When the Greeks rebelled against Ottoman Empire, during one of the battles they managed to surround the Athenian Acropolis, on whose territory the Turks were staying. When the besieged began to run out of shells, they began to destroy the columns of the Parthenon in order to make ammunition from the parts that held them together. The Greeks could not allow this to happen, and therefore the enemies ancient monument they left the architecture alone and sent them a shipment of lead.

The Acropolis is located in the capital of Greece, Athens, on a rocky hill with a flat top at an altitude of 156 meters above sea level. m. and the area it occupies is about three hectares (300 meters long, 170 meters wide). You can find the new Acropolis at: Dionysiou Areopagitou 15, Athens 117 42, and at geographical map– found at the following coordinates: 37° 58′ 17.12″ N. latitude, 23° 43′ 34.2″ e. d.

The Athenian Acropolis is a complex of buildings, most of which were built in the 5th century. BC. the best architects of Hellas. Initially, it was intended not so much for the defense of the city, but for holding pagan services. A huge number of temples dedicated to Athena (the most famous Acropolis Parthenon), as well as Poseidon and Nike, were erected on its territory.

They began to actively build up the Acropolis in Athens in the 7th-6th centuries. BC. and one of the significant buildings of that time was the Hekatompedon, the temple of the most revered goddess of ancient Greece, Athena. True, a century later, during the Greco-Persian War, the Persians destroyed most of the sanctuaries, and having driven out the enemies from their territory, the Greeks began to build the New Acropolis.

The famous sculptor of that time, Phidias (the author of one of the wonders of the world, the statue of Zeus in Olympia), was entrusted to supervise the construction work, who, judging by the descriptions of his contemporaries, developed a plan for the architectural complex. And the most eminent architects of those times helped him create the new Acropolis - Callicrates, Mnesicles, Ictinus, Archilochus, etc. The new Acropolis in Greece, erected by ancient masters, speaks with all its appearance about high level architecture of the ancient Hellenes.

What does the Acropolis look like?

It was possible to climb to the top of the rock of the Acropolis of Athens only from the western side along a zigzag road; from other sides it was inaccessible. Below, at the foot, there were two theaters - Dionysus, built by the Greeks, and the Odeon of Herod Atticus, built by the Romans in the 2nd century. AD If you look at the map, you will notice that the monuments of the Acropolis in Greece number about fifteen buildings (together with theaters), plus a museum is currently open on its territory in a separate building.

Promachos

It is interesting that the first monument that the New Acropolis saw was not a building, but a statue of Athena-Promachos, created by Phidias himself. The goddess was wearing a helmet, resting on a spear with her right hand, and in her left she had a shield (the helmet and the tip of the spear were made of gold). Promakhos was made of bronze, had a height of about 7 meters and was installed so that it could not only be seen from anywhere in the city, but also from the sea - the sailors saw the golden helmet and the tip of the spear shining in the sun from a great distance.

Propylaea (437 – 432 BC)

Athena Promachos was located opposite the main entrance to the Acropolis of Athens. It was made by the architect Mnesiklos from white Pentelic and gray Eleuskin marble. The Propylaea consists of three parts: the central one, which contained six Doric columns, and two wings adjacent to it. It is interesting that Ionic columns were installed on both sides of the main passage - apparently, this is the principle of combining the columns of two different types was used here for the first time.

Parthenon (447 – 438 BC)

The Greeks are convinced that the Acropolis and the Parthenon are two inseparable concepts, since it is impossible to imagine them without each other. The Parthenon was erected by Callicrates and Ictinus from Pentelic marble on top of a rock and was dedicated to the patron goddess of the city, Athena.

The Parthenon is a rectangular building 30.8 x 69.5 m with columns located around the perimeter, about ten meters high: seventeen were installed on the south and north sides of the sanctuary, eight on the west and east (the entrances to the temple were also located here).

The Parthenon was decorated with sculptural bas-reliefs from the life of the city: a procession to the Acropolis of selected maidens with a gift for the goddess (held once every four years), about a hundred bas-reliefs depicting various battles. The eastern side of the Parthenon told the legend of the birth of Athena, the western - about her dispute with the god of the seas, Poseidon, about who would be the patron of Athens.

The main hall of the Parthenon was divided into three parts using two rows of columns. In the depths of this architectural monument there was a twelve-meter sculpture of Athena. IN right hand the goddess had a Nike, on the left side there was a spear. The face and hands of the statue were carved from ivory, weapons and clothes were cast from gold, and precious stones shone in the eyes.

Unfortunately, in the V Art. The sculpture was taken to Constantinople, where it burned down in a fire.

