History of the Athenian Acropolis and description of its sights. Brief description about the Athenian Acropolis

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 staying. When the shells of the besieged began to come to an end, they began to destroy the columns of the Parthenon in order to make ammunition out of the parts holding them together. The Greeks could not allow this, and therefore, in order for the enemies to leave the ancient monument of architecture alone, they sent them a batch 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 it occupies is about three hectares (300 meters long, 170 meters wide). You can find the new Acropolis at: Dionysiou Areopagitou 15, Athens 117 42, and geographical map– detect at the following coordinates: 37° 58′ 17.12″ s. sh., 23° 43′ 34.2″ E d.

The Acropolis of Athens is a complex of structures most of which was built in the 5th century. BC. the best architects of Hellas. Initially, it was intended not so much for the defense of the city, but for holding pagan services. On its territory was built great amount temples dedicated to Athena (the most famous Acropolis Parthenon), as well as Poseidon and Nike.

Actively building up the Acropolis in Athens began in the 7th-6th centuries. BC. and one of the significant buildings of that time was Hekatompedon, the temple of the most revered goddess ancient Greece, Athens. True, a century later, during the Greco-Persian war, the Persians destroyed most of the sanctuaries, and having driven the enemies from their territory, the Greeks began to build the New Acropolis.

lead construction work was entrusted to the famous sculptor of that time, Phidias (the author of one of the wonders of the world, the statue of Zeus at Olympia), who, judging by the descriptions of his contemporaries, developed the plan for the architectural complex. And he was helped to create a new Acropolis by the most eminent architects of those times - Callicrates, Mnesicles, Iktin, Archilochus and others. The new Acropolis in Greece, erected by ancient masters, speaks of high level architecture of the ancient Hellenes.

What does the Acropolis look like?

It was possible to climb to the top of the rock of the Acropolis of Athens only from the western side along a zigzag road, from other sides it was impregnable. Below, at the foot, there were two theaters - Dionysus, built by the Greeks, and the Odeon of Herod Atticus, erected by the Romans in the II century. AD If you look at the map, you can see that the monuments of the Acropolis in Greece have about fifteen buildings (together with theaters), plus a museum is currently open on its territory in a separate 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 wearing a helmet, leaning on a spear with her right hand, she had a shield in her left (the helmet and the tip of the spear were made of gold). Promakhos 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 - the sailors saw the golden helmet and the tip of the spear shining in the sun 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 the architect Mnesicles from white Pentelian and gray Eleuscan marble. The Propylaea consists of three parts: the central one, in which there were six Doric columns, and two adjacent wings. It is interesting that Ionic columns were installed on both sides of the main passage - apparently, this principle of combining columns of two different types was used here for the first time.

Parthenon (447 - 438 BC)

The Greeks are convinced that the Acropolis and the Parthenon are two inseparable concepts, since it is impossible to imagine them without each other. The Parthenon was erected by Callicrates 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 southern and northern sides of the sanctuary, eight on the western and eastern (the entrances to the temple were also located here).

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

The main hall of the Parthenon was divided into three parts with the help of two rows of columns. In the depths of this architectural monument, there was a twelve-meter sculpture of Athena. AT right hand the goddess had Nike, on the left side was a spear. The face and hands of the statue were carved from Ivory, weapons and clothes are poured out of gold, precious stones shone in the eyes.

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

At the western entrance there is a square parthenon hall, which housed the archive and treasury of the city maritime union. Presumably, the name of the Greek temple came 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 Conqueror (449 - 421 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 southwest of the Propylaea, on a small ledge of a rock, which was previously fortified retaining wall. The author of this original architectural monument was the author of the Parthenon, Callicrates. The sanctuary was surrounded by columns, while on three sides the building was surrounded by walls, while on the eastern side, where the entrance to the temple was located, there was no wall, instead of it 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 goddess of Victory, which was located 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, was dedicated to two gods at once, Athena and Poseidon, and got its name because of the remains of the tomb of the ruler Erechtheus found on its territory.

