The Acropolis of Athens is the main attraction of Athens, a real symbol of Greece, and its main temple, the Parthenon, is the "visiting card" of this country.

The Acropolis of Athens arose as a defensive structure about 6-10 thousand years ago. Even then, this rocky spur, located today on the outskirts of Athens, attracted with its impregnability - a rock 70-80 meters high with an almost flat upper platform and steep slopes on three sides even then served as a refuge for the local population in case of an attack. But they began to build real fortifications here around 1250 BC, when the hill was surrounded by powerful walls 5 meters thick, the construction of which was then attributed to the Cyclops.

But the real flowering came here in the 5th century BC, when the Greeks expelled the troops of the Persian king Xerxes. After themselves, the Persians left only destruction, and the ruler of the Athenian state Pericles decided not to restore the ruins, but rebuild the Acropolis. It was during his reign and under the leadership of the eminent sculptor Phidias that this religious center of the city turned into that pearl, which, albeit with numerous, often irreparable destruction, has survived to this day, and which the whole world knows now.

From 450 BC the most famous buildings of ancient Greek architecture were built here, the main of which were the Parthenon (the temple of the goddess Athena Parthenos), the Propylaea, the ceremonial entrance to the Acropolis, the temple of Nika Apteros (in contrast to the generally accepted image, the Athenians made their wingless Nika so that the goddess of victory did not fly away from them ), the temple of Erechtheum, dedicated to the king of ancient Greek mythology Erechtheus, as well as Nick and Poseidon, and the statue of Athena Promachos, which amazed with its size (21 meters) and grandeur, with a helmet cast from gold and the tip of a spear, serving a peculiar reference point for ships that saw the light of the great goddess from afar.

The centuries passed did not spare the Acropolis of Athens. In the 6th century, she was taken to Constantinople and a statue of Athena died in a fire around the 12th century. All the temples, including the Parthenon, which changed its name several times throughout its history, formerly a Catholic church, and a mosque, were hardly affected. not destroyed by the terrible explosion of gunpowder that occurred on September 26, 1687 during the siege of the city by the troops of the Venetian Republic. Only after Greece gained independence in 1830, the looting and looting of the ruins of the Acropolis in the largest museums in the world was stopped, and in 1898 a large-scale reconstruction of the monument began. http://omyworld.ru/2091

An ultramodern museum of the Acropolis has opened in Athens.

The museum exhibits unique finds of ancient times, in particular marble sculptures, which are parts of the frieze of the main Athenian ancient temple of the Parthenon. Some are presented in duplicate, as the largest collection of originals is still in the British Museum in London. At the beginning of the century before last, they were moved to Britain by Lord Elgin, the then British ambassador to Greece.

The Greek side has been trying for several decades in a row to regain these exhibits. Greek President Carolius Papoulias in his opening speech once again called on Londoners to return the sculptures. But the British Museum considers itself their rightful owner and emphasizes that it is here that exhibits are available free of charge to visitors from all over the world.

Sculptures from the Acropolis of Athens in the museum.

It looks like the goddesses from the eastern frieze of the Parthenon.

You look at the constructions of architects of antiquity and it becomes sad that despite the fact that at present they are trying to save all the constructions, however, time has already been significantly lost. One can only guess or read about past magnificence in ancient manuscripts. Look around these structures, a huge number of faceless primitive buildings of our time. What will we leave a descendant?

When the Greeks rebelled against the Ottoman Empire, during one of the battles they managed to surround the Athenian Acropolis, on whose territory the Turks were. When the besieged shells began to come to an end, they began to destroy the Parthenon columns in order to make ammunition from the parts fastening them. The Greeks could not allow this, but because the enemies left the ancient architectural monument alone, they sent them a shipment of lead.

The Acropolis is located in the capital of Greece, in Athens, on a rocky hill with a flat top at an altitude of 156 meters above sea level. m. and the area occupied by it is about three hectares (300 meters in length, 170 - in width). You can find the new Acropolis at the address: Dionysiou Areopagitou 15, Athens 117 42, and on the geographic map - find at the following coordinates: 37 ° 58 ′ 17.12 ″ s. W, 23 ° 43 ′ 34.2 ″ in d.

The Acropolis of Athens is a complex of structures, most of which were built in the V century. BC. the best architects of Hellas. Initially, it was intended not so much for the defense of the city as for holding pagan services. A huge number of temples dedicated to Athena (the most famous Acropolis of the Parthenon), as well as Poseidon and Nika were erected on its territory.

Actively build up the Acropolis in Athens began in the VII-VI century. BC. and one of the significant buildings of that time was Hekatompedon, the temple of the most revered goddess of ancient Greece, Athens. True, a century later, during the Greek-Persian war, the Persians destroyed most of the sanctuaries, and after driving the enemies from their territory, the Greeks began to build the New Acropolis.

The well-known sculptor of that time, Phidius (the author of one of the wonders of the world, the statue of Zeus in Olympia), who, judging by the descriptions of his contemporaries, developed a plan for the architectural complex, was entrusted with supervising the construction work. And the most famous architects of those times helped him create the new Acropolis - Kallikrat, Mnesikl, Iktin, Archilochus and others. The new Acropolis erected by ancient masters in Greece with all its appearance speaks of the high level of architecture of the ancient Hellenes.

