Acropolis of Athens

The Acropolis of Athens is the most unusual structure in the world. He became the symbol of the capital of Greece. The Acropolis is visible from anywhere in Athens: the government has forbidden to build higher buildings within the city limits. Therefore, tourists can use it as a guide.

History

The Acropolis is an ancient city on a high hill. The main settlement was located outside the walls. The city was absolutely impregnable during the assault. Like any significant place in the life of the townspeople, the Acropolis is steeped in legends. One of them tells that he built the city of Cecrops. He was half serpent, half human. Cecrops dedicated his creation to the goddess Athena. And the first temple was erected in her honor. Cecrops hired Cyclops to move rocks and rough work. Cecrops' buildings were relatively modest. Subsequently, graceful buildings, decorated with gold and silver, appeared in their place.

After the capture of Greece by Rome, the temples of the pagans were given to Christians. But there were no significant changes in the architecture of the buildings: mainly, the interior interiors were redone. The Muslim (Turkish) domination in the 15th century also did not damage the ensemble much: pagan, and later Christian, temples were converted into mosques without changing the architecture. The hill has retained its original appearance again. But the 17th century turned out to be fatal for the Acropolis: during the siege, the Venetians fired at the ensemble from cannons. Many churches were badly damaged: they have not been restored to this day.

The 19th century brought additional ruin to the complex: parts of the sculptural compositions were sent to the Museum of Great Britain. And to this day, valuable elements are there, despite the protests of the Greek government. Currently, large-scale restoration work is underway in the Acropolis. Funds for this are allocated from the state budget. Individuals donate as well. But there is still much to be done.

Architecture

The main construction began after the victory of the Greeks over the Persians in the second half of the fifth century BC. During this time, Greek democracy led to the flourishing of the country. And to perpetuate the strength of the country, Pericles decided to rebuild the Acropolis. The location was well chosen. The hill, 156 m above sea level, is a rise of gray-blue limestone. It is absolutely inaccessible: on three sides it is protected by rocks, and on the fourth - by the sea. To perpetuate the project, the architects were given the opportunity to develop a new style: a combination of Doric and Ionic. This synthetic style was to become the same for the whole of Hellas.

The architects presented unexpected solutions when creating the ensemble:

1. The volumetric vision of buildings. If you look from the side of the main entrance, then 3 walls of the temple are presented to the overview.
2. Asymmetry of compositions.
3. Allocation of temples in space by building an order colonnade.
4. Orders allow you to split the space, or connect it. At this time, the Corinthian order began to be widely used, which became the hallmark of Hellenic architecture.

Of course, large-scale work required large financial investments:

1. To carry out the construction, the services of expensive architects were required: Phidias, Kallikrates, Iktin and Mnesicles.
2. Craftsmen were involved in permanent work.
3. Marble, gold, precious and semi-precious stones were used for decoration.

Pericles' large-scale idea was not met favorably by everyone. Athens received money from other cities to support the army and navy, since Athens pledged to protect its neighbors. But there was an inappropriate use of funds: finances were directed to the construction of the Acropolis. And the artisans were unhappy with the mandatory participation in the project. To all objections, Pericles said that from the moment the money was provided, Athens would dispose of them at their own discretion, because the neighboring cities did not give soldiers and sailors to the army. The goal of creating the ensemble was achieved: the new complex retained its protective functions and at the same time glorified Athens and the ruler of Pericles. Tourists still admire the magnificent temples.

What to see

In the Acropolis, many temples have already been restored: tourists can admire the work of ancient and modern masters. But some of the structures are still awaiting restoration. Inspection of the complex should begin with those buildings that have returned to their original appearance.

Parthenon

This temple was and remains the main one in the ensemble. It is dedicated to the goddess Athena and was built instead of the temple of Hecadompedon destroyed during the siege of the city by the Persians. Construction work began in 447 BC and consecration took place in 438 BC. The interior decoration was completed only in 432 BC. It is noteworthy that Pericles personally supervised all the work, although he designed the temple of Iktin, and Callicrates supervised the course of construction.

Construction features:

1. The temple was erected on a pedestal of 3 steps, the height of which is 1.5 m. The walls are supported by 2 steps.
2. The entrances to the Acropolis and the Parthenon are opposite each other. In order to enter the interior of the temple, you need to go around it.
3. The statue of Athena was located in the eastern part of the Parthenon. There was also an altar.
4. In the western part there was a state archive, offerings to Athena the Virgin were stored.
5. Immediately after the construction, the temple was snow-white. But over time, the marble acquired a noble yellowness.
6. The Parthenon is a block building. Blocks of marble were fastened with iron rods, and for a special fortress, the connection was poured with lead.