The shrine is located behind the back of Promachos and was erected in the place where, according to legend, Athena argued with Poseidon. According to the description of eyewitnesses, near the temple grew olive Tree and in the floor there was a trace from the blow of the staff of Poseidon. The story goes that the olive burned down when ancient acropolis set on fire by the Persians, but after his release it revived.

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

Acropolis today

Unfortunately, history did not spare the Athenian Acropolis: people first made the Church of the Mother of God from the Parthenon, then a mosque, the Erechtheion became the harem of the Turkish Pasha, the Temple of the Wingless Nike was dismantled and a fortress wall was erected from it, and during the war with Turkey in the 19th century. he was significantly damaged by a projectile fired by the Turks. Contributed to the destruction of the unique complex strongest earthquake in Greece in 1894.

As soon as the Greeks regained power over the city, they were engaged in the restoration of their sights. After Greece proclaimed late XIX Art. independence, this issue was taken up 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 how it looked in antiquity.

They liquidated all the late buildings of the Acropolis, rebuilt the temple of Nike, created copies of the sculptures and replaced the originals with them, taking them to museums for storage, one of which was placed at the foot of the cliff. The new Athens Acropolis Museum was opened in 2009. Interestingly, it 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.

In the distant, legendary times, when the Achaean kings built "strong-walled" palaces made of huge blocks of stone, and their squads attacked Crete and the Aegean coast, in Attica, on the Acropolis - a rocky hill 156 m high located in the center of the plain, irrigated by the Ilissus River and its tributary Eridanus, the city of Kekropia arose, the future world-famous Athens ...
The ruins of the Acropolis are best viewed in the early summer mornings or evenings. At dawn, the first rays of the sun, sliding along the slopes of the mountains of Parnet and Egalea, paint the rocks of Salamina in a pinkish-violet color, run along the peaks of the Pnyx and the Areopagus and linger for a long time on the Acropolis. The evening sun gilds and ignites the Parthenon; the clear air gives life to the shadows, and it seems that the ruins are as beautiful as the newly built temples were once beautiful. In the middle of the day, the Acropolis is flooded with bright light, lengthening the black shadows of the capitals and ceilings of the columns. At this hour, the sun burns like molten metal, blinding the eyes. And on those rare days in Athens, when the sky darkens, as before a storm, the temples on the mountain become dull and gray, like the ashes of bygone centuries...

According to legend, Athens was founded by the legendary king Kekrops. The Greeks attributed to him the establishment of monogamous marriage, the founding of 12 cities, the prohibition of human sacrifice and the establishment of the cult of Zeus the Thunderer, Olympian Zeus. With the name of another legendary king - Erichtonius (or Erechtheus, although there is great confusion in the identification of these two names), the son of the blacksmith god Hephaestus and the goddess of the Earth Gaia, the establishment of the cult of the goddess Athena in Attica and the renaming of Kekropia in her honor, the beginning of coinage, the introduction of chariot races. A descendant of Erichthonius was king Aegeus, whose son. Theseus, killed the Minotaur and freed Athens from the heavy tribute to Crete. Theseus, who after his return from Crete became the king of Athens, is considered the founder of Athenian democracy.
In distant legendary times, legends about how it arose take us away.
... the magnificent city of Athens,
The region of King Erechtheus, whom Mother Earth gave birth to in ancient times, was raised by Pallas Athena.
And she brought her into Athens, and she placed her in her shining temple. Homer. Iliad

Back in the II millennium BC. the territory of the Acropolis coincided with the original territory of Athens and was surrounded by defensive walls. Particularly powerful fortifications were built on the western, gently sloping side of the hill. Here was erected Enneapilon - "Nine-Gate", a bastion with nine gates. Outside the walls was the ancient palace of the Athenian kings - the "Palace of Erechtheus." Later, the sanctuary of the goddess Athena appeared in this palace, and even later all the buildings of a secular nature found other places for themselves, and the Acropolis became the center of the religious life of ancient Athens. The name of the Sacred Rock was assigned to it - numerous sanctuaries dedicated to the goddess Athena, the patroness of the city, were located here.
Athens, named after the daughter of Zeus Athena, served as the main center of the cult of this goddess. According to Greek mythology, Athena stepped out in full armor from the head of Zeus. She was the beloved daughter of the god of thunder, whom he could not refuse in anything. The eternally virgin goddess of the sky, she, along with Zeus, sent thunder and lightning, but also heat and light. Athena is a warrior goddess who reflects the blows of enemies; patroness of agriculture, popular assemblies of citizenship; the embodiment of pure reason, the highest wisdom; goddess of science and art. Climbing the hill of the Acropolis, the ancient Hellenes seemed to enter the kingdom of this many-sided goddess.