What the Acropolis looks like

It was possible to climb to the top of the cliff of the Acropolis of Athens only from the western side along a zigzag road, on other sides it was impregnable. Below, at the foot, there were two theaters - Dionysus, built by the Greeks, and the Odeon of Herod Attica, erected by the Romans in the second century. AD If you look at the map, you will notice that the monuments of the Acropolis in Greece have about fifteen buildings (together with theaters), plus a museum is currently open in its own building in its own building.

Promachos

Interestingly, the first monument that the New Acropolis saw was not a building, but a statue of Athena-Promachos, created by Phidias himself. The goddess was in a helmet, with her right hand rested on a spear, in her left was a shield (the helmet and spear point were made of gold). Promachos was made of bronze, had a height of about 7 meters and was installed so that it could not only be seen from anywhere in the city, but also from the sea - sailors saw the golden helmet glistening in the sun and spearheads from a great distance.

Propylaea (437 - 432 BC)

Athena-Promachos was located opposite the main entrance to the Acropolis of Athens. It was made by architect Mnesikl from white Pentelian and gray Elevsk marble. Propylaea consists of three parts: the central one, in which there were six Doric columns, and two wings adjacent to it. Interestingly, ionic columns were installed on both sides of the main aisle - apparently, this principle of combining columns of two different types was first used here.

Parthenon (447 - 438 BC)

The Greeks are convinced that the Acropolis and Parthenon are two inseparable concepts, since it is impossible to imagine them without each other. The Parthenon was erected by Kallikrath and Iktin from Pentelian marble on top of a rock and was dedicated to the patroness of the city, the goddess Athena.

The Parthenon is a rectangular building 30.8 x 69.5 m with columns located around the perimeter, about ten meters high: seventeen were installed on the south and north sides of the sanctuary, eight - on the west and east (the entrances to the temple were located here).

The Parthenon was decorated with sculptural bas-reliefs from the life of the city: a procession to the Acropolis of selected virgins with a gift for the goddess (held every four years), about a hundred bas-reliefs with images of various battles. The eastern side of the Parthenon told the legend of the birth of Athens, the western - about her dispute with the god of the seas, Poseidon, about who will be the patron saint of Athens.

The main hall of the Parthenon was divided into three parts using two rows of columns. At the back of this architectural monument was a twelve-meter sculpture of Athena. In the right hand of the goddess was Nika, on the left side was a spear. The face and hands of the statue were carved from ivory, weapons and clothes were cast in gold, precious stones shone in the eyes.

Unfortunately, in the V art. the sculpture was taken to Constantinople, where it burned down during a fire.

At the western entrance is the square Parthenon Hall, which contained the archive and treasury of the city maritime union. Presumably, the name of the Greek temple went from this hall, which means “house for girls”, since it was here that the priestesses made peplos (women's sleeveless outerwear, sewn from light material, which was presented to the goddess during the solemn procession.

Temple of Athena the Victorious (449 - 421 years BC)

A small marble temple is located (the dimensions of its base are 5.4 x 8.14 m, the height of the columns is 4 m) in the south-west of the Propylaea, on a small ledge of rock, which was previously strengthened by a retaining wall. The author of this original architectural monument was the author of the Parthenon, Kallikrath. The sanctuary was surrounded by columns, while on three sides the building was surrounded by walls, while on the east side, where the entrance to the temple was located, there was no wall, instead there were two pillars.

Interestingly, another name for this small marble temple is Nike Apteros, which means wingless. According to legend, the wooden statue of the Victory Goddess that was in this temple did not have wings: the Athenians categorically did not want her to leave the city.

Erechteinon Temple (421-407 BC)

Erechtion is considered the last architectural monument of the Acropolis, it was dedicated immediately to two gods, Athena and Poseidon and got its name because of the remains of the tomb of the ruler Erechtey found on its territory.

The shrine is located behind Promachos and erected it in the place where, according to legend, Athena argued with Poseidon. According to eyewitness accounts, an olive tree grew near the temple and a trace from the blow of Poseidon's staff remained in the floor. The story goes that the olive burned when the ancient Acropolis was set on fire by the Persians, but was reborn after its liberation.

Despite the fact that the temple is inferior in size to the Parthenon (11.63 x 23.5 m), its architecture has a more complex plan.

The eastern portico of the building, supported by six ionic columns, the north - four. The frieze of the shrine was made of marble-like limestone, in which marble white sculptures were inserted. On the south side of Erechteinon is a portico, which instead of traditional columns was supported by statues of girls. Currently, all the original sculptures are replaced with copies and are in the Louvre, the Acropolis Museum and the British Museum.

Acropolis today

Unfortunately, history did not spare the Acropolis of Athens: at first people made the Church of Our Lady of Parthenon, then a mosque, Erechtheion became the harem of the Turkish Pasha, the Wingless Nika Temple was dismantled and the fortress wall was erected from it, and during the war with Turkey in the 19th century. he was significantly affected by the turkish projectile. The strongest earthquake in Greece of 1894 made its contribution to the destruction of the unique complex.

As soon as the Greeks regained power over the city, they were engaged in the restoration of their attractions. After Greece proclaimed at the end of the XIX century. independence, this issue was dealt with more seriously, as a result of which they managed to achieve significant successes, thanks to which museum visitors now have the opportunity not only to see the new Acropolis, but also to more clearly imagine what it looked like in antiquity.

