected on a gentle hilltop in honor of the patroness ancient city goddess of war, wisdom and justice - Athena. The Acropolis in Athens was a significant site for the ancient Greeks for a long time. The history of the ancient sanctuary is closely intertwined with the well-known Greek mythology.

The Acropolis was built during the heyday of Athens under Pericles in the fifth century BC. This monument of ancient Greek architecture reflected the power, wealth and majesty of Athens at that time.

The Acropolis of Athens blends harmoniously into the surrounding area. It combines the features of ancient Greek classical architecture with architectural elements that were innovative for that time.

Erechtheion Temple

In the VII-VI centuries. BC. Large-scale work began on the construction of the first temples. During the reign of Pisistratus, the Hekatompedon temple was erected, dedicated to the goddess Athena. At this time, two large temples were built - the “Old Temple” and “Hekatompedos”, as well as the Sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia, for which many donations were made in the form of bronze and terracotta figurines with inscriptions praising the ancient goddess.

Parthenon Temple

In 490 BC. The ancient Greeks began building the monumental and majestic temple of the Pre-Parthenon. However, the construction was never completed. During the war with the Persians in 480 BC. the temples of the Acropolis were destroyed. Residents of the ancient city buried the surviving objects that decorated the temples in the cavities of the rock. And the Acropolis itself acquired two new defensive walls. The ruins of the temples on the northern part of the Acropolis hill can still be seen in one of the walls in which they were included.

Temple of Roma and Augustus

During the heyday of the cultural life of ancient Athens in the middle of the 5th century. BC. under the leadership of the outstanding Greek statesman Pericles, the grandiose construction of the Parthenon began. Not only Greeks, but also foreigners were involved in the work. At this time, the most famous buildings of the Acropolis were created - the Parthenon itself, the Propylaea, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Nike Apteros. Outstanding architects and builders of ancient Greece worked on the construction of these truly amazing buildings - Callicrates, Ictinus, Mnesicles, Archilochus and many others. The decoration of the temples was created by the hands of famous artists and sculptors of that era.

The temples of the Acropolis, located on the northern side of the hill, were erected in honor of various Olympian gods. And on the southern part of the Acropolis, temples were built that praised the numerous qualities of the patron goddess of the city: like Polyas (patron of the city), Parthenos, Pallas, Promash (goddess of war), Ergan (goddess of manual labor) and Nike (Victory).

In 27 BC. The architectural ensemble of the Acropolis complemented the small Temple of Augustus and Roma. In the 3rd century. BC. A defensive wall with two gates was erected around the Acropolis, which remain intact today.

View of the Acropolis

After the establishment of Christianity, particularly in the sixth century AD, the temples of the Acropolis were converted into Christian churches.

Despite the barbaric attitude of people and the mercilessness of time, the temples of the Acropolis have not lost their grandeur and proudly tower over Athens today.

Ticket prices and excursion services

The Acropolis of Athens is open from Monday to Sunday from 08:00 to 20:00. Due to extreme heat (over 39°), museum opening hours may change.

The last visitors can enter the museum 30 minutes before closing.

The museum is closed on holidays:
January 1, March 25, May 1, Easter Sunday, December 25 and 26.

Entrance to the museum is paid.

The ticket price is - 20€
For parents and teachers accompanying children primary school, the museum provides benefits - 10€

The ticket price includes a visit to the excavations of the Acropolis, as well as its two slopes: the Southern slope of the Acropolis and the Northern slope of the Acropolis

The museum does not offer guided tours in Russian, but when purchasing a ticket you can ask for a brochure in Russian. To get acquainted with the objects of the Acropolis, we recommend setting aside 1.5 hours of time, and it is best to come before the opening, so you will have the opportunity to take pictures against the backdrop of the attractions, and not a large crowd of people. Be sure to stock up on drinking water, but if you didn’t bring water with you, there are drinking fountains on the museum grounds. There are many cafes near the entrance to the Acropolis, but the prices there are significantly high - lemonade from 4.5 €

There is also a single ticket ( special ticket package), valid for 5 days for visiting 11 museums: Acropolis of Athens, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Aristotle's Lyceum, Hadrian's Library, Archaeological Museum of Ceramics, Athens Agora, Ceramics, Archaeological Museum of Athens Agora, North Slope of the Acropolis, Roman Agora, South Slope of the Acropolis.

The cost of a single ticket is 30€ , or 15€ (if you are a parent or teacher accompanying a student)

This is the elevated part or the so-called upper city. Fortifications were built here, where citizens could hide in case of attacks, and, of course, the most important temples were built here. All ancient greek cities had acropolises, but the most famous is the Acropolis of Athens, rising 150 meters above the main city.

The Acropolis towers over all of Athens, its silhouette shaping the skyline of the city. Rising above the hill in ancient times could be seen from any part of Attica and even from the islands of Salamis and Aegina; The sailors approaching the shore could already see from afar the shine of the spear and helmet of Athena the Warrior.

The Acropolis is one of those places that are said to be magnificent and delightful. It is considered to be a miracle that has survived to this day, even despite the fact that all the buildings are extremely laconic in their form, and the entire Acropolis can be walked in an hour.

The walls of the Acropolis are steep and precipitous. Previously, there was a huge amount of valuables and various sculptures inside. Nowadays only four great structures can be found inside the Acropolis.

History of the Acropolis

Construction of the Acropolis began in the 2nd century BC. But during the Greco-Persian wars it was completely destroyed. It stood in a terrible state for almost a century.

By the middle of the 5th century BC, Athens became the most prosperous city in Hellas, an economic and cultural center. It reached a special peak during the reign of Pericles. On his initiative, the city began to be decorated with all kinds of buildings. In 449, the grandiose reconstruction of the Acropolis was completed.

The Athenian Acropolis was built, as they say, on a grand scale. It is impossible to capture it at one glance. Of course, today only a small part has survived from that ancient building, but even now he is worthy of admiration. First, it’s worth getting acquainted with the Acropolis that existed under the ancient Greeks.

There was only one entrance to the Acropolis, along a narrow road located on the western side. This entrance is through the Propylaea Gate, built by the architect Mnesicles in 437 - 432 BC. The gate was decorated with a wide staircase and two porticoes, one of which faces the hill and the other faces the city. Once upon a time, the ceilings of the Propylaea were painted with golden stars against a blue sky.

