GREECE - Athens (Acropolis)

Rising up about 156m from the basin of Athens is the Acropolis of Athens. Acropolis in Greek means highest city. This 5th Century BC ancient Greek monumental complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is definitely the most famous attraction in Greece.

Before proceeding to Acropolis, I first visited the Panathenaic Stadium.




Panathenaic Stadium is located at the site of an ancient stadium.



The stadium hosted the first modern Olympic games in 1896 and it is built entirely in marble.








The marble statue of George Averoff (Greek benefactor who provided completion funding for the refurbishment of the stadium for 1896 Olympics) now stands at the entrance.



After visiting the stadium, I headed to the Acropolis Museum which is 300 meters from the Acropolis.





It’s a beautiful modern looking building.



Glass floor to allow visitors to view the exposed two layers of ancient houses and workshops beneath. The museum is elevated above the ground on pillars to preserve this ancient site.



The general admission fee is EUR 5 with the exception that it’s free on 25 March, 18 May (International Museum Day) and 28 October. Upon arrival, visitors need to go through an x-ray baggage control system.



This timetable of opening hours is copied from the official website of Acropolis Museum. For more information, you can visit: http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/en



The souvenir shop inside the museum.



No backpacks are allowed in the museum. So it must be deposited at the cloakroom.



Once I left my backpack, time to enter the museum. The first exhibition area is called the slopes of the Acropolis. Photographs are not allowed in this area and the Archaic Gallery on level 1. Photographs is allowed in remaining areas.









Mini model of the Parthenon.







View from the first floor.







There’s even a Lego version of the Parthenon on the second floor.





This is the restaurant on the second floor with panoramic view of the Acropolis. Hot dishes are served after 12 noon.





Level 3 is the video area and Parthenon gallery.



The statue of goddess Athena.



All the columns of Parthenon were designed to be have slight diminution in diameter as they rise to serve as a sort of optical illusion.



The sculptures on the pediment of the Parthenon. Most of the surviving sculptures are today in the British Museum and the Acropolis Museum, but a few pieces are also in the Louvre, and museums in Rome, Vienna and Palermo.



The Parthenon was converted into a Christian church in the 6th century.



Later, the Ottoman Turkish forces invaded Athens and the Parthenon became a mosque in the 15th century.



In 1678, the Parthenon was extensively damaged. The Ottoman Turks used it as a gunpowder storage place. A Venetian mortar round fired from the Philopappus Hill blew up the Parthenon.



Sculptures were looted from the ruin causing further damage.



The West Pediment depicted the contest between Athena and Poseidon during their competition for the honor of becoming the city’s patron.



The East Pediment narrates the birth of Athena from the head of her father, Zeus.



The Parthenon Gallery exhibits the replicas of sculptures and carvings.















The archaeological excavation at the museum site.





A luxurious house on the Dionysiou Aeropagitou Street.



Fancy for a horse carriage ride?



Athens Happy Train also stops at the Acropolis.



The facade of Odeon of Herodes Atticus.



Tickets of concert are sold here as well from time to time.



Entry to the Acropolis was EUR 12 in 2015. But I found that it’ll be increased to EUR 20 from April to October in 2016 and from November 2016 to March 2017, the price will be reduced by 50%. The ticket cannot be bought in advance online. It can only be purchased at the entrance to the Acropolis and the ticket kiosk at the entrance of each of the other participating archaeology site. Mine was already included in a tour package which includes Panathenaic Stadium, Acropolis Museum and Acropolis.



Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theatre structure on the southwest slope of Acropolis. It was built by Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife in 161 AD.



Originally, it has a wooden roof. But it was destroyed and turned into a ruin by the Heruli in 267 AD.









Ascending the steps towards the Parthenon which was packed with visitors.



The Temple of Athena Nike at the south west corner to the right of the entrance. Nike means victory in Greek. It is considerably smaller than other temples of the Acropolis.



Passing through the Propylaea, the monumental entrance to the Acropolis.



The most important monuments of Acropolis: the Parthenon on the right and the Erechtheion on the right.





The Erechtheion was dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon. It sits on the sacred site where Poseidon and Athena had contest who would be the Patron of the city. Poseidon thrust his trident into the rock and a spring burst forth. Athena touched the ground with a spear and an olive tree grew. Athena was declared the victor and the city of Athens was named after her.



The temple faces east with its entrance lined with six long Ionic columns.



The porch on the south-west corner is supported by six massive female statues, the Caryatids.



The Parthenon was still undergoing restoration works when I visited it. It replaced an older temple of Athena, Older Parthenon which was destroyed in the Persian invasion of 480 BC.



The Parthenon was not a place for worship, it was built as a tribute to commemorate the Greek victories over Persians and it was used as a treasury to store tribute paid by other Greek city-states.















Finally, with a bit of patience and luck, I managed to take a picture of the Pathenon, clear from the swamp of visitors.



Lucky!







The national flag of Greece on the northeast corner of Acropolis.



Time to take a closer look to the Erechtheion.



Although it is not as majestic as the Parthenon, the elegance of Erechtheion is equally mesmerizing.





The porch on the northwest corner is supported by tall Ionic columns.









The Theatre of Dionysus was built at the foot of the Acropolis. It is dedicated to the god of plays and wine, Dionysus.



Odeon of Herodes Atticus.



Time to leave Acropolis.















Many tourists buy cold lemonade or drinks especially during summer to quench their thirst after visiting the Acropolis. My visit to the Acropolis ended here but my explore around Athens city continued. Stay tuned!