The Parthenon looks perfectly flat, all joints appear to be 90 degrees. But this is an optical illusion. Iktin knew about the peculiarities of the human eye to distort the perspective, so there is not a single straight line in the Parthenon:

1. To prevent the massive building from looking heavy, Iktin placed the stylobate on a dais.
2. To prevent the temple from hanging over the visitor who entered, the building was shifted to the east relative to the center of the Acropolis. This gives the effect of a gradual elevation of the building.
3. To prevent the pillars from appearing too fragile, they were made thicker in the middle.
4. To make the building not seem heavy, the columns were slightly tilted towards the center.
5. To give the appearance of the solidity of the building, the columns in the corners are much thicker than the others.
6. To make the temple seem light, the distance between the columns gradually increases from the edges to the center.

These findings by Iktin were revolutionary for the time. But today they are used by architects in their projects.

Hecatompedon

Hecatompedon is a temple dedicated to Athena. Until 480 BC it was the main temple of the state. It stood for only a few decades, and then was destroyed during the siege of the city by the Persians. Archaeologists have established that the building was built during the reign of Peisistratus. The remains of the foundation show that the building was quadrangular. Columns adorned its entire perimeter. Hecatompedon means "one hundred feet", "consisting of a hundred steps." It was located at the highest point of the hill. And every visitor, first of all, saw Hecatompedon. The entrance to the main temple was opposite the Propylaea, the main entrance to the Acropolis.

Interesting! At the site of Hecatompedon in earlier times, there was an altar to the goddess Athena. It is noteworthy that part of the Parthenon is called Hecatompedon.

Hecatompedon was destroyed by the Persians at the command of King Xerxes. He was irritated by the long siege and the courage of the city's defenders. Xerxes wanted to destroy the very memory of the state. After the end of the war with the Persians, the Athenians did not begin to rebuild the destroyed Hecatompedon. Moreover, the surviving fragments were used in the construction of the Parthenon. Therefore, archaeologists cannot reliably restore the appearance of Hecatompedon.But during the excavations, beautifully preserved statues were found.

They were made of porous limestone and painted with bright colors:

1. The composition The Battle of Hercules and Triton depicts the end of the struggle: Hercules won, Triton was defeated.
2. Tritopator is a three-headed serpent, patron saint of Attica. God is triune: he holds a bird (a symbol of air), a flame (fire), a ribbon (a symbol of water). Tritopator's eyes are painted green, hair blue, torsos pink, tails blue and red stripes.
3. Lion tearing apart the bull. This is not typical for Greece: such scenes are typical for Persia or Babylon.
4. The battle of the gods with the titans. This composition is the worst preserved.

Sculptural compositions are exhibited at the Acropolis Museum. There, the required preservation conditions are provided for them.

Erechtheion

North of the main temple of the Acropolis, the Parthenon, there is a unique structure - the Erechtheion. It is named after the Hellenic king Erechtheus. The creation of the temple is reflected in the legend. Once Poseidon and Athena argued over which of them would patronize Hellas. The main one was the one who brought the most valuable gifts to the inhabitants. Poseidon struck the mountain with a trident: a source of salt water flowed from the rock. Athena hit the ground with her spear: an olive tree instantly grew. And the gift of the Virgin turned out to be the most significant for the Hellenes. The temple was built next to the legendary tree, and the source was inside the building.

The initiator of the creation of the Erechtheion was Pericles, but the work was completed after the death of the king.

The project was developed by the architect Mnesicle. He also created the Propylaea, the main entrance to the Acropolis. But not everything went smoothly: the time of the beginning of construction (421 BC) coincided with the war that Athens waged against Sparta. There was no longer enough finance and labor to support the construction site. However, the work was completed in 406 BC.

After consecration, objects significant for the Athenians were transferred to the Erechtheion:

• a wooden image of Athena that fell from the sky 1000 years ago
• the statue of Hermes brought by Cecrops
• unquenchable gold lamp

But the Athenians prayed in the Erechtheion for only 1.5 years: Sparta and her allies, the Persians, won the war. Athens did not regain its power.

Interesting! During the destruction of the Acropolis during the Persian wars, the olive donated by Athena burned down. But then she grew up in the same place without human intervention.

The Erechtheion amazes tourists with its unusual architecture:

1. The site where the Erechtheion stands is uneven, so parts of the temple are located at different heights. 3 parts have separate entrances.
2. In the east was the wooden xoan of Athens. Each time after the Panathenaic Games ended, the women brought a new peplos to the statue. In return, Athena Poliada guarded the city from enemy armies.
3. King Erechtheus is buried in the western part, therefore, burial rosettes are carved above the entrance. There are also altars for offerings to Poseidon, Hephaestus and Booth. This part is lower than the eastern one by as much as 3 meters.
4. In the western part there is also a portico of Cecrops' daughter, Pandrosa. Caryatids are carved from marble quarried from Mount Pentelikon. Their height is more than 2 m. Usually temples dedicated to Artemis were decorated with caryatids. But when planning the Acropolis, they decided not to erect such a building, so an unusual portico was attached to the Erechtheion in order to appease Artemis.