The Propylaea is surrounded by the walls of the Temple of the Wingless Nike. Not large building with 4 columns. This temple was designed back in 450 BC, but construction could only begin in 427. It was built over 6 years. In ancient times, inside the temple there was a wooden statue of the goddess of victory. Traditionally, Nike was depicted as a girl with a pair of wings, but the ancient Greeks depicted her without wings so that victory would not “fly away” from them.

Entering through the gate, one could immediately see the statue of Athena, erected in 456 - 445 by the sculptor Phidias. Athena was depicted with a shield in her left hand and a spear in her right, and she had a military helmet on her head. The height of the statue was 7 meters, and the spear was even more - 9 meters.

To the left of the statue of Athena was a temple. It was dedicated to Athena, Poseidon and King Erechtheus. It was in this temple that the most valuable things were kept, in particular, a wooden statue of a warrior goddess, which, according to legend, fell from the sky; the sacred peplos, which was woven by the priestesses, the altars of Ifestus and Erechtheus.. The most important rituals were performed in this temple.

The Erichtheion Temple was small in size (23 by 11 meters), but it united several sanctuaries at once. The height of the temple was uneven: the western part of the building was 3 meters lower than the eastern side. This is because the temple was built on an uneven surface.

The internal space was divided into two parts. On the western side was the sanctuary of the Erechtheion, and on the eastern side was the sanctuary of Pallas Athena. The sculptural decoration of the temple was very rich. Along the entire perimeter there were friezes, the theme of which was myths.

In front of the western facade of the temple there was a sacred olive tree, but it was cut down and the temple itself was destroyed.

In the center of the Acropolis was the Parthenon, also dedicated to the goddess Athena. It was built over a period of 9 years (447 - 438 BC). Its architects were Ictinus and Callicrates. The Parthenon was a rectangular building measuring 70 by 31 meters, surrounded on all sides by columns - 17 on the longitudinal sides and 8 columns on the end parts of the temple.

The Parthenon is richly decorated with various sculptural elements created by prominent masters of the ancient world (Phidias, Alkamenes, Agoracritus, Callimachus). The popular idea that Greek temples always had colors is actually wrong. In ancient times, the Parthenon was very colorful, and according to modern tastes, it was even almost clumsily painted. Of course, over time the paint fades, so the temples that have survived to this day are exclusively white.

The interior of the Parthenon was divided into two parts. The first part is the cella, where the 12-meter statue of Athena, created by Phidias, was located. Athena was wearing a luxurious helmet and festive elegant clothes. Phidias made the goddess's face and hands from ivory, and her clothes were covered with gold plates.

The second room was intended for girls-priestesses who worked on making sacred vestments goddesses.

Modern Acropolis

The modern Acropolis bears little resemblance to the one that existed many centuries ago. Modern tourists can get to the site where the Propylaea is located through the Bayle Gate, built in the Roman-Byzantine era. They received their name in honor of the archaeologist Beile, who in 1853 discovered them under the remains of a Turkish fortification. Directly in front of the entrance are the ruins of the Temple of the Wingless Nike, which was destroyed by the Turks when they captured the city. IN mid-19th centuries, when Turkish rule was displaced, they tried to restore the temple, but it was no longer possible to make it the same as before.

A lot of things in the Acropolis were irretrievably destroyed. For example, the statue of Athena the warrior was taken to Constantinople, where it was destroyed in the 13th century.

The Erechtheion Temple suffered repeatedly from robbers, especially during the Greek struggle for independence in 1821-1827. Only in 1906 did they begin to reconstruct the temple, restoring it on the preserved foundation.

The Parthenon in the 13th century was converted into christian temple. During Turkish wars The Parthenon was shelled. The main room and colonnade were completely destroyed. Nowadays it has been partially restored, but its former grandeur has already been lost.

Of course, the modern Acropolis is not so majestic, but even today it is one of the most beautiful structures on our planet. Much has been destroyed, or even completely destroyed. But something has been preserved and still attracts tourists to Athens.

The Athenian Acropolis, crowned with the ruins of the Parthenon, is one of the archetypal images of world culture. Even the first glance at these ancient ruins over roads filled with cars gives an unusual experience: something unusual and at the same time extremely familiar, almost familiar. The Parthenon is a symbol of the power of the Athenian polis, and as such it was known to everyone Ancient world. But it is unlikely that the creators of the temple foresaw that its ruins would symbolize the emergence and formation of world civilization - not to mention the fact that two and a half thousand years later the Parthenon would attract a huge number of tourists (about two million annually).

The Acropolis of Athens is a rock. Almost no ancient Greek city could do without its acropolis (the word itself means upper city), but the Athenian “upper city” is the Acropolis with a capital A, and in mentioning it there is no need to go into further explanation. The Acropolis is a block of limestone with steeply plunging slopes and a flat top rising a hundred meters high. The Acropolis was easy to defend, drinking water there has never been a shortage, so the allure of owning the rock is obvious. Even today it remains the heart of the city. On the flat top of the Acropolis, not only the Parthenon was erected, but also the Erechtheion, the temple of Nike Apteros and the Propylaea, the remains of many less significant ancient structures were preserved, and there is the current museum.

All this is surrounded by a fence and forms a single museum complex. The southern slope of the Acropolis, with two large theaters and several smaller temples, is accessed through a different gate and with separate tickets. Now the streets surrounding the Acropolis of Athens are pedestrianized, and you can walk around the hill and the ancient Agora, admiring these monuments. To the west, Thisio has many cafes where you can relax with a cup of coffee on the terrace. At the opposite end is , in the labyrinth of streets of which you can get lost, but the Acropolis can always serve as a guide for you.

You can only get to the top of the Acropolis from the west, from the side where there is a large bus depot at the foot of the hill. The usual pedestrian road to the entrance starts in the northwestern area of ​​Plaka and follows a path that runs above Odos Dioskouros where this street joins Theorios. You can approach the Acropolis from the south, along the pedestrian street Dionisiou-Areopaitou (Acropolis metro), past the Theater of Dionysus and the Theater of Herodes Atticus, or from the north: through the ancient Agora (entrance from Adriano; Monastiraki metro), or a more authentic route, but this pays off with magnificent views of both the Acropolis and the Acropolis - from Thisio, along the traffic-free Apostolou Pavlou Street (Thisio metro).