At the western entrance there is a square parthenon hall, which housed the archives and treasury of the city maritime union. Presumably, the name of the Greek temple came from this hall, which translated means “house for girls,” since it was here that the priestesses made peplos (sleeveless women's outerwear, sewn from light material, which was presented to the goddess during the ceremonial procession.

Temple of Athena the Victorious (449 – 421 BC)

A small marble temple is located (the dimensions of its base are 5.4 x 8.14 m, the height of the columns is 4 m) in the southwest of the Propylaea, on a small ledge of rock, which was previously reinforced with a retaining wall. The author of this original architectural monument was the author of the Parthenon, Callicrates. The sanctuary was surrounded by columns, with three sides the building was surrounded by walls, while on the eastern side, where the entrance to the temple was located, there was no wall, instead there were two pillars.

Interestingly, another name for this small marble temple is Nike Apteros, which means Wingless. According to legend, the wooden statue of the Goddess of Victory that was in this temple did not have wings: the Athenians categorically did not want it to leave the city.

Temple of Erechtheinon (421-407 BC)

Erechtion is considered the last architectural monument of the Acropolis; it was dedicated to two gods at once, Athena and Poseidon, and received its name because of the remains of the tomb of ruler Erechtheus found on its territory.

The shrine is located behind Promachos and was erected in the place where, according to legend, Athena argued with Poseidon. According to the description of eyewitnesses, an olive tree grew near the temple and there was a mark left in the floor from the blow of Poseidon’s staff. The story goes that the olive tree burned when ancient Acropolis The Persians set fire to it, but after its liberation it was revived.

Despite the fact that the temple is smaller in size than the Parthenon (11.63 x 23.5 m), its architecture has a more complex plan.

The eastern portico of the building is supported by six Ionic columns, the northern one by four. The frieze of the shrine was made of marble-like limestone, into which white marble sculptures were inserted. On the southern side of Erechtheinon there is a portico, which, instead of traditional columns, was supported by statues of girls. Currently, all the original sculptures have been replaced with copies and are located in the Louvre, the Acropolis Museum and the British Museum.

Acropolis today

Unfortunately, history has not been kind to the Athenian Acropolis: from the Parthenon people first made the Church of Our Lady, then a mosque, the Erechtheion became a harem Turkish Pasha, the temple of the Wingless Nike was dismantled and a fortress wall was erected from it, and during the war with Turkey in the 19th century. he was significantly damaged by a shell fired by the Turks. The strongest earthquake in Greece in 1894 contributed to the destruction of the unique complex.

As soon as the Greeks regained power over the city, they began restoring their landmark. After Greece declared late XIX Art. independence, they took up this issue more seriously, as a result of which they were able to achieve significant successes, thanks to which museum visitors now have the opportunity not only to see the new Acropolis, but also to more clearly imagine what it looked like in ancient times.

They eliminated all the later structures of the Acropolis, rebuilt the Temple of Nike, created copies of the sculptures and replaced the originals with them, taking them for storage to museums, one of which was placed at the foot of the rock. The new Athens Acropolis Museum was opened in 2009. It is interesting that it was the third in a row, since as a result of numerous archaeological excavations, the first two museums did not contain all the finds and were replaced by a larger building, ten times larger in area than its predecessor.

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 artists ancient world(Phidias, Alkamenes, Agorakritos, 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.

A city whose name already evokes associations with the most important events world history. Sights significant for humanity are concentrated here: the Temple of Hephaestus, the Panathinaikos Stadium, the Temple of Zeus, the Parthenon and dozens of museums with rich funds.

Over the centuries, the Greek capital experienced turmoil and a series of ups, was under the yoke of conquerors and was revived. One thing remained unchanged: the heart of the city is the Acropolis, which has dominated Athens since ancient times.

The Acropolis towers over Athens.

Evening view of the Acropolis from the upper floors of the King George Hotel, perhaps the best hotel Athens.

Location of the Acropolis: how to get there

The main attraction of Athens is located in the heart of the city and is clearly visible from anywhere in the capital. Acropolis Hill, 156 meters high, is located in the Acropolis district - understandably the most visited area of ​​the city. Getting to the right place will not be difficult. The easiest way is by metro to the nearest Acropolis station or to the stations of Thissio, Syntagma, Omonia and Monastiraki. From the center of Athens you can walk to the Acropolis if you follow Dionysiou Areopagitou Street. You need to constantly go uphill. Closer to the Acropolis, numerous signs will help you get lost.

