The Acropolis of Athens

The Acropolis of Athens is the most recognizable Acropolis site in the world. The site is considered the center of the Classical Greek Empire which gave birth to democracy and to a certain extent, modern western civilization. The Acropolis is clearly visible from almost anywhere in the city. The entrance fee into the Acropolis is 12 Euros, but this will also get you into the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, and a few other sites. There is a new museum that opened in 2009 that has a much larger exhibit space than the old museum to show the ever increasing amount of artifacts still being discovered on the Acropolis.

Other ruins within the Acropolis

Although the Parthenon dominates the Acropolis, there are several other important ruins located within the site. The main entrance, called the Propylaea, is the massive, imposing gateway to the Acropolis. The Temple of Athena, which used to house a large bronze statue of Athena, is a large temple on the site. The Erechtheum, which was most likely a religious temple, has attached the ornate Porch of the Caryatids. There are two theatres on the slopes of the Acropolis that were used to entertain the ancient Greeks: the Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus and the Theatre of Herodes Atticus. Besides the above listed major ruins, there are dozens of other ruins located on the site.

The Parthenon

The Parthenon was a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. It is the building most people associate with the Acropolis. The building itself is enormous and measures nearly 230 feet long by 100 feet. The Parthenon originally had 46 large columns circumventing the structure. The Parthenon served as a treasury and would later become a church and then a mosque. In 1687, an explosion of stored ammunition from a siege on Athens, severely damaged the Parthenon, including destroying some of the large exterior columns. In 1975, a painstakingly slow restoration process began to repair some of the damage from that explosion as well as natural wear on the structure. Since then, the Parthenon has almost continuously been surrounded by cranes and/or scaffolding.

Quick Navigation Links:
Acropolis: Acropolis Home | History | Getting There | Around Athens | Acropolis | Photos | Maps 
Our Wonders of the World: World Wonders Home | Machu Picchu | Colosseum | Pyramids of Giza | Great Wall of China | 
Taj Mahal | Angkor Wat | Teotihuacan | Acropolis

© 2009 http://www.ourworldwonders.com