There are no shops or restaurants on the Acropolis, although there are a couple of counters at the main ticket office selling water and sandwiches, as well as guidebooks, postcards and so on. Opposite the Akropoli metro station (on the corner of Makriyanni and Diakou) there is a cafe of the Everest chain, and there are plenty of other similar establishments nearby. And if you don’t want to have a quick snack, but rather eat properly, then, going in any direction, you will very soon find a cafe or tavern: in Plaka, Monastiraki, Makriyanni or Thissio.

A Brief History of the Acropolis of Athens (Greece)

In the 2nd millennium BC, the Neolithic settlement on the Acropolis gives way to a Bronze Age settlement. It was a fairly significant fortified settlement, reminiscent of Mycenaean centers. The Acropolis was surrounded by a wall, modeled after the Cyclopean walls and. The remains of these walls can still be seen today. On the territory of the Acropolis there was the king's palace - the basileia. The palace, the remains of which have been preserved, is mentioned in the Iliad and Odyssey.

At the foot of the Acropolis, on the territory of the later Agora (market square), the inhabitants of the Mycenaean-era settlement buried their dead. Like all of Mycenaean Greece, it did not escape the turmoil caused by the invasion of the northern Greek tribes of the Dorians, who moved in several waves starting around 1200 BC. The Acropolis at that time was the place of worship of the goddess Athena - the patroness of the city - and the seat of the rulers of Athens, the Eupatrides, who replaced the king, Basileus. Public meetings took place at the Propylaea of ​​the Acropolis. To the west rose the rocky hill of the Areopagus, named after the god of war Ares. Here, on the leveled peak, the Council of Elders of noble families gathered.

The beginning of the 6th century BC is the time of the reforms of Solon, the wise Athenian legislator. In 594 BC he was elected archon. Solon's reforms laid the foundation for the formation of a democratic city-state in Athens - a polis. A new center of public and social life is emerging in Athens. political life on the Agora, located northwest of the Acropolis. Intensive construction in Athens began during the period of tyranny of Pisistratus, who made a lot of efforts to decorate and improve the city. New buildings were erected on the Agora: temples of Apollo and Zeus, an altar of the twelve gods.

On the Acropolis, Peisistratus and his sons also undertook great construction.” The old temple of Athena was surrounded on all sides by a colonnade. New Propylaea were built, and an altar dedicated to Athena Nike was erected. Big number statues brought by Athenian citizens as a gift to the patron goddess of the city adorned the Athenian Acropolis. After some time, the Athenians achieved military superiority, and after the defeat of the Persians, in which they played a significant role, the period of greatest prosperity of the Athenian state began. It was headed by Pericles, whose reign (444/43-429 BC) is rightfully considered the golden age of Athens.

They not only became one of the strongest and most influential states in Greece, but also became the center of cultural and artistic life the entire ancient world. Athens led the Maritime League (Delian League), which united many policies Northern Greece and islands Aegean Sea. The treasury of the union was kept in Athens, which could dispose of it. This circumstance, as well as the rich booty received by the Athenians after their victory over the Persians, made it possible to carry out an extensive building program in the city. The grandiose plan of creating a new ensemble of the Athenian Acropolis was brought to life.

At the head of this colossal work was the greatest sculptor of Greece, Phidias, who created two statues of Athena - Promachos (Warrior) and Parthenos (Virgin) - to decorate the Acropolis. A whole galaxy of outstanding architects and sculptors worked under the leadership of Phidias. One after another, monuments were erected that became the best examples of classical Greek architecture: the majestic Parthenon, the light and graceful temple of Nike Apteros, the ceremonial Propylaea, the second largest temple of the Athenian Acropolis - the Erechtheion. The Acropolis of Athens fully expressed the greatness of the city, which, according to the testimony of the ancient Greeks, was recognized as the capital of Hellas.

And, indeed, the following centuries, until the Byzantine era, left almost no traces on the Acropolis. The Peloponnesian War lost by Athens put an end to the prosperity of Athens, which lost its primacy among Greek cities in the 4th century BC. The political decline of Athens was completed by the subjugation of Greece to the rule of the Macedonian kings. In the middle of the 2nd century BC, the Roman Republic subjugated Greece. At the beginning of the 1st century BC, Athens tried to overthrow the power of Rome. In 87 BC, the Roman commander Sulla, after a long siege, took the city and brutally plundered it. The first place among his spoils was occupied by works of Greek art.

In 267 AD the city was subjected to a devastating raid by the Goths and Heruli. With the spread of Christianity, Athens increasingly lost its significance as the center of Hellenic culture. Philosophical schools were closed, and in 529, by decree of Emperor Justinian, the last philosophers and rhetoricians were expelled from Athens. Ancient temples were converted into Christian churches. After this, temples were used for both secular and religious purposes. The interior of these temples has undergone a radical alteration. New stage The history of the city begins with the Crusades. After the Fourth Crusade and the capture of Constantinople, it became part of the Latin Empire.

Athens became the capital of the Duchy of Athens, which over the 250 years of its existence (1205-1456) saw a number of rulers change. The Propylaea was turned into a palace, and in 1456, when Athens was captured by the Turks and the Acropolis became a Turkish fortress, the Propylaea became barracks and a gunpowder magazine. In 1656, an accidental explosion at this warehouse destroyed almost all central part building. The Parthenon turned from a Greek temple into a Roman one, then from a Byzantine church into a Frankish cathedral, and subsequently existed for several centuries as a Turkish mosque. And the Erechtheion, apparently, because it was decorated female figures, at one time served as a harem.

The Venetian diplomat Hugo Favoli wrote in 1563 that the Acropolis was “rising with glittering golden crescents”, and a tall and thin minaret tower rose in the southwestern part of the Parthenon. But, despite all this, the buildings on the rock still resembled, and probably much more than the current ruins, the original Acropolis: ancient, filled with sculptures painted in bright colors. Sadly, all these magnificent examples of architecture were preserved only in engravings and drawings of the time: the buildings were destroyed during the Venetian siege. The Turks dismantled the temple of Nike Apteros, and used the material to build a bastion.