They liquidated all the later buildings of the Acropolis, rebuilt the Niki temple, created copies of the sculptures and replaced the originals with them, taking them for storage in museums, one of which was placed at the foot of the cliff. The new Athens Acropolis Museum was opened in 2009. It is interesting that he was the third in a row, because as a result of numerous archaeological excavations, the first two museums did not contain all the finds and were replaced by a larger building, ten times larger than its predecessor.

Everyone has heard of such a world landmark as the Acropolis of Athens, many can give a brief description of it, and everyone knows from the history lessons at school where this monument of history and culture is located.

However, the Acropolis of Athens is much more than a few paragraphs from a school textbook.

Bit of history

According to myths and legends, this ancient monument of human civilization was founded by Kekrops, a sage and warrior who was half serpent and half man, and the first king in Athens. What exactly attracted him to the towering hill, even today having a height of more than 150 meters - with its flat top, close to heaven and convenient for construction, or convenient from a strategic point of view - myths do not tell.

Costas Tavernarakis / flickr.com

Like it or not, Kekrops ever lived or this collective image, it is not known, it is only known that the earliest finds made by archaeologists date back not to classical time in Greek history, but to the archaic era. Moreover, these are not just the remains of settlements or ceramics, but the foundations of religious buildings and the remains of sculptures.

Each time it brought something of its own to the hill of the Acropolis of Athens. In the Mycenaean era, that is, from the 15th to the 13th centuries BC, he served not only the gods, but also the kings of Athens, since it was on the hill that the residence of the kings was located, however, according to archaeologists, it is quite modest.

The most intensive construction in the acropolis and, of course, the reconstruction of old buildings, during which the architecture of the entire complex was changing, took place from the 7th to the 6th centuries BC.

And the most famous building, which became a peculiar symbol of Greece and actually illustrates the Acropolis in Athens - the temple of the goddess of wisdom and war, Athens of Pallas, huge at that time, Hekatompedon, the predecessor of the Parthenon, was erected during the reign of Pisistratus, that is, between 560 and 527 BC era.

Peisistratus was not only a tyrant, whose cruelty has been reflected for centuries, but also a son and student of Hippocrates himself. At his direct command, the royal royal residence was demolished and Hekatompedon grew up on the site of the palace, having a length of exactly one hundred steps.

Much is known about this monument of the Acropolis of Athens, excavations have uncovered a perfectly preserved foundation, the remains of pediments, the foundations and fragments of statues, and much more. The reconstruction possibilities made it possible to fully imagine the building plan, and computers helped scientists create a three-dimensional model that ideally fell under the ancient description of this temple.

Jean-Pierre Dalbera / flickr.com

The Old Museum of the Acropolis has a permanent exhibition, which presents both mock-ups with hill buildings in various cultural eras as a whole, and recreated "in miniature" copies of various buildings of the Acropolis, which are the "stars" of ancient culture, including models and the royal palace, and the Parthenon and, of course, Hekatompedona.

For the first time, the serious destruction, after which it was not completely restored, the Acropolis of Athens suffered in the sad and tragic year in the ancient history of Athens - 480 BC.

It was a time of war with the Persians, as a result of which, during the siege and assaults of the city, all the structures on the hill remained for a long time lying in dust and ruins, since the inhabitants of the city vowed to begin the restoration of the temples only when the last Persian left the lands of the Greeks.

In 447 BC, the time of destruction and oblivion for today's main attraction of Greece ended. The Acropolis was "reached" by Pericles, who not only decided to restore individual buildings, but, on the contrary, build a new, unified in his architectural solution, huge complex of the Athenian acropolis so that all of Greece could see in it a symbol of the eternity and greatness of Athens.

The way the Acropolis of Athens looks today, of course, if you imagine the rest from the sights of antiquity as a whole, it was first presented on the diagrams in front of Pericles by Phidius himself, the most famous sculptor, engineer and architect of antiquity, whose name has survived to this day.

Carole Raddato / flickr.com

It was not only Phidias who worked on the creation of the plan for the new complex on the hill, under his leadership the best and most worthy Athenian architects of that time worked. History has preserved their names - Mnesikl, Kallikrat, Iktin and Archilochus, who, in addition to architecture, also earns satirical poetry.

His poetic activity is known to our contemporaries much better than his architectural works, and it was Archilochus who made most of the engineering calculations for the Parthenon - the future main building from the entire complex under construction on a hill, conceived so that a walk along the Acropolis of Athens always leads to it, to the Parthenon.

Since the time of this global development initiated by Pericles, significant changes have been circumvented by the Acropolis of Athens, however, every historical time has sought to find its use on buildings on the hill above Athens.

For example, in the 5th century AD, Christians turned the Parthenon into the sanctuary of Our Lady, and the statue of Athena itself was taken to Constantinople, and after the capture of Greek land in the 15th century by the Turks, the Parthenon was turned from the church into a mosque and even attached to the construction of the minarets. However, the Turks over time appreciated the military strategic benefits of the location of the hill where the Acropolis is located, and from the Parthenon mosque became an arsenal.

However, some of the sights of the Acropolis that survived Christianity could only envy such a fate. For example, the small temple of Niki Apteros, which played the role of a chapel for Christians, was dismantled by the Turks - a number of additional fortifications were erected from the blocks, and in the Erechtheion, located just north of the Parthenon, a harem was located.

In the XVII century, namely in 1687, during the siege of Athens from the sea, a direct hit by a cannonball almost demolished the central part of the temple of Athena Pallas, moreover, the Venetians, trying to remove the sculptures from the Parthenon, in a hurry broke most of them.

