“the Acropolis of Athens was formally proclaimed as the pre-eminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments on 26 March 2007”

The word “Acropolis” means city on top of a hill, and there are many acropolises all over Greece. They were always situated on a high spot, and were often used as a place for shelter and defence against various enemies. The one in Athens is the best known of them all, and is therefore often referred to as “The Acropolis“. Towering over the capital, it is a veryimpressive sight, and walking around its grounds, it gives the visitor a feeling of awe and a true sense of the greatness of the ancient Greeks. The monuments of the Acropolis of Athens stand in harmony with their natural setting.

Parthenon in Acropolis of Athens

These unique masterpieces of ancient architecture combine different orders and styles of Classical art in a most innovative manner and have influenced art and culture for many centuries. The Acropolis of Athens of the fifth century BC is the most accurate reflection of the splendour, power and wealth of Athens at its greatest peak, the golden age of Pericles.

The founder of Athens and Greek civilizations was king Cecrops, according to mythology. He had been born out of the earth and was half man half snake. He taught the people many crafts, as well as the burial customs, and decided which god would protect the city. There were two candidates: the goddess Athena and the god Poseidon. In order to prove their worth, and perhaps bribe the people, they each presented the city with a gift. Poseidon struck his trident into the rock of the Acropolis of Athens, and out sprang a well. The people ran to the well to drink its water, but had to spit it out since the water was salt, Poseidon being a sea god. Then Athena touched the ground, and an olive tree grew out. This proved to be a much more useful present, so Cecrops decided that Athena would be the patron of the city – thus giving it her name as well. The wooden statue of Athena which originally stood on the Acropolis of Athens was believed to have fallen out of the sky.

The porch of Caryatids in Acropolis of Athens

The Acropolis of Athens is believed to have been inhabited since at least the 7th Millennium BC. During the Mycenaean civilization walls were built around it and there is evidence that there was a Mycenaean palace here as well. The tomb of Cecrops also lies here, and the Athenians might have kept a snake here – symbolizing their first king. There were also other tombs and temples here, all connected to kings, heroes and gods that had to do with Athens. In the 6th century BC the Acropolis of Athens had changed quite significantly. It was no longer a place for palaces, but had turned more into a sanctuary that anything else. Every year a huge procession to the Acropolis of Athens took place, and the wooden statue of Athena was dressed and sacrificed to. The Panathenean games were also very important. The games included both athletic and musical competitions and the winner would receive an amphora filled with olive oil – the olive tree being the sacred tree of Athena.

During the Persian wars in the 5th century the Athenians started building the Parthenon, but the Persians burnt the Acropolis of Athens and all focus was put on the battles. It was during Pericles era, the so called Golden Age, when the Acropolis of Athens got the structure we see today. Starting in the middle of the 5th century, the Parthenon, the Propylaea and a huge bronze statue of Athena was made. It is said that Pericles used unemployed Athenians for workers, and that it was thanks to this initiative, every Athenian had food on his table. The Parthenon was made by the architects Ictinus and Callicrates, and the statue by Phidias. Towards the end of the 5th century the Erechtheum was built, as well as the temple of Athena Nike.

Temple of Athena Nike

When the Romans conquered Greece in the 2nd century BC, many of the sanctuaries were looted. Statues and other works of art were taken back to Rome from Olympia and Delphi for example, but the Acropolis was pretty much left alone. Some of the emperors did make a few additions, though. In the 2nd century AD Herodes Atticus had his great theatre built, and to this day, Athenians are enjoying concerts and ballets here.

During the Middle Ages several of the temples on the Acropolis of Athens were converted into Christian churches. Quite characteristic is the fact that the Parthenon, which had been a temple to the virgin goddess Athena, now became a church to the virgin saint Mary. When the Turks came towards the end of the 16th century, they turned the Parthenon into a mosque. Until the 17th century the temple was relatively unharmed, but in 1687 the Venetians bombarded the Acropolis of Athens, and a canon ball hit the Parthenon, which the Turks used as a storage room for gunpowder. The temple exploded and this is why the temple does not have a roof today.

In the beginning of the 19th century the Englishman lord Elgin was allowed by the sultan to take with him souvenirs from the Acropolis of Athens. It was now he took the famous Parthenon marbles, which until today is a matter of controversy since they are housed in the British Museum despite the Greeks plea to get them back. Despite all that the Acropolis of Athens has been through, it is really the pollution in modern Athens that is its worst enemy. The problem has been known for many decades now, but still no real solution has been found.

Additional Information
Location in the center of Athens

Visiting place during the Organized tours

It is famous about
The Parthenon
The Erechtheum
The Temple of Athena Nike
The Propyplaea