Later, the Venetians, keeping the Turkish garrison under siege, blew up the Parthenon with a cannonball, which was turned into a gunpowder warehouse. The entire cella of the temple was destroyed, and the fire raged for two days and two nights. The destruction of the Parthenon and the capture of the Acropolis was meaningless: the Venetians soon left Athens, and the Turks returned to the Acropolis. For some time, the period of wars, but not destruction, ended for Athens. Lovers of antiquities who entered here not only admired them, but also tried to steal them.

Top of the Acropolis of Athens (Greece)

Today, like two thousand and a half years ago, only one road leads to the top of the Acropolis. In the time of Pericles, a paved road led to the Acropolis of Athens, climbing its gentle slope. The Propylaea rises above the large platform. A gate framed by two pylons opens onto the site. In 1853 they were discovered by the archaeologist Beile - after his name they are called the Beile Gate. From here the road went up to the Propylaea.

The top of the Acropolis is open to the public daily April-September 8:00-19:30; October-March 8:00-16:30, entrance costs 12 €, free on days public holidays and Sundays November-March. By purchasing a ticket, you pay for admission to the Theater of Dionysus, the ancient Agora, the Roman Forum, Kerameikos and the Temple of Zeus, and you can visit any of these before the Acropolis, but make sure that you are not sold a separate ticket instead of a general one (the ticket is valid for 4 days ).

Backpacks and big bags Carrying in is prohibited - luggage can be checked into a storage room at the main ticket office. The crowds on the Acropolis can be terrifying - don't want to be trampled by the crowd? Get out early in the morning or in the evening; most people are here late in the morning, when there are a lot of buses with tourists who will soon go for lunch.

The Propylaea was built by Mnesicles in 437-432 BC; the proportions of the structure were in harmony with the recently completed Parthenon. The lateral wings are adjacent to the central part of the Propylaea. They were erected from the same Pentelic marble (mined on Mount Pentelikon, northeast of the city) as the temple, and in grandeur and architectural perfection, as well as in the impression they make, the Propylaea is almost comparable to the Parthenon. Mnesicles was the first to combine in one design ordinary Doric columns with columns of the Ionic order, which are taller and more graceful.

The columns, as it were, prepare with their solemn rhythm the reverent mood that was supposed to cover the ancient Athenians who entered the territory of the sanctuary of the goddess - the patroness of the city. The Propylaea became the most revered monument of Athens. The northern wing of the Propylaea consists of an outer portico and a vast rectangular hall behind it. In ancient times, the famous Pinakothek was located here - the world's first art gallery. Works by the greatest Greek artists of the classical era, including Polygnotus, were kept here. He worked in the second quarter of the 5th century BC, and six centuries later, already in the Roman era, his works were described by Pausanias in his guidebook “Description of Hellas.” The northern wing of the Propylaea corresponds to the southern one, but it is smaller.

It is believed that Mnesicles deliberately reduced the size of the southern wing because he took into account the presence of the temple of Nike Apteros (Athena the Victorious). One cannot help but be surprised at the skill with which Mnesicles and the author of the temple project, Niki Apteros Kallikrates, solved the difficult task of combining these two buildings in one ensemble. Behind the gates one can see one of the best preserved sections of the Panathenaic Way - the Sacred Road, along which the participants of the Panathenaic festivities were held every four years in honor of the divine patroness of the polis (images of these processions adorned the frieze of the Parthenon).

The procession began in the city, at the main cemetery of Keramikos, and, passing through the Propylaea, headed to the Parthenon and then to the Erechtheion. On weekdays, most of the Sacred Way was used as a regular road. In ancient times, processions passed by the ten-meter bronze statue of Athena Promachos, that is, Athena the Warrior, and recently the exact place where the sculpture’s pedestal stood was established. The statue was sculpted by Phidias, who symbolically depicted in the sculpture the resistance of the Athenians to the Persians. In the Byzantine era, the sculpture was transported to Constantinople (present-day), where it was destroyed by an angry crowd who believed in the rumor that the pointing hand of the goddess had guided the Crusaders to the city in 1204.

It was decided to build a simple and elegant temple of Nike Apteros in honor of the victorious end of the war with the Persians in 449 BC. But construction was completed only in 427-424 BC. It stands on a three-step pedestal. Its monolithic columns are similar to the Ionian columns of the Propylaea. Now the temple has reappeared renewed: it was dismantled, and the fragments were taken away to be cleaned and restored. It's funny, but this is not the first time this has happened: the Turks dismantled the building in 1685 to make room for the battery.

Two hundred years later, restorers collected the scattered parts and recreated the original appearance of the temple. No less impressive is the restoration of the reliefs of the frieze of the temple from fragments. You will see the most remarkable example of art, both by ancient artists and restorers of the century before last, in the Acropolis Museum, this is “Nike Trying on Sandals.” The frieze of the temple very realistically depicts the victory of the Athenians over the Persians at the Battle of Plataea.

From the pyrgos site of the temple of Nike Apteros there is a beautiful view of the entire city and the Saronic Gulf, the waters of which wash the coast of Attica. One of the poetic myths of Ancient Athens, which Pausanias retold, is connected with this. The myth tells the story of King Aegeus, who was waiting for the white sails to appear and mark the return of his son Theseus, who went to kill the Minotaur. Theseus, who was returning victorious, forgot about his promise to change the black sails to white ones. The father, seeing black sails in the distance, decided that his son was dead, in despair he threw himself down onto the rocks and crashed.

It is probably best to look at the temple if you go through the Propylaea and stand a little to the right. From there you can see nearby what remains of the sanctuary of Artemis of Bravrona. Although its purpose is not very clear, it is known that it once housed Trojan horse, made in bronze. The section of the Mycenaean rampart (parallel to the Propylaea), included by the architects of Pericles in the general one, is very striking. construction plan classical period.

• Antique monument Parthenon in the Acropolis of Athens (Greece)

The Parthenon, dedicated to the goddess Athena-Parthenos (Virgin), was built as part of the Pericles program. The temple was intended as a new sanctuary for Athena. Inside, the temple was divided into two unequal parts. In the main, eastern one, there was the famous statue of Athena, made of gold and ivory. Precious stones were inserted into the eye sockets of the statue, and on the chest in the center of the shell was the deadly head of the Gorgon Medusa, made of ivory. The statue carved by Phidias was installed in the twilight of the hall intended for it - the cella, and it remained there until the 5th century BC. The statue has not survived to this day, but numerous later copies have survived, including a remarkable Roman copy exhibited in.