In the XIX century, the British distinguished themselves, namely, Her Majesty's diplomat Thomas Bruce Elgin, who was the 11th Earl of Kinkardin and the 7th Earl of Elgin, an art connoisseur and one of the creators of the antique collection of the British Museum, his patron and trustee. This "exceptional culture" the lord ordered to break out and load on ships everything that could be broken out physically.

Thus, the following went to Britain:

1. Tens of meters of frieze with metopes - that is, sculptural compositions.
2. All that remained after the Venetian robbery of the statue from the Parthenon.
3. Caryatid portico of the Erechtheion.

During the Greek liberation rebel war against the Turks, then, in the 19th century, the entire Acropolis of Athens nearly died, even the hill itself could not remain on the map. The Turks made an attempt to undermine, which was prevented by Kostas Hormovitis, who became a national hero, whose name to this day bears many Greek streets.

However, shelling from the sea still badly damaged the sights, while Erechtheion suffered the most, as if the Turks tried to destroy the building that was most changed and most often used, turning it into a harem.

Almost from the moment Greece was declared independent of the Turks, restoration and restoration of the appearance of the Athens hill began, and the first tour of the Acropolis of Athens took place at the end of the 19th century.

The first thing that every tourist who is going to see the sights of Athens Hill with his own eyes should know that all the statues and columns standing on it are not originals, but the subject of the works of modern sculptors involved in reconstruction. To see the real sculptures and everything that has been in the temples at least since the time of Pericles, you need to go not to Greece, but to London, Paris and Rome.

The findings of archaeologists, resulting from work from the beginning of the last century, are also not in the open. They are presented in the expositions of the Acropolis of Athens. Interesting facts about the history of finds and their study, as well as about curiosities at the excavations, will be told by the local guide.

Today, the Acropolis of Athens is not only a visiting card of the country for tourists, and not just a hill where you can see architectural dilapidated sights, it is a whole historical, cultural and entertainment complex that includes both the Acropolis itself and historical monuments adjacent to its hill .

The territory of the complex is open around the clock, moreover, at night life here is in full swing. Although museums close in the evenings until the morning, but at dusk, the beautiful lights turn on, and students and young people from all over the world gathering on Ares Hill with guitars and cheap wine - to the attention of Russian youth - beer at these parties is not an honor.

Guillen Perez / flickr.com

In the reconstructed ruins of the Dionysus Theater very often performances of a completely different plan take place:

• here tenors with world names sang;
• various laser and light shows came here;
• there were simple street mimes at various festivals;
• here came and go performances of Greek theaters.

This site has preserved incredible acoustics and, of course, it is worth taking a place on a semicircular stone bench, which, by the way, are genuine, since the theater “pit” that remembers Socrates was excavated only in the last century, so no one managed to pull apart the stones. The Dionysus Theater today can accommodate about 17 thousand people, all 67 rows for the audience are completely ready to accept them.

Carole Raddato / flickr.com

In addition to the Dionysus Theater, there is another historical site, partially preserved from the time of Pericles, and partially representing a reconstruction. This is the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the place where all the city meetings were held, where politicians spoke, and where Pericles himself briefly addressed, in fact, telling the citizens that the last Persian had left Greek land, and it was time to rebuild the temples on the hill.

Robert Anders / flickr.com

Now the Odeon, as well as under Pericles, is designed for 5000 people, but you can go inside during performances only by tickets. As a rule, dancers perform here, for example, quite often the ballet of the Russian Bolshoi Theater comes on tour.

When visiting the complex, special attention is paid to the not completely restored Erechtheion. This large temple dedicated to Poseidon and named after King Erechtheus, according to myths - the son of the god of the seas, boasts a number of reconstructed statues and uniform illumination in the evening, which opens up great opportunities for artistic photography.

Today the entire hill is a huge construction site, and reconstruction, restoration and archaeological research are carried out simultaneously and everywhere. However, it looks very neat and does not interfere with any tourist buses with curious lovers of antiquities located in them, nor tourists walking alone, nor photographers, nor performing artists, nor anyone else.

How to get there

Before you get from the Athens airport to the entrance to the historic complex, it is worth considering that it will take all day to inspect everything that is on the hill and close to it, except that the most beautiful and interesting place here takes place after sunset.

Brian Jeffery Beggerly / flickr.com

Therefore, if you come directly to Athens, you should first decide on a hotel, but if you need to spend several hours between flights during transit, then you should use one of three possible ways to leave the airport and visit the Acropolis of Athens:

1. Bus - its stop is located between the entrances 4 and 5 of the airport, number X95, you need to get to the final one, to the square with the loud name SYNTAGMA. A ticket costs 5 euros, buses leave every 20 minutes, and the fare is taken by the driver. From the square you need to literally go up, on foot, along the pretty paving stones of Makrigianni Street. It is impossible to get lost - the hill with the Acropolis is clearly visible and it is quite difficult to mix it up with something else.
2. The metro station is located in the airport itself, it is easy to find it according to the signs, the final destination is the same - SYNTAGMA square. There is only one branch at the airport - blue. It is impossible to get confused. The fare is 8 euros, tickets at the underground ticket office at the entrance to the station. The Greek metro has a “collective” ticket system and a round-trip ticket. For example, a round-trip ticket costs 14 euros, that is, already saving 2 euros. The more people go round-trip together, the cheaper the trip. Upon reaching the square, you can either go out and walk along the streets of Athens, or transfer to the next red branch and drive to the ACROPOLI station. That is - until the entrance to the museum and the historical complex itself.
3. Taxi is not the most budget option, plus only that the car will deliver directly to the steps of the entrance to the historic complex. The taxi drivers' parking is located between the 2nd and 3rd entrance to the airport. The cost will be 35 euros in the daytime, that is, from 5 am to midnight, and 50 euros for those who wish to ride at night. You can order a car at a specific time through the site.

