Acropolis of Athens
The Acropolis of Athens is the most famous acropolis. It is a large hill, in the center of Athens, on which the Parthenon and other Greek buildings were built. It is often known as The Acropolis.
- The Acropolis is a group of ancient temples that were built on a high, rocky hill in Athens, Greece. The word acropolis even means 'high city' in Greek. Other cities have an acropolis, too, but the one in Athens is the most well-known.
- The Acropolis of Athens is the most striking and complete ancient Greek monumental complex still existing in our times. It is situated on a hill of average height (156m) that rises in the basin of Athens. Its overall dimensions are approximately 170 by 350m.
- The buildings were a citadel where people could escape to if the city was attacked. The Acropolis was mostly destroyed by 580 B.C. The people of Athens weren't going to rebuild it. However, a hundred years later, Themistocles and Pericles persuaded them to build it again.
- Over the centuries, the Acropolis was many things: a home to kings, a citadel, a mythical home of the gods, a religious center and a tourist attraction. It has withstood bombardment, massive earthquakes and vandalism yet still stands as a reminder of the rich history of Greece.
Acropolis Of Athens Media
The Acropolis of Athens as seen from Mount Lycabettus The wooded Hill of the Nymphs is half-visible on its right, and Philopappos Hill on the left, immediately behind. The Philopappos Monument is seen here where, in the distant background, the coast of Peloponnese meets the waters of the Saronic Gulf.
Primitive Acropolis with the Pelargicon and the Old Temple of Athena.
Elevation view of a proposed reconstruction of the Old Temple of Athena. Built around 525 BC, it stood between the Parthenon and the Erechtheum. Fragments of the sculptures in its pediments are in the Acropolis Museum.
The Parthenon, as seen from the north-west in 1978
The Erechtheion, viewed from the south-west, looking across the remains of the Old Temple in 2015
The Propylaea in 2005
3-D model of the Acropolis in 165 AD (click to rotate)
Depiction of the Venetian siege of the Acropolis of Athens during 1687.
1842 daguerreotype by Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey (the earliest known photography of the site)