The Parthenon, like other classical temples, stood on a stylobate, each of the steps of which had a height of 0.55-0.59 meters. But its grandeur does not overwhelm the viewer; this is a feature of Greek architecture, its deep humanism. The Parthenon is a classic example of a Greek temple of the Doric order, but at the same time its architecture is distinguished by a number of unique individual characteristics. The proportions of the columns and entablature, the ratio of the number of columns on the sides of the temple (the number of columns on the longitudinal side is one more than twice the number of columns of the facade, that is, 8 and 17) strictly correspond to the standards developed by classical Greek architecture. Techniques such as slight thickening and inclination of the corner columns towards the center, entasis - swelling of the column trunk, and slight bending of the stylobate step were skillfully used.

All these features were supposed to compensate for errors visual perception, since absolutely straight lines are perceived at a distance by the human eye as slightly concave. As a result, the Parthenon appears before your eyes as an ideal building with clear, harmonious lines and proportions. The Parthenon once looked festive and elegant with its white marble columns and walls, topped with sculptural friezes and pediments, in which polychrome was widely used: the background of the pediments and markers was painted dark red, the frieze - blue. Against this colored background, the figures stood out especially clearly, retaining the color of marble. Their parts were also painted or gilded. All the sculptural decoration of the Parthenon was subordinated to one goal - glorification hometown, its gods and heroes, its people.

The temple was decorated with a frieze of fine workmanship. The theme of the frieze is the glorification of the Athenian people on the day of the celebration of the Great Panathenaia. The main, eastern pediment of the Parthenon was decorated with a composition depicting the myth of the birth of the goddess Athena. The western pediment depicts an Attic legend - about the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for power over Attica. Most of the pediment, central columns and cella were destroyed in 1687, when the Acropolis of Athens was besieged by the Venetians. The best examples of surviving sculpture are now found in the so-called Elgin Marbles. Several original sculptures and fragments, along with a model of the temple, can be seen in the Acropolis Museum, and the Acropolis metro station is decorated with very good reproductions of the temple.

• Ancient temple Erechtheion in the Acropolis of Athens (Greece)

North of the Parthenon rises the Erechtheion. The myth tells that when Athena hit the ground with her spear, an olive tree grew from it, and sea water began to flow from the ground. The winner olympian gods Athena was announced. Pausanias writes that he saw both an olive tree and sea ​​water, and adds: “What’s extraordinary about this well is that when the wind blows, it’s as if the sea is splashing in it.” The Erechtheion is a completely unique monument. The originality of its asymmetrical plan is explained by the fact that this temple united a number of different sanctuaries. Most of them existed in this place before the construction of the Erechtheion. The construction of the Erechtheion was provided for by the grandiose construction plan on the Acropolis, developed under Pericles.

The Erechtheion was the main place of worship of the goddess Athena, where her ancient statue was kept. The temple was named after one of the most ancient legendary kings and heroes of Athens - Erechtheus. The author of the project of this temple is unknown. Some scientists, finding analogies in the layout of the Erechtheion and the Propylaea, believe that it could be Mnesicles. Once upon a time there was one of the sacred places here, where on the rock one could see the mark left by the trident of Poseidon during his dispute with Athena. Kekropion was also located here - the grave and sanctuary of the first legendary king of Attica - Kekron. The famous portico of the caryatids rises above it. On a high plinth there are six statues of girls supporting the ceiling of the portico.

These majestic and strong figures stand calmly. The folds of long Doric peplos falling vertically downward resemble the flutes of columns. Who were these girls portraying? There is a plausible assumption: the number of servants of the cult of Athena included arrephoros, young girls chosen from the best Athenian families for a period of one year. They took part in the production of the sacred peplos, with which the ancient statue of Athena was annually dressed. Time and people have not been kind to the caryatid statues. Five original statues are in the Acropolis Museum. One of them was broken by Lord Elgin. It has been replaced by a copy.

Southern slope of the Acropolis of Athens (Greece)

You can get to the southern slope of the Acropolis (daily summer 8:00-19:00; winter: 8:30-15:00; 2 € or with a single ticket to the Acropolis of Athens) from the place where the main ticket office, or from the pedestrian avenue Leoforos Dyonisiou Areopayitou, - this is where the Acropolis metro station is. Dominating the southern slope of the Acropolis hill is the Roman theater (odeon) of Herodes Atticus, built in the 2nd century, which has been restored and currently hosts musical performances and productions of ancient Greek drama during the summer festivals. Unfortunately, visitors are only allowed inside for performances; access is closed at other times.

But there is also the Theater of Dionysus, which is also located on the southern slope of the Acropolis. This is one of those places in the city that encourages memories of the past: it was here that the masterpieces of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes were first staged. Tragedies were staged here every year - and every Athenian could take part in the production and in the choir. In the 4th century BC, the theater was rebuilt, and it began to accommodate about 17 thousand spectators; 20 of the 64 tiers of the ancient theater have survived to this day. Here you can see large marble chairs in the first row, which were intended for priests and high officials, as evidenced by the inscriptions on the chairs.

In the center there is a chair for the priest of the god Dionysus, next to it is a chair for the representative of the Delphic oracle. The semicircular orchestra of the theater is paved with stone slabs that form a pattern in the center. The orchestra is closed by a low skena, the front side of which is decorated with reliefs depicting various episodes from the myths of Dionysus. In the middle of the frieze there is an expressive figure of Silenus, a companion of the god Dionysus: bent over, he seems to be holding the pavement of the skene floor on his shoulders. There is a bustle around the theater and construction equipment– archaeological excavations are underway, promising to yield interesting results.

The cliffs of the Acropolis rise above the theater. They are crowned by a powerful defensive wall. Two Corinthian columns are visible near the wall - the remains of a Roman-era structure. Below them the entrance to the chapel in the rock, fenced with ropes, darkens. It was once dedicated to Dionysus, now the chapel of Our Lady is Panagia Spiliotis. To the west of the theater are the ruins of the Asklepion, a sanctuary where the god of healing Asclepius was worshiped, built around a sacred spring. In the Byzantine era, the church of the holy healers Cosmas and Damian was erected, of which only ruins remain. Next to the road stretched the foundations of the Roman Stoa of Eumenes, the rows of columns of which stretched to the theater of Herodes Atticus.