Video: stone empires - Acropolis, Athens, Greece.

How much is?

Near the New Acropolis Museum the excursion “train” stops. This is a sightseeing tour, very interesting and, most importantly, allowing you to decide where you should go first. The price of the engine is 6 euros, the duration of the mini-tour is 60-70 minutes.

The cost of visiting individual monuments sometimes changes, it depends on the load on them by archaeologists and restorers, for example, if the building is closed to visitors, then after opening the ticket will be more expensive than it was before closing.

However, everything is very democratic in general, for example, visiting the Panathinaikos stadium, where the ancient Olympic Games and other athletics competitions were held, costs 3 euros. You can book a tour with a visit to the Acropolis using the portal.

The entrance ticket to the complex costs 12 euros, valid for 4 days from the date of purchase, and includes the right to visit:

• dionysus Theater;
• temple of Zeus;
• the ruins of the Adrian library;
• ancient antique cemetery - Ceramics;
• Parthenon;
• Agor, both classical and late, the so-called Roman.

At any time, you can interrupt the inspection and go down from the entrance to the complex to the street Mnisikleous drowning in greenery and restaurants of any budget and taste, it is impossible to make a mistake with the direction, you need to focus on the visible Mount Likavittos, with which the street connects the historical complex of the Acropolis.

After a snack, you can return to the inspection, or just go for a walk, because the ticket to the Acropolis is valid for four days, an unlimited number of times, such a “restriction” makes visiting the complex extremely convenient and allows you not to get tired during the inspection.

  - This is the heart and main tourist attraction of Athens and Greece. Clearly visible from all sides (construction prohibited
  high-rise buildings so as not to obscure the view of Acropolis) It serves as an excellent guide for moving around the city.

Annually Acropolis of Athens   visited by millions of tourists and travelers from all over the world.

Acropolis   from the ancient Greek language is translated as a fortified place in the city.
  The Acropolis is the oldest inhabited place of Athens. Already during the archaic period, magnificent temples and sculptures were located here, which the later generations of the Greeks considered the heritage of the Cyclopes. IN Mycenaean period   (15 -13 BC) Acropolis   was the royal residence.

It was here that the residence of the legendary Theseus   (winner of the Minotaur), unless, of course, his personality was mythical.

During the Greco-Persian Wars Acropolis was completely destroyed by the Persians. The inhabitants of Athens took the oath to restore the shrines only after the victory over the Persians and the expulsion of enemies from Hellas. In 447 BC led by the famous sculptor on Acropolis   new construction began. , Niki's temple, Erechtheion - these are the masterpieces that we enjoy to this day.

Gates of Bule

This gate is named after the French architect Ernest Bühle, which in 1825 excavated the Acropolis. This is one of the two gates of the Acropolis, which were made in the walls after the raid of the Heruls in 267.

Sanctuary of Aphrodite Pandemos

To the right of the gates of Bule the ruins of the temple of Aphrodite. At present, only the architrave is left of the temple, decorated with garlands and pigeons.

Sanctuary of Artemis of Bravronia

This temple was in eastern part of the Acropolis, not far from the ruins of the Mycenaean walls. The temple was a Dorian colonnade with two wings in the shape of a “P”. The creation of the temple is attributed to Pisistratus, who came from the area of \u200b\u200bBravronia,
  Where cult of Artemis   was widespread. Two statues of the goddess were stored in the side wings of the temple’s colonnade: the first is an ancient wooden statue depicting a goddess sitting on a throne, and the second, which was a creation sculptor Praxiteles.

Halkoteka

To the east of the temple of Artemis was Halkoteka, a building that was used to store metal objects related to the cult goddess Athens. The building was built in the middle of the 5th century BC, and in the Roman period the building was reconstructed.

On the southern slope of the Acropolis   is the oldest of the famous theaters, - dionysus Theater   (god of winemaking). According to legend, the inhabitants of Athens killed Dionysus when he arrived in Attica and first gave the people wine to try, thinking that Dionysus was trying to poison them. Then they thought better of it and began to very violently celebrate Dionysius - festivals in
  honor of the slain god by them. In the end, this all led to the creation of the theater. It was in this theater that masterpieces were first shown Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and Aristophanes.

In the 6th century BC ruled in Athens tyrant peisistratus   instilled the cult of Dionysos in Athens and organized the Great Dionysius, which was held during March - April. Around the same time in Athens   a poet appeared Fespid, Ikarios from the demos. He introduced the first actor in Dionysius and himself began to write texts that should
was read by the actor and members of the choir. Before Thespeed, these texts were pure improvisation of the choristers. Thespidus also began to devote texts not only to life events. Dionysus, but also to other heroes of Greek mythology and real historical characters. Acting masks were also invented and introduced, since one and the same
  the actor had to play many roles.

In the 4th century BC, during the reign Lycurgus, the wooden audience ranks were replaced by stone ones and have not changed since then. The stage of the theater was rebuilt many times.

