ACROPOLIS AND THE PARTHENON

Worldwide, the Acropolis is the symbol of Athens. Atop the Sacred Rock of Athens, during the Golden Age of Pericles, the Ancient Greeks decided to convey their culture – which was at its peak at the time.

Building a collection of temples and monuments, visible from almost anywhere in the city, they succeeded in the most perfect way possible to leave a legacy that today is officially recognized by Unesco as worldwide.

Archaeological findings give evidence that there was life at the Acropolis from as early as the Neolithic Era – whether that meant it was used for sacrificial ceremonies or the use of the space for dwelling, or both.

Specifically, the Acropolis was inhabited until the end of the 6th Century B.C., when a divination from the Oracle of Delphi in 510 B.C. named the Sacred Rock as a place of worship. According to the legend, after her duel with the God Poseidon, the Goddess Athena was chosen by the residents of the Acropolis as the protector of their city and, thus dedicated many splendid gifts to her. Inscriptions that accompanied such gifts like crockery vessels, bronze statuettes or marble maidens give proof to the adoration of Athena from the archaic period (650-480 B.C.).

Before the Golden Age of Athens, temples were already built on the sacred location of the Acropolis, but war with the Persians in 480 B.C. brought about the destruction of many of these. It was then that Pericles put into effect his ambitious plan to rebuild Athens, assigning to various architects the construction of worshipping temples.

The fact that those temples, which were erected in the 5th and 4th Centuries B.C., belonged to a single program of reconstruction, made the architectural growth of Athens quite unique.

During the period of 450-330 B.C., three very significant temples came into existence – the Parthenon, the Erechtheum and the Temple of Athena Nike (also called Temple of Nike Aptera). The three were dedicated to Athena.

However, the managing architects did not have complete freedom – since building on the foundations of previous temples, they had to take into account the relative placement of the new structures.

THE ADDRESS

Acropolis and Parthenon (Archaeological Area)
Acropolis Hill
10555 Athens (Greece)
Tel. +30 210 - 3214172

HOW TO GET THERE

BY ATHENS METRO: 2 (Red Line), Station "Akropolis"

BY BUS: 024, 040, 057, 103, 106, 108, 111, 126, 134, 135, 136, 137, 155, 206, 208, 227, 230, 237, 856, A2, A3, A4, B2, B3, B4, E2, E22

TROLLEY: 1, 5, 15

BY FOOT: From Syntagma Square, follow Filellinon Street to Vasilissis Amalias Avenue, until you meet the walkway of Dionysiou Aeropagitou. Follow it all the way up and you will see the Acropolis on your right hand side.

Shopping

ACROPOLIS MUSEUM SHOP
The ground level shop has a broad selection of postcards, paper goods and the museum’s children’s collection. The second floor... more
ROYAL ORIENTAL CARPET
Make a treasure hunt out of it and discover this basement store in the most ancient area of the city... more
SHOPPING CENTER PLAKA
A terrific one-stop shop for all your souvenir needs.... more
COMPENDIUM BOOKSHOP
The shop sells anything from new and used, fiction and nonfiction books in English, mainly to ex-patriots – who seem... more
OLYMPICO
This jewelry store is known for offering a great selection of contemporary pieces made from precious metals, as well as... more
APOSTOLART
Apostol’s bronze and glass sculptures have gained popularity for their extraordinary design and craftsmanship. He has had exhibits in many... more
ZOLOTAS
Boasting two fine boutiques in Athens and one on the Place Saint-Germain dès Prés in Paris, Zolotas has won the... more
NOTOS GALLERIES LAMPROPOULOS
The oldest and highly respected Greek-owned department store.... more
BENAKI MUSEUM SHOP III
A beautiful space filled with unique souvenirs from the Benaki Museum – such as ceramics, silver vessels, reliefs and sculptures,... more