The creation of the majestic ensemble of the Acropolis is associated with the victory of the Greeks in Greco-Persian Wars Oh. Representatives of all Greek cities, who gathered in 449 BC, adopted the plan for building the Sacred Rock proposed by Pericles. The grandiose architectural and artistic ensemble was to become a worthy monument to the great victory. The wealth of Athens and its dominant position provided Pericles with ample opportunities in the construction he conceived. To decorate the famous city, he drew funds at his own discretion from temple treasuries, and even from the general treasury of the states of the Athenian Maritime Union.
Whole mountains of snow-white marble, mined nearby, were delivered to the foot of the Acropolis. The best Greek architects, sculptors and painters considered it an honor to work for the glory of the universally recognized capital of Hellenic art. Several architects participated in the construction of the Acropolis. But, according to Plutarch, Phidias was in charge of everything. In the whole ensemble, one can feel the unity of its design and a single principle that has left its mark on the details of all the most important monuments.
The hill on which the monuments of the Acropolis were erected is uneven in outline. The builders did not come into conflict with nature, but, having accepted it as it is, they ennobled it with their art, creating an ensemble that is more perfect in its harmony than nature. Harmonious buildings of the Acropolis reign over a shapeless block of rock, as if symbolizing the victory of reason over chaos. On an uneven hill, the ensemble is perceived gradually. Every monument lives in it own life, each is deeply individual, and its beauty is revealed to the eye in parts, without violating the unity of the impression.

Above the steep slope of the sacred hill, the architect Mnesicles erected the famous white marble buildings of the Propylaea - the solemn entrance to the Acropolis, with located on different levels Doric porticos connected by an Ionic colonnade. Striking the imagination, the majestic harmony of the Propylaea immediately introduced the visitor to the world of beauty, affirmed by human genius. On the other side of the Propylaea stood on the square of the Acropolis a giant bronze statue of Athena Promachos, Athena the Warrior, sculpted by Phidias. The fearless daughter of Zeus personified the military power and glory of her city. From the foot of the statue, vast distances opened up to the gaze, and the sailors, rounding the southern tip of Attica, clearly saw the high helmet and spear of the warrior goddess sparkling in the sun.
Beyond the square rose the columns of the Parthenon, the great temple, under whose shadow once stood another statue of Athena, also sculpted by Phidias: the statue of Athena the Virgin, Athena Parthenos. Like the Olympian Zeus, it was a chrysoelephantine statue, that is, made of gold and ivory. About 1200 kg of precious metal went into its manufacture. Today, only the testimonies of ancient authors, a reduced copy that has survived to this day, and coins and medallions with the image of Athena give us an idea of ​​\u200b\u200bthis masterpiece of Phidias.

The columns of the Parthenon, which once shone with the whiteness of Pentelicon marble, seem to have been covered with a noble patina over the past centuries. Painted in brownish-gold tones, they stand out in relief against the blue sky. The Parthenon was the temple of Athena Polias (Guardian of the City) and was usually called simply "Temple" or "Great Temple".
The Parthenon was built in 447-438. BC. architects Iktin and Kallikrat under the general direction of Phidias. In agreement with Pericles, he wished to embody the idea of ​​a triumphant democracy in this most important monument of the Acropolis. The design of the temple was carefully thought out. The book about the work of Iktin and his assistant Catlikrates is unfortunately lost, but the very fact of its existence points to a large preliminary theoretical work. This largely explains the speed of construction, which, according to Plutarch, bordered on a miracle: the temple was built in just 9 years. Finishing work continued until 432 BC.
The pinnacle of ancient architecture, the Parthenon was already recognized in antiquity as the most remarkable monument of the Doric style. It is almost impossible to notice with the naked eye that in its appearance ... there are practically no straight lines. The columns of the Parthenon (eight on the facades and seventeen on the sides) are slightly tilted inward with a slight convex curvature of the basement and ceiling horizontals. These deviations from the canon, barely perceptible to the eye, have crucial. Without changing its basic laws, the heavy Doric order here acquires an unconstrained elegance, which creates a powerful architectural image of impeccable clarity and purity.