The theater has 78 spectator rows, which are divided by a passage into two zones. The passage is at the same time part of the Peripatus - the path that surrounds the sacred rock Acropolis.

The front marble spectator rows, 67 seats, were intended in antiquity for rulers, archons and priests. In the center of the front rows is the throne of the main priest of the temple of Dionysus Eleftheria.

The Romans   twice changed the theater. Once during the reign of Emperor Nero, in the 1st century AD and another time during the reign of Fedra, in the 3rd century AD.

Friezes, which today can be seen on the front of the theater, depict scenes from myths about Dionysus. The first frieze depicts the birth of God: the seated Zeusand in front of him Hermes   with the baby Dionysus in his arms, along the edges of the Kurita they are dancing a combat dance with weapons in their hands. Then depicted Icarussacrificing a goat to Dionysus, and
  on the right is only Dionysus with his friend Satyr.

Temple of Augustus

Not far from the eastern entrance to the Parthenon was roma temple andAugust. The temple was built in 27 BC then, when Octavian received the title of Augustus. It was a small round temple with a diameter of 8.50 meters and 9 ionic columns. At the foot of the columns there was an inscription that stated that the temple was dedicated to Roma and
  Augustus from the grateful Athenians.

Sanctuary of Zeus Polyeus

In the north-east of the Parthenon are the ruins of the Temple of Zeus. It consisted of a quadrangular fence, inside which was a separate fenced area with a small temple and a hall of gifts. In the temple in honor of Zeus   the ritual of Diipolia was carried out.

At the entrance to Acropolis   there is also the Herod Attica Theater. Tiberius Claudius Herod Atticus was one of the richest Athenian citizens, as well as a Roman governor in the province of Asia. Among other things, he was a famous philosopher and was a teacher Marcus Aurelius.

In 161 A.D. in memory of his wife he built Odeon   (theater) in
Athens This is a beautifully preserved example of Roman architecture in Athens.
  The theater had a stage length of 35.4 meters built in two floors and was
  covered with white and black marble slabs from Karista quarries.
  The capacity of the theater was up to 5,000 people. The roof of the theater was made of cedar wood.

The premises of the theater were rebuilt and today in the theater Athens Festivalwhere the best theaters of the world present their art to the attention of the audience.

Copper statue of Athens

On the territory of the Acropolis there were many gifts and offerings from various cities and ordinary residents. Was especially valuable the statueAthens. The statue was set between Erechtheion and Propylaea   and was 9 meters high. According to Pausanias, the tip of the spear of the statue and the brilliance of her helmet were visible to the ships that went from Cape Sounion to Piraeus.

Odeon of Pericles

To the east of the theater of Dionysus was the famous Odeon of Periclesbuilt in 447 BC and intended for music competitions. The odeon was destroyed during the assault of the Acropolis by the legions of Sulla in 86 BC. and restored by the king of Cappadocia Ariobarzan II. Finally pericles theater   was destroyed by the Meruls in 267 BC

Between the Theater of Dionysus and the Odeon of Herod Attica is a colonnade
Euminia of the Second   (king of Pergamum), which was built in the 2nd century BC. as a gift to the Athenians. The colonnade had a roof in ancient times and was used by residents as a promenade for walking.

In the 5th century, with the advent of Christianity, it became the Church of Our Lady. After the conquest of Greece by the Turks, the temple was turned into a mosque, and then - into an arsenal. was disassembled.

In 1687, after a nucleus hit a Venetian ship, an explosion destroyed almost the entire central part, and in addition, when the Venetians failed to remove the Parthenon sculptures, several statues were destroyed.

In the 19th century, the friezes and the remaining Parthenon statues were exported to England, where they can be seen in British Museum.

Acropolis Museum

Museum Acropolis   was opened in 1878. Initially, the museum building was located in a small room immediately behind the Parthenon.

The museum's collection consists of artifacts that were found during archaeological excavations Acropolis.

His treasures include the preserved parts of the Parthenon friezes as well as sculptures of Greek masters of the 5th century BC.

Museum exhibits   exhibited in chronological order. These are pediment sculptures of temples Acropolis with images of the battle of the gods with giants, scenes of the struggle of Heracles with various mythical creatures, as well as a sculpture of Mosshoros, or a young man carrying a calf on his shoulders (570 BC)

Among the exhibits of the museum is a well-preserved metope from the southern facade of the Parthenon, depicting the battle of the lapifs with centaurs. The pearls of the museum are originals caryatids   from the southern portico of Erechtheion. Statues are stored in a room with a special temperature regime.

Tourist Memo

Acropolis   open daily from 8 am to 6:30 pm.

Acropolis’s opening hours may vary slightly.
  season. On the Acropolis   it is forbidden to carry any bags (they can be left at the entrance to the Acropolis)

Entrance ticket costs 12 euros, but you can also visit this ticket Agora and the Temple of Zeus.

Acropolis on the map of Athens

  / Acropolis of Athens

Acropolis of Athens

(Greek Ακρόπολη Αθηνών; English Acropolis of Athens)

UNESCO site

  Opening hours:   from 8.30 to 19.00 daily, except Monday.