• Museum of the Acropolis of Athens (Greece)

After decades of delays, by the time you read this article, the new Acropolis Museum (opened June 20, 2009) on the southern slope of the Acropolis, Acropolis metro station, will definitely be finally opened. He looks great. Architectural highlights on the top floor, in glass cases and with views straight to the Parthenon. Here, it is hoped, the Parthenon marbles (those currently in the Acropolis Museum and those that may be returned, the Elgin Marbles) will be reunited. To speed up and facilitate the return of these sculptures, the Greeks agree that they should simply be given them for display, or that part of the museum should be the "British Museum at Athens", in which case the owner will not change.

So far, he has ignored all the proposals, but many continue to believe that the complete set of the new museum - with gaps in place of missing exhibits - will finally force the British Museum in London to take steps forward. Among the exhibits from the old collection, most of which you can see in new places, are sculptures that decorated the frieze of the Old Temple of Athena (VII-VI centuries BC), which partially retained their rich coloring. A little further on is the Moschophorus marble statue (570 BC) - one of the earliest marble statues found on the Acropolis. The sculptor sculpted a young man carrying a sacrificial calf on his shoulders. One of the most precious treasures of the museum is also on display - a collection of statues of the Cor.

The statues depicted priestesses of the goddess Athena and stood near her temple. There is also an interesting statue of a finely crafted horseman. Most of the statues date back to the second half of the 6th century BC, when Ionian sculptors worked in Attica. They created a new type of bark, perhaps less expressive, but more elegant. Here you can also see a charming sculpture that the Greeks call Sandalizussa: Athena Nike (Victorious) trying on sandals. Finally, five authentic caryatids from the Erechtheion are on display. On the lowest floor there is a glass mezzanine containing exhibits from early Christian Athens discovered during construction work.

• Areopagus Hill of the Acropolis of Athens (Greece)

Just below the entrance to the Acropolis of Athens you will see tall, awkward rock-cut steps leading to the Areopagus. On this “Hill of Ares”, during the reign of the Basilean kings, the Court of Elders, the highest body of the Athenian state, met. The court tried murder cases. And the first whom they judged were, according to myth, the god Apec, who killed Allirotheus, the son of Poseidon, and Orestes, the son of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, who, avenging his father, killed his mother. The victory of democracy took away power from the Court of Elders and transferred it to the People's Assembly (which met on the Pnyx).

The Persians, besieging the Acropolis of Athens in 480 BC, set up their camp here, and in Roman times the Apostle Paul preached. Evidence of ancient greatness has not survived to this day; the hill is littered with cigarette butts and empty beer cans - both remain from tourists relaxing here after excursions around the Acropolis and enjoying the views along the way. And the views here are good - down to the Agora and forward to the ancient cemetery at Keramikos.

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The Acropolis is the legendary symbol of the Greek capital, Athens. A piece of history, a shrine that has gained incredible fame throughout the world. On the city hill rises an iconic architectural complex consisting of several fortified ancient Greek buildings - this is the entire Acropolis. It, like an invisible thread, connects ancient civilization with modern Greece. The Acropolis is a most valuable historical and cultural monument that belongs not only to its country, but to the whole world. Millions of tourists and pilgrims from all over the world come every year to admire this grandiose complex.

A little history

The history of the Acropolis dates back to ancient times. When on the territory of the legendary Attica appeared new town. In the 15th century BC, the residence of the Mycenaean kings settled here. During the reign of Peisistratus, a beautiful temple dedicated to the goddess Athena - Hekatompedon - was erected within the city.

In the 5th century BC, most of the Acropolis was destroyed by Persian soldiers. The revival of the city began 3 years later under Pericles. In the 15th century Greece was conquered Ottoman Empire. And numerous temples of the ancient complex turned into mosques. After Greece became officially free (19th century), new work began to restore and restore the appearance of the Acropolis.

Buildings of the Acropolis

At the entrance to the territory of the architectural complex, you can see the famous Propylaea Gate - the brainchild of the famous ancient Greek architect Mnesikles. Only a few snow-white columns and part of the roof have survived to this day. The tour of the holy city begins from the southern slope of the hill. The oldest theater in Greece, the Theater of Dionysus, stands here. In the 5th century, famous Greek playwrights - Euripides, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Aristophanes - presented their works on its wooden stages. The seats in the auditorium were also made of wood. The stage and benches made of marble appeared only in the 4th century BC. Currently, tourists can see a huge auditorium in the shape of a semicircle and part of a dilapidated facade. In the 2nd millennium BC, during the reign of Eumenes II, a fortified portico was added to the Theater of Dionysus. In sweltering heat or extreme cold, spectators could take refuge in it. Today it is an oblong stone structure, “shabby” and damaged by time.

The next point of the excursion is the legend of the Acropolis - the sacred temple of the goddess Athena, the Parthenon. At one time it was the most beautiful building of the complex, an unsurpassed masterpiece of architectural art. In the 6th century BC, a small archaic temple was built on the site of the Parthenon. In the 5th century BC, a new, beautiful structure, made of white Pentelic marble, grew on its ruins. The central hall of the temple was decorated with the golden goddess Athena - the creation of the sculptor Phidias. Currently, restoration work is underway on the territory of the Parthenon, so admire the “remains” Ancient Greece only possible from the outside. Today, only a small part of the temple remains - several elegant antique columns rising on a powerful marble foundation. The walls and roof of the Parthenon have practically not survived.

Erechtheion and Areopagus

Another remarkable building of the Acropolis is the ancient temple of Erechtheion, built in the 5th century BC, not inferior in beauty even to the Parthenon. Currently, only a few columns, an original portico decorated with sculptures of young girls, and several dilapidated walls remain from the temple.

The Areopagus is the place where the famous ancient court sat in ancient Greece. The first city parliament appeared here. The most interesting thing is that the courthouse was “hewn” out of the sacred rock. At first glance, it seems as if it is part of it, as if it is growing out of the ground. Small “crumbs” of this building have survived to this day, ruins in which the “spirit of justice” still hovers.