Before the arrival of Christianity in Athens, the Erechtheion remained active. Then the temple of the Most Holy Theotokos was located there. After the arrival of the Crusaders, the palace of the Duke of Athens was built here. After the conquest of Athens by the Turks, a harem was located in the Erechtheion. During the siege by the Venetians, the Erechtheion was damaged by shelling. And in the 19th century, some of the statues were taken to Great Britain, some were destroyed. Therefore, it is impossible to restore the Erechtheion at the moment.

Temple of Niki Apteros

This structure is located outside the Acropolis. Previously, there was a fortified bastion on this place, and in order to make it convenient for the soldiers to bring gifts, the altar of Athena Nike was also installed here. In the 6th century BC. instead of the altar, the temple of Athena was built. But after the fall of the city, by order of Xerxes in 480 BC. this structure was destroyed. During the reign of Pericles, the state reached the peak of its power. And the restoration of the Acropolis began. The project of the temple of Athena Nike was developed by Kallikrates, and it was approved by the general meeting of the inhabitants of the city in 449 BC.

It is not known when the construction began, but the consecration took place in 421 BC. 500 years after its construction, the temple unexpectedly received a new name. This is due to the mistake of the historian and traveler Pausanias. He mistook a statue of Athena without the usual military attire for a statue of Nike, but without wings. Pausanias even invented a story that the builders deliberately tore off Nika's wings so that victory and luck would not fly away from them. Naturally, after 500 years there was no one to correct Pausanias. And the random name stuck.

The architectural composition of Niki Apteros is unusual:

1. The building has 2 facades. One is directed to the Parthenon, and the other to the Propylaea.
2. The base of the temple is a platform of three steps.
3. 3 walls are decorated with images of the battles of the Athenians with the Persians, and the fourth - with a collection of gods watching the course of the battle.
4. Athena, along with Zeus, is depicted in the center. The appearance of the goddess is unusual: she has taken off her helmet and is holding it in her hand, in the other hand is a pomegranate fruit.

Nika Apteros was destroyed during the siege of the fortress by the Venetians. In the 19th century, Greece achieved independence. The restoration of the Acropolis began. But the first restoration was carried out without preparation, so the newly rebuilt building did not correspond much to the original. In the 20th century, cracks appeared in the foundation. The building was dismantled, the foundation was strengthened. The re-restoration was more successful: new fragments were added. The final restoration was carried out at the beginning of the 21st century. Now the temple is fully consistent with the descriptions of historians.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

This is an ancient theater built by Herod Atticus to commemorate his deceased wife. Approximate construction period: 160-174. Before that, there were already 2 odeons in Athens.

Construction features:

1. The inside of the building is made of roughly cut stone, while the outside is made of finely hewn Parian marble.
2. The circular auditorium is carved into the rock of the Acropolis hill. The diameter of the hall is 76 m. It is divided into 2 sectors, each with 32 rows. The armchairs are made of white Parian marble.
3. The roof is made of Lebanese cedar. It has no internal vertical supports, although its radius is more than 30 m.
4. The orchestra lined with slabs of white marble is semicircular.
5. The stage wall had 3 levels. The first had 2 entrances, while the second and third had windows and niches for statues.
6. In the east, the odeon was adjacent to the stoa of Eumenes.

Archaeological excavations have shown that the odeon was used not only for concerts, but also for gladiatorial fights. The Odeon of Herodes Atticus began to be restored in the 19th century. Now it can only be accessed on the days of performances with a pre-purchased ticket.

Asklepion

This is a very unusual building. On the one hand, the building is dedicated to the god Asclepius, on the other hand, it is a place for healing the sick. The temple was built on the initiative of Telemachus. The new god (Asclepius) had an earthly incarnation of a serpent. He was in the temple of Demeter until he got his own house. The location of the structure is the southern slope of the Acropolis next to the source of clean water. This is no coincidence: during the treatment, water was important.

The complex included:

• temple and altar
• courtyard
• 3 one-storey stands

The temple was decorated with images of Asclepius himself, his children, including the daughters of Hygiene and Panacea. Those who came for healing had to donate something to God. It could have been a rooster. After healing, it was required to make a sacrifice again: money, jewelry, dishes. Sometimes healed organs carved from precious woods or stones were brought as gifts.