  How to get there:   nearest metro station Akropolis   . The Acropolis of Athens is impossible not to notice, it is located in the heart of the city, and is visible, practically, from anywhere in Athens. Most of Athens is very flat, and only two rocks dominate the city, on one of which the Acropolis is located. You can get to the Acropolis from the city center on foot. To do this, choose, as a guide, a large pedestrian street - Dionysiou Areopagitou. You need to go straight along it and do not turn anywhere, gradually climbing uphill, as a result, run into the most important Greek attraction.

The Acropolis of Athens is not only the most ancient cultural monument of Greece, but also the whole world civilization as a whole. The word "Acropolis" consists of two bases: "acro" - "upper" and "polis" - "city". The “Upper Town” is located on a 156 m high natural limestone rock with a flat top, which offers breathtaking views of Athens, and has steep slopes on all sides except the western one. It was a fortified part of ancient Athens, where the main shrines of the city were located. The Acropolis, embodying the architectural and artistic spirit of ancient Athens, covers an area of \u200b\u200bapproximately 3 hectares.

The entire Acropolis was divided into sacred sites, which housed temples, shrines and altars dedicated to various gods. He, too, was the focus of the political and military life of the city: first of all, it was the residence of the ruler.
In the middle of the 7th century BC, on the Acropolis, the first large building appeared - the Temple of Polyad, which replaced the small sanctuary of the geometric period in which the city treasury was stored. The dimensions of the building and the first appeared pediment edging (only on the east side) were new. After the victory at the Marathon in 490 BC, it was decided to create a new temple on the Acropolis, next to the ancient Temple of Polyada, dedicated to Athena Pallas. This temple was narrower than the Parthenon, and had only 6 columns. However, the buildings were never completed, since the Persians who captured Athens completely destroyed the city and all the shrines of the Acropolis.

Map of the Acropolis of Athens

In 450 BC, under Pericles, who proclaimed the unification of the entire Greek world under the leadership of Athens, work began on creating an ensemble on the Acropolis of Athens, according to a single plan: Parthenon - temple of Athena Parthenos (447 - 438 BC), Propylaea - solemn gates, entrance to the Acropolis (437-432 BC), the temple of Niki Apteros (Wingless Victory, between 449 - 420 BC), the temple of Erechtheion (421 - 406 BC). The planning and construction of the Acropolis was carried out under the direction of Phidias.

Phidias is an Athenian sculptor (about 490 - about 430 BC), an outstanding representative of the classical art era of Ancient Greece. He supervised all the work on the Acropolis, the construction of the Parthenon, according to his sketches, and often with his hands, 92 metopes and a 159-meter frieze with a Panathenaic procession, sculptures of the Parthenon pediments, a statue of Athena Parthenos (Virgin) are created. He was put on trial for allegedly misappropriated precious materials and godlessness during the construction of the Acropolis, and was forced to leave Athens and move to the Peloponnese, where he created a number of other famous creations.

In the following centuries, the Acropolis suffered greatly from various wars and violent history unfolding in this territory. In 1205, the Franks (crusaders) took possession of Athens, and the Dukes of Delaroche arranged their residence in the Propylaea and in the Pinacoteca. The Parthenon at that time became the cathedral Notre Dame d "Athenes. Athens was conquered by the Ottoman army of Omar Turahan, commander Muhammad the Conqueror in 1456. The Parthenon turns into a mosque, Erechtheion into the harem of the Turkish commandant. In 1687, after the core fell from the Venetian ship the explosion destroyed almost the entire central part of the Parthenon, and in case of an unsuccessful attempt by the Venetians to remove the sculptures from the temple, several statues were destroyed.But despite the fact that the Acropolis’s works of art survived many natural disasters, they can’t To transfer the acts of vandalism of Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to Constantinople, he plundered practically the entire collection of statues, vases, monuments and priceless artifacts and brought them out of Greece.

Today, the cultural values \u200b\u200bof the Acropolis are carefully safeguarded and protected, and perhaps the main enemy of this world treasure is air pollution, which negatively affects marble. As a result of exhaust emissions into the atmosphere, there was an increase in the sulfur content in the air, which led to the transformation of marble into limestone. The iron structures that were used to join and strengthen the marble parts, and which were adjacent to it, destroyed the stone. To prevent destruction, part of the iron structures were removed and replaced with brass ones. But it is not possible to counteract chemical destruction, so some of the sculptures of the Acropolis were replaced with copies, and the originals are stored in the Acropolis Museum.

A wide zigzag road runs from the foot of the hill to the only entrance. It's famous Propylaea    - the main entrance to the Acropolis, which is a deep through portico with a colonnade; at the same time, the side passages were intended for walking citizens, and in the middle - riders and chariots passed, conducted sacrificial animals. They were built by the architect Mnesicle in 437-432 BC. Like other buildings of the Acropolis, the gates of the Propylaea were destroyed by the Persians and restored during the Pericles era, although the construction was never completed due to the threat of the Peloponnesian war.

To the left of the Propylaea is the building of the Pinakothek - an art gallery where portraits of the heroes of Attica were displayed. In the Pinakothek carpets were hung, on which people, after climbing the hill, could rest.

An unusually graceful marble temple adjoins the southwestern wing of the Propylaea - Temple of Nicky Apteros   built by architect Kallikrath. Its construction was carried out in 427 - 421 BC. Standing on a three-stage pedestal, the temple was surrounded on all sides by a sculptural ribbon of frieze, which depicted episodes of the struggle of the Greeks with the Persians, as well as the Olympic gods (Athena, Zeus, Poseidon).