Acropolis on the map of Athens. A marker is installed at the entrance to the Acropolis

History of the Acropolis

The rocky hill of the Acropolis has been used by the Athenians since time immemorial. During the archaic period, temples were built here, sculptures were installed, and religious ceremonies were held. During the Mycenaean period, the Acropolis served as a royal residence - it would be difficult to imagine a more advantageous and secure location in Athens.

Under Pisistratus, active construction began on the hill of the most ancient temple of the Acropolis - Hekatompedon, the predecessor of the Parthenon. It was dedicated to the goddess Athena and surrounded by several religious buildings. But all the temples fell into disrepair after the Persian invasion. And then the Greeks vowed to restore the shrines, expelling the enemies.

Acropolis in ancient times.

New attempts to build a temple on the Acropolis were made during the time of the famous commander Pericles - he initiated it. The development of the project was entrusted to Phidias, who became the main author of the architectural appearance. So the Parthenon rose above Athens, and it was destined to become a recognizable symbol of Greece. But first the temple passed tests. The Parthenon was converted and captured several times: it served Orthodox church and a mosque, and neighboring buildings were even used to house a harem. Some priceless monuments were dismantled for building materials.

Only with the rebirth of Greece as an independent state did the restoration of the Acropolis monuments begin. And many sculptures were replaced with copies for preservation purposes - the originals are kept in the Acropolis Museum.

For the Greeks, the topic of the heritage of the main attraction of Athens remains sensitive. In the 19th century, a collection of art objects was taken to England by Lord Elgin (whom Byron also called a thief for this). And so far, Great Britain has refused requests from Greece to return the stolen marbles to their homeland.

The famous portico of the caryatids. One of the sculptures was broken out by Lord Elgin and is now kept in the British Museum.

Temples and monuments of the Acropolis

The entrance to the Acropolis is the Propylaea, made of gray Eleusinian and white Pentelic marble. The architecture combines Doric and Ionic columns - the first time that Ancient Greece two orders “met” in one building. The monumental entrance consists of two porticoes. One looks at the Acropolis, the other is directed towards Athens.

On the southwest side of the Propylaea stands the Temple of Nike. Its marble frieze, made in the Ionic style, depicted the gods and fragments of the battle against the Persians. In ancient times, a now lost statue of Nike stood inside. In 2000, the temple was restored, and today it adorns the Acropolis.

The Parthenon is the main attraction of the Athens Acropolis.

The central place on the hill is given to the Parthenon. Many people come to Athens for this reason. IN ancient city it served as the main temple dedicated to Athena, and its appearance inspired architects throughout Europe. The Parthenon has still not been completely restored, although this does not prevent it from remaining the most impressive monument of the Acropolis.

Among the important temples of Ancient Athens was the Erechtheion. It was erected on an uneven surface, so the structure is asymmetrical. On the southern part of the Erechtheion there are statues of caryatids, which made the appearance of the temple recognizable. Also on the slopes of the Acropolis you can see the ruins of the Asklepion and the Odeon of Herodes, which still serves as a venue for concerts.

Acropolis Museum

In 2009, the New Acropolis Museum was inaugurated in the Greek capital. Its ultra-modern building is several times larger in area than the old museum. The opening was waited for so long that in the first 3 months the number of visitors exceeded 1 million.

The collection is composed entirely of objects found on the Acropolis since 1834. Here you can see statues, original caryatids, memorial plaques, countless fragments of buildings and religious objects. Visitors even have the opportunity to watch the excavations taking place right under the New Museum building.

The museum covers in detail the different eras of the existence of the Acropolis. It introduces not only the ancient period, but also the era of the Roman Empire. Complements the exhibition well interactive materials. The Acropolis Museum regularly hosts temporary exhibitions, and holidays organizes interesting events for children.

What to visit near the Acropolis

A visit to the Acropolis can be combined with a walk through other famous places in the city. For example, according to the Agora - the center of political, commercial and cultural life of Ancient Athens. The former market square retains much architectural evidence, including the Temple of Hephaestus. To the left of the Acropolis is Philopapou Hill with a monument to the Roman ruler Philopapou. The structure has been partially preserved, so the hill attracts tourists with a magnificent panoramic view of Athens.

And, of course, after visiting the Acropolis, you need to go to Monastiraki - the most popular and colorful district of Athens, which has preserved many interesting historical monuments. Among them, the Church of the Virgin Mary and the mosque stand out. But the main attraction for tourists is the Monastiraki market, where any tourist will find a souvenir to remember Athens.

/ 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 on the Acropolis, next to the ancient temple of Polyada, dedicated to Athena Pallas. 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, the 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 all central part 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 have 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 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.

On top of the flagpole located on the very high point 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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