Interesting! In this Asklepion, the priests kept a daily record of the offerings.From these records, historians have established what operations and procedures were performed by doctors.

The temple was repeatedly damaged, but was immediately restored. After the arrival of Christianity in Greece, Asklepion was rebuilt into a temple in honor of the Savior and Orthodox saints-healers. During the Turkish rule, Asklepion turned out to be of no use to anyone, he began to collapse. Restoration work is now underway.

Theater of Dionysus

Pisistratus loved the God of wine and joy. It was he who ordered that the temple of Dionysus be built on the Acropolis hill. The structure was decorated with a statue of a god made of bone and gold. A platform for ritual dances was set up nearby. She became the beginning of the theater. The theater itself had no walls. The rows of seats rose upward. The most distinguished visitors sat below. The names of the spectators were engraved on the backs. The theater's capacity was impressive: up to 17,000 spectators. Twice as many people lived in Athens at that time.

At first, there were only religious performances in the theater, but then secular plays began to be shown. Later, the theater became an arena for gladiatorial battles. At this time, for the safety of the audience, a marble portico with a metal lattice was built. Now the theater of Dionysus has been restored almost to the end. The funds were allocated from the state budget of Greece. Individuals and institutions also donated.

Destroyed objects

The restoration of the Acropolis is far from complete. But even the destroyed buildings are interesting to see. Worth to visit:

1. Halkoteku. In this special place, attributes were kept for holding festive ceremonies in honor of Athena.
2. Temple of Zeus. It is quite small, consisted of two halls: one was intended for gifts, in the second rituals were performed.
3. Temple of Aphrodite. The ruins are decorated with images of pigeons and garlands.
4. Temple of Artemis. The colonnade and statues of the goddess have been preserved.
5. Temple of Augustus. It is dedicated to the Roman emperor. The structure is small, the perimeter is decorated with columns.

The process of restoration and restoration is slowed down by the fact that excavations are still being carried out on the territory of the Acropolis.

Old Acropolis Museum

In order for visitors to get acquainted with all the exhibits found on the territory of the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum was organized in 1878. At that time, it seemed like a fairly small building near the Parthenon. But the number of items grew, soon the exhibits ceased to fit in 9 rooms. Scientists criticized the Greek authorities for the fact that the unique collection is located in an earthquake-prone area and is at risk. Therefore, it was decided to build a new Museum.

New Acropolis Museum

The new Acropolis Museum began operating in 2009. The building was built 300 meters from the wall that encloses the Acropolis. The author of the project is Swiss Bernard Chumi. It is noteworthy that the building has a glass floor and walls. According to the architect's idea, tourists will better immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the ancient world. The platform above allows you to admire the Acropolis without leaving the Museum. The main collection consists of statues that were found during excavations. The required temperature and humidity have been created for unique exhibits. Automation controls them.

Important! Visiting the Acropolis Museum is paid separately. The entrance ticket does not entitle you to enter the Acropolis.

Interesting Facts

It is known that the Turks besieged in the Acropolis fortress needed lead. They began to demolish buildings in order to extract metal from the fasteners. But the Greeks did not allow such barbarism and sent the sought-after lead to the enemies. The human eye has the property of distorting perspective. Architect Iktin distorted reality as much as possible and got a supposedly perfect Parthenon. The Greeks were great originals: first they killed the god Dionysus, accusing him of trying to poison him, and then, evaluating the quality of the wine, they built a temple in honor of Dionysus. The new Acropolis Museum, opened in 2009, is the third in a row. Its area is 10 times larger than that of its predecessors.

Excursions

Some tourists choose to explore the Acropolis on their own. But this will take more than one day. It is much wiser to take an experienced Russian-speaking guide. The accompanying person will introduce you to the legends of the Acropolis and make your walk unforgettable. Excursions are group and individual. The time is selected taking into account the wishes of the tourists.

Opening hours and ticket prices

You can get to the territory of the Acropolis every day from 8 am to half past seven in the evening. A visit is paid: 12 euros. But citizens of the European Union enjoy benefits: pensioners and schoolchildren buy a ticket for half the price - 6 euros. With one ticket, you can enter the Acropolis for 4 days. To see the Museum you need to pay an entrance fee. The price is 1 euro.

There are days when you can visit for free:

1. Monument Day - April 18.
2. World Environment Day - 5 June.
3. Memorial Day of Actress Mercury.
4. Last weekend in September.

Closed for visitors on Bright Sunday, Christmas, the first day of the New Year.

Where is it located and how to get there

The Acropolis is located in the western part of Athens. The most convenient way for tourists to get to the hill is by metro. Get off at the Acropolis station. Trolleybuses 1, 5, 15 or buses 135, 106, 208 go to the same stop.

Acropolis of Athens on the map