The Acropolis Museum is very popular among tourists. Within its walls you can learn a lot of interesting things about ancient civilization, tyrant kings, the history of the city, Greek architecture, etc. The pearls of its exhibition are the Moschophorus, a unique sculpture dating back to the 6th millennium BC. In the center of the composition is a young man bringing a “golden” calf as a gift to the goddess Athena. The Coras are several graceful, sophisticated figures belonging to young girls. The sculptures are made so realistically that you can see their hairstyles, facial features and even folds on their faces. national clothes. Frieze slabs are rectangular plates with images of the Olympian gods. On some slabs you can see entire scenes from ancient Greek mythology. Caryatids - statues of ancient priestesses of the Erechtheion temple.

How to get there?

The Sacred Hill of Athens is located in the western part of the capital. You can get to it by metro, using line 2, going to Acropolis station. Or you can get there by trolleybus numbers 15, 5 and 1 or by bus No. 208, No. 106, No. 135, No. E22. Those who decide to travel on foot need to move from the center of the capital along Dionysiou Areopagitou Street, without turning straight anywhere. The Acropolis is open to visitors every day from 8-00 to 18-00. Ticket price is 12 euros.

Address: Athens 105 58, Greece

Telephone:+30 21 0321 4172

Official website

/ Acropolis of Athens

Athens Acropolis

(Greek: Ακρόπολη Αθηνών; English: Acropolis of Athens)

UNESCO site

Opening hours: from 8.30 to 19.00 every day except Monday.

How to get there: nearest metro station Akropolis. The Acropolis of Athens is impossible not to notice; it is located in the very heart of the city and is visible from almost anywhere in Athens. Most of Athens is quite flat, and the city is dominated by only two rocks, one of which is the Acropolis. You can also get to the Acropolis from the city center on foot. To do this, you need to choose, as a landmark, a large pedestrian street - Dionysiou Areopagitou. You need to go straight along it and not turn anywhere, gradually climbing up the mountain, as a result you will come across the most important Greek landmark.

The Acropolis of Athens is not only the oldest cultural monument of Greece, but of the entire world civilization as a whole. The word “Acropolis” consists of two stems: “acro” - “upper” and “polis” - “city”. The "Upper City" is located on a natural limestone cliff 156 m high, with a flat top offering stunning views of Athens, and has steep slopes on all sides except the west. It was a fortified part of ancient Athens, where the main shrines of the city were located. The Acropolis, embodying the architectural and artistic spirit of ancient Athens, covers an area of ​​approximately 3 hectares.

The entire Acropolis was divided into sacred areas, on which there were temples, sanctuaries and altars dedicated to various gods. It was also the center of the political and military life of the city: first of all, it was the residence of the ruler.
In the middle of the 7th century BC, the first large structure appeared on the Acropolis - the Temple of Polyada, replacing a small sanctuary of the Geometric period in which the city treasury was kept. The dimensions of the building and the pediment frame that appeared for the first time (only on the eastern side) were new. After the victory at Marathon in 490 BC, it was decided to create a new temple dedicated to Pallas Athena on the Acropolis, next to the ancient temple of Polyada. This temple was narrower than the Parthenon and had only 6 columns. However, the buildings were never completed, since the Persians, who captured Athens, completely destroyed the city and all the sanctuaries of the Acropolis.

Map of the Acropolis of Athens

In 450 BC, under Pericles, who proclaimed the unification of the entire Greek world under the leadership of Athens, work began on creating an ensemble on the Athenian Acropolis, according to a single plan: Parthenon - temple of Athena Parthenos (447 - 438 BC), Propylaea - ceremonial gates, entrance to the Acropolis (437-432 BC), temple of Nike Apteros (Wingless Victory, between 449 - 420 BC), temple of the Erechtheion (421 - 406 BC). The planning and construction of the Acropolis was carried out under the direction of Phidias.

Phidias is an Athenian sculptor (about 490 - about 430 BC), an outstanding representative of the era of classical art of Ancient Greece. He supervised all the work on the Acropolis, the construction of the Parthenon; according to his sketches, and often with his own hands, 92 metopes and a 159-meter frieze with the Panathenaic procession, sculptures of the Parthenon pediments, and a statue of Athena Parthenos (Virgin) were created. He was put on trial for allegedly misappropriating precious materials and atheism during the construction of the Acropolis, and was forced to leave Athens and move to the Peloponnese, where he created a number of other famous creations.

In the following centuries, the Acropolis suffered greatly from various wars and the turbulent history unfolding in this area. In 1205, the Franks (crusaders) captured Athens, and the Dukes of Delaroche established their residence in the Propylaea and Pinakothek. The Parthenon at this time becomes cathedral Notre Dame d "Athenes. In 1456, Athens was conquered by the Ottoman army of Omar Turakhan, commander of Muhammad the Conqueror. The Parthenon turns into a mosque, the Erechtheion into the harem of the Turkish commandant. In 1687, after a cannonball hit from a Venetian ship, the explosion destroyed almost the entire central part of the Parthenon , and when the Venetians unsuccessfully attempted to remove the sculptures from the temple, several statues were broken.But despite the fact that the works of art of the Acropolis survived many natural disasters, they could not bear the vandalism of Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to Constantinople. He plundered almost the entire collection of statues, vases, monuments and priceless artifacts and took them out of Greece.

Today, the cultural values ​​of the Acropolis are carefully preserved and protected, and, perhaps, the main enemy of this world treasure is air pollution, which negatively affects the marble. As a result of emissions of exhaust gases into the atmosphere, there was an increase in the sulfur content in the air, which led to the transformation of marble into limestone. The iron structures that were used to connect and strengthen the marble pieces, and which were adjacent to it, destroyed the stone. To prevent destruction, some of the iron structures were removed and replaced with brass ones. But it is not possible to counteract chemical destruction, so some of the Acropolis sculptures were replaced with copies, and the originals are kept in the Acropolis Museum.

A wide zigzag road runs from the bottom of the hill to the only entrance. These are famous Propylaea– the main entrance to the Acropolis, which is a deep through portico with a colonnade; at the same time, the side passages were intended for pedestrian citizens, and along the middle passage horsemen and chariots passed, and sacrificial animals were escorted. They were built by the architect Mnesicles in 437 - 432 BC. Like other structures of the Acropolis, the Propylaea gate was destroyed by the Persians and restored during the era of Pericles, although the construction was never completed due to the threat of the Peloponnesian War.

