Acropolis of Athens

The Acropolis of Athens is known as the ‘Sacred Rock’. It is the most excellent and cultural heritage monument of the Europeans.

The Parthenon (438 BC), the Erechtheion (420 BC), the Temple of Athena Nike (420 BC), and the Propylaea (432 BC), the monumental entrance to the sacred area are some of the most important monuments of Acropolis. After the first Athenian king serpent man, Kekrops or Cecrops, it was also known as ‘Cecropia’.

It is a very famous site constituting one of the most remarkable and recognizable monuments of the world. This pre-eminent monument was erected by the ancient Greeks during the Perikles Golden Age. Everything in Acropolis including bronze, clay statuettes, vases, marble korai indicates the aspects of Greek culture. Acropolis of Athens is also the UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre.

The Acropolis of Athens is the collection of architectural monuments with luminous painting and dazzling marbles of excellent colours. It is called as the heart and art of Athens.  There are three different Athenas of the Acropolis. 

Athena Polias, made of olive wood with sanctuary of Erechtheium
Athena of the Parthenon, with statues of ivory and gold, the work of Pheidias
Athena Promachus, with colossal statue of bronze, the work of Pheidias
Location

Acropolis is located on a hill in Athens of Greece.

Historical Importance

The first temple of the Athens, the Hekatompedon was erected and later the new temple Parthenon was built. The entrance of the Acropolis is called as the Propyalea, to the south of which the Athena Nike temple is found. The Parthenon, the Erechtheion, and the Temple of Nike, were dedicated to Athena Parthenos, the Athena Polias, and the Athena-Apteros Nike, respectively.

The architectural monuments were designed by Kallikrates and Iktinos and the construction took 15 years to complete. Once in every 4 years, a festival called the Panathenaea will be held in this region. 

The theater of Herod Atticus is below the Acorpolis which is built by Romans in 161 AD and it is used for classical concerts, ballet, cultural activities and Yanni. Dionysious Theater was the first stone theater and served as the home to Sophocles, Aeschylus, Euripides and Aristophanes.

Nearby Attractions

Parthenon - The temple of Parthenon is dedicated to Athena Parthenos, the patron goddess of Athens. This temple was built by Perikles under the supervision of the Phedias.
Erechtheion - The two main gods worshiped here are Attica, and Poseidon-Erechtheus.
Temple of Athena Nike - This exquisite temple was built by Kallikrates and it is in the Ionic order.
Propylaea - It is stunning monumental entrance of the Acropolis designed by the architect, Mnesikles.
Delphi Archaeological Site - Being one of the most important ancient sites in Greece, Delphi is a major religious center under the protection of the god Apollo.

How to reach

By Air: New Athens International Airport, El. Venizelos.
By Rail: Metro runs from Syntagma station to the airport every half an hour.