Acropolis of Athens, Ancient citadel and archaeological site in Athens, Greece
The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel on a limestone plateau rising above the city, where several temple structures built from Pentelic marble stand. The Doric Parthenon occupies the central position, while the Erechtheion with its caryatid porch and the smaller Ionic shrine to Athena Nike sit along the flanks.
After Persian troops destroyed earlier buildings in 480 BCE, Pericles began reconstruction from 447 BCE under architects Iktinos and Kallikrates. Centuries later, Byzantine rule turned the Parthenon into a Christian church before Ottoman conquerors used it as a mosque and ammunition store until Venetian shelling in 1687 destroyed large sections of the structure.
Visitors from every corner of the world gather on this hill to stand where the foundations of Western thought and art were shaped centuries ago. Greek families arrive on weekends to walk among the columns with their children, pointing out the stones and explaining how this place defines their sense of who they are.
The grounds open daily in the morning and close later in summer than in winter, with the first hour after opening usually being quieter. An elevator on the southern flank brings wheelchair users to the upper level, while most visitors climb the paved paths that can become slippery and tiring in heat.
The architects built slight curves into the columns and steps so they would appear straight to the human eye and compensate for atmospheric distortion. No column stands truly vertical but tilts minimally inward, while the apparently level base rises gently along its length to avoid the optical illusion of sagging in the middle.
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