Adjacent to the Propylaea on the left is the building of the Pinakothek, an art gallery where portraits of the heroes of Attica were displayed. In the Pinakothek there were carpets hung on which people who were tired after climbing the hill could rest.

Adjacent to the southwestern wing of the Propylaea is an unusually elegant marble temple - Temple of Nike Apteros , built by the architect Callicrates. Its construction was carried out in 427 - 421 BC. Standing on a three-stage pedestal, the temple was surrounded on all sides by a sculptural ribbon frieze, which depicted episodes of the struggle of the Greeks with the Persians, as well as the Olympian gods (Athena, Zeus, Poseidon).

The main attraction of the entire ensemble was and remains Parthenon- the largest and most famous building in this ensemble, which is called both the “hymn” of Ancient Greece and the “beauty of simplicity.”

The Parthenon (from the Greek parthenos - maiden) is the temple of the goddess Athena Parthenos (Virgin) - the greatest monument of ancient Greek art. It was erected by order of Pericles in 447 - 438 BC, on the site of an unfinished temple destroyed by the Persians. The Parthenon is a marble Doric peripterus with 17 columns on the long sides and 8 on the ends.

Not far from the northwestern wall of the Acropolis there was a royal palace, and after its destruction, almost in the same place, the Hekatompedon temple was erected, dedicated to the patroness of the city, Athena. The Greeks revered this goddess so highly that they set free all the slaves who participated in the construction of this temple. But during the Greco-Persian Wars (480 - 479 BC), Hekatompedon was plundered and burned by order of the Persian king Xerxes.

The northern side of the Athens Acropolis is decorated with a beautiful marble temple Erechtheion, which is a most beautiful creation of classical art. It was built on the site of the palace of the rulers of Mycenae in 421 - 406 BC, and became a place of worship for the Athenians. The Ionian temple, located near the Parthenon, is dedicated to Athena, Poseidon and the legendary king of Athens, Erechtheus, who gave the temple its name.

The greatest interest in the Erechtheion is the Portico of the Daughters, consisting of six sculptures of the most beautiful girls, which, acting as columns, support the roof of the temple. In Byzantine times they were called Caryatids - women from a small town called Caria who were famous for their exceptional beauty. The Turks, who at one time captured Athens and, according to their Muslim beliefs, did not allow images of humans, did not destroy these statues, however. They limited themselves to cutting off the girls’ faces.

At the top of the flagpole, located at the highest point of the hill, stands the Greek national flag. During the 2nd World War, when the Germans captured Greece and Athens, Konstantinos Koukidis, the Evzone guarding the flag, was ordered to take it down. Konstantinos obeyed, took off the flag, and, wrapping himself in it, threw himself down the cliff and fell to his death. And on the night of May 31, 1941, a couple of eighteen-year-old Athenians, Manolis Glezos and Apostolis Santas, made their way to the top of the Athenian Acropolis and tore down the flag with the German swastika hanging there. Nowadays, every day, at 6:30 in the morning, a special detachment of Greek soldiers raises the flag over the Acropolis of Athens, and at sunset another detachment of infantrymen climbs the hill and lowers the flag for the night.

At the foot of the Athens Acropolis stands an ancient multi-level theater, in which, every summer and autumn evening, the sounds of singing and musical instruments, since at this time there are performances of classical dramas, symphony orchestras, dance programs and operas. Odeon of Herod Atticus , better known as the Herodeion, was made in the shape of a semicircle, the radius of which is 80 meters, and its capacity is so high that up to 5 thousand people can fit there.

Colonnade of Eumenes was one of the largest structures located on the southern slope of the Athenian Acropolis. Its length was 162 meters. This structure was erected by the powerful king of Pergamum - Eumenes II (198 - 160 BC). The colonnade was built from stacked stones brought from the island of Poros, as well as from Pergamon and Hymettan marble. It extends from the beautiful Theater of Dionysus, and today reaches the Odeon of Herod Atticus.

On the southern slope of the Acropolis is located the oldest known theater today - Theater of Dionysus . Legend has it that the Athenians killed Dionysus when he first arrived in Attica and treated the locals to wine. Initially, the theater was wooden, but a century later, the steps for spectators to sit were replaced with stone ones, and a permanent stage was built.

For almost 60 years, excavations were carried out at the Odeon of Pericles, revealing to the world a beautiful large building with a huge number of columns of the Athenian Acropolis. Work in this place was carried out by Kastriotis (1914 - 1927) and Orlandos (1928 - 1931), and the result of these excavations was the appearance of the northern part of the building and five columns that were located on the southeast corner.

Restoring the unique values ​​of the Athens Acropolis and interfering with the structure of their material requires the highest responsibility. This requires experience in field work, very deep knowledge of the field, knowledge of the basics of conservation and the basics of restoration, constant attention, in carrying out technical work with architectural objects, the ability to properly demonstrate one’s finds on museum grounds. Many more years will pass until all the work is completed, but it is then that the Acropolis of Athens, with all its ancient monuments, will appear before our descendants in all its Hellenic beauty.

The Acropolis has become accessible to people with physical disabilities! In accordance with the requirements of the International Olympic Acropolis Committee and European Union, with permission from the Greek Ministry of Culture, the Central Council of Archeology and the order of the Minister, you can climb the hill using an elevator built above the Kanellopoulos Museum, on the northern slope. To the north of the main entrance there is a special entrance through which a person in a wheelchair and his companion can access the elevator. A special moving platform lifts you from the sidewalk to the elevator level.

The Acropolis towers over all of Athens, rising above the hill, the Parthenon, in ancient times, could be seen from any part of Attica, and even from the islands of Salamis and Aegina. The Acropolis was known as a famous cult center, and as a monument of great art, confirming the glory of Athens as the most beautiful city on earth. The thoughtful composition of the entire ensemble, perfectly found general proportions, the finest modeling of architectural details and their unusually accurate drawing, the close relationship between architecture and sculptural decoration make the buildings of the Acropolis the highest achievement of ancient Greek architecture, and one of the most outstanding monuments of world art.

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