The main attraction of the whole ensemble was and remains Parthenon    - the largest and most famous building in this ensemble, which is also called the "anthem" of ancient Greece and the "beauty of simplicity."

Parthenon (from Greek parthenos - virgin) - the temple of the goddess Athena Parthenos (Virgo) - the greatest monument of ancient Greek art. It was erected by order of Pericles in 447 - 438 BC, on the site of the temple unfinished and destroyed by the Persians. The Parthenon is a marble Doric peripter with 17 columns along the long sides, and 8 columns along the end.

Not far from the northwestern wall of the Acropolis was the royal palace, and after its destruction, the temple of Hekatompedon, dedicated to the city’s patroness, Athena, was erected at almost the same place. The Greeks revered this goddess so highly that they released all the slaves who participated in the construction of this temple. But during the Greco-Persian wars (480 - 479 BC), Hekatompedon was plundered and burned by order of the Persian king Xerxes.

The northern side of the Acropolis of Athens is decorated with a handsome marble temple Erechtheion    , which is the finest creation of classical art. It was built on the site of the palace of the rulers of Mycenae in 421 - 406 BC, and became the place of worship of the Athenians. The Ionian temple, located near the Parthenon, is dedicated to Athena, Poseidon and the legendary king of Athens - Erechtheus, who gave the name of the temple.

The greatest interest in Erechtheion is the Portico of the Daughters, consisting of six sculptures of the most beautiful girls, who, playing the role of columns, support the roof of the temple. In Byzantine times they were nicknamed the Caryatids - women from a small town named Kariya, who were famous for their exceptional beauty. The Turks, who had captured Athens at one time and, in their Muslim beliefs, did not allow human images to destroy these statues, however, did not. We limited ourselves to harassing the faces of the girls.

At the top of the flagpole, located on the highest point of the hill, stands the Greek national flag. During the Second World War, when the Germans captured Greece and Athens, Konstantinos Kukidis, the Evzon guarding the flag, was ordered to remove it. Konstantinos obeyed, removed the flag, and, turning into it, threw himself down from the cliff, and crashed to death. And on the night of May 31, 1941, a pair of eighteen-year-old Athenians, Manolis Glezos and Apostolis Santas, made their way to the top of the Acropolis of Athens and tore off the flag hanging there with the German swastika. Today, every day, at 6:30 in the morning, a special detachment of Greek soldiers hoists the flag over the Acropolis of Athens, and at sunset another squad of foot soldiers rises to the hill, which lowers the flag at night.

At the foot of the Acropolis of Athens there is an ancient multi-level theater in which, every summer and autumn evening, the sounds of singing and musical instruments are heard, since at this time there are performances of classical dramas, games of symphony orchestras, dance programs and operas. Odeon Herod Attica   , more famous under the name Herodeion, was made in the form of a semicircle, the radius of which is 80 meters, and its capacity is so high that it can fit up to 5 thousand people.

The Colonnade of Eumenes   was one of the largest structures located on the southern slope of the Acropolis of Athens. Its length was 162 meters. This building was erected by the powerful king of Pergamum - Eumenes II (198 - 160 years BC). The colonnade was built from stones stacked on top of each other, brought from the island of Poros, as well as from Pergamon and Gimett marble. It extends from the beautiful Theater of Dionysus, and today reaches the Odeon of Herod Atticus.

On the southern slope of the Acropolis is the oldest of the currently known theaters -   Dionysus Theater . Legend has it that the Athenians killed Dionysus when he first arrived in Attica and treated the locals with wine. Initially, the theater was wooden, and a century later, the steps for seating the audience were replaced with stone, and a permanent stage was built.

For almost 60 years, excavations have been conducted on the Odeon of Pericles, which revealed to the world a beautiful large building with a huge number of columns of the Acropolis of Athens. Work in this place was carried out by Kastriotis (1914 - 1927) and Orlandos (1928 - 1931), and the result of these excavations was the appearance of the northern part of the building and five columns, which were located on the southeast corner.

Restoring the unique values \u200b\u200bof the Acropolis of Athens and interfering in the structure of their material requires the highest responsibility. It requires experience in field work, very deep knowledge of this area, knowledge of the basics of conservation and the basics of restoration, constant attention in carrying out technical work with architectural objects, the ability to properly demonstrate their findings at museum sites. Many more years will pass until the moment when all the work is completed, but just then, the Acropolis of Athens, with all its ancient monuments, will appear before our descendants in all its Hellenic beauty.

The Acropolis has become accessible to people with physical disabilities! In accordance with the requirements of the International Olympic Acropolitan Committee and the European Union, the permits of the Greek Ministry of Culture, the Central Council for Archeology and the Minister’s order, you can climb the hill using the elevator built over the Kanellopoulos Museum, on the northern slope. To the north of the main entrance is a special entrance through which a wheelchair user and his companion can reach the elevator. A special moving platform lifts from the sidewalk to the elevator level.

The Acropolis rises above all Athens, rising above the hill, the Parthenon, in ancient times, could be seen from any end of Attica, and even from the islands of Salamis and Aegina. The Acropolis was known as the famous cult center, and as a monument of great art, confirming the glory of Athens, as the most beautiful city on earth. The well-thought-out composition of the entire ensemble, the perfectly proportioned general proportions, the finest modeling of architectural details and their unusually accurate drawing, the close relationship of architecture and sculptural decoration make the Acropolis structures the highest achievement of ancient Greek architecture, and one of the most outstanding monuments of world art.

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