The Erechtheion is the second most important monument of the Acropolis. In ancient times, it was the main temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. And if the Parthenon was assigned the role of a public temple, then the Erechtheion is rather a priestly temple. Here the main sacraments related to the worship of Athena were performed, and an ancient statue of this goddess was kept here.
All the main shrines of Athens were concentrated within the walls of the Erechtheion. The temple itself was built on the site of the legendary dispute between Athena and Poseidon for power over Athens. According to legend, the gods gave the right to resolve this dispute to the elders of Athens. The judges decided to give the victory to that of the gods, whose gift would be more valuable to the city. Poseidon struck with his trident and a salt spring gushed out of the slope of the Acropolis. Athena struck with a spear - and an olive tree grew on the Acropolis. This gift seemed more useful to the Athenians. Thus, Athena emerged victorious in the dispute, and the olive tree became the symbol of the city.
In one of the halls of the Erechtheion one could see the trace left by the trident of Poseidon on the rock during his dispute with Athena. Since this shrine was always to be under open sky, holes were made in the ceiling of the portico, which have survived to this day. Nearby was the entrance to a cave located under the temple, where the sacred snake of the goddess Athena lived, which was considered the personification of the legendary king and hero, the patron of Athens Erechtheus (or Erichthonius - these two mythological heroes are sometimes separated, sometimes identified), after which the temple got its name.
Under the northern portico of the temple, the tomb of Erechtheus was preserved, and in the western part - a well with salt water. He was considered the very source that Poseidon created, and. according to legend, communicated with the sea. In front of the Erechtheion, since ancient times, a sacred olive tree grew, which grew from the blow of the spear of the goddess Athena, and in the corner near the western facade of the temple there was Kekropeyon - the tomb and sanctuary of the legendary Kekrops, the first king of Attica. Today, the world-famous portico of caryatids, the architectural symbol of the Erechtheion, rises above it. There is an assumption that the prototypes of the caryatids of the Erechtheion were the harrephors - the servants of the cult of Athena, who were elected from the best families of Athens. Their functions included the manufacture of a sacred peplos, in which the ancient statue of Athena, kept in the Erechtheion, was annually dressed up.
The goddess Athena appears on the Acropolis and in another of her incarnations - Athena Nike, the goddess of victory. The first sanctuary of Nike on the Acropolis was destroyed by the Persians during the Greco-Persian Wars. In 448 BC, on the occasion of the peace that ended the war with the Persians. it was decided to build a new temple of Athena Nike on the Acropolis, or, as it was also called, the temple of “Wingless Victory”: although the goddess of victory, Nike, was always depicted as winged, Athena the Victorious could not, and should not have had wings.
The Propylaea and the temple of Athena Nike, standing nearby, complemented each other. Their architectural connection created a unique ensemble of the entrance to the sacred rock of the Acropolis. The temple was built by the architect Callicrates in 427-424. BC. This graceful small building, built of marble, has dimensions of 5.6 × 8.3 m. In front of the temple of Athena Nike, there was an open-air altar intended for sacrifices.
During the Turkish rule, the temple of Nike was dismantled and used to build fortifications. In the 1830s, after Greece gained independence, the Turkish fortification was carefully dismantled, and the Temple of Nike was rebuilt. In 1935-1940. it was reconstructed again, and now it appears in all its glory - of course, adjusted for the all-destroying effect of time. And, as you know, it is inexorable, and today the monuments of the Acropolis, which survived wars, perestroika and human vandalism, are exposed to man-made dangers: for several decades, acid rain and poisonous smog have corroded the white marble of ancient temples. There are many plans to save the Acropolis, but so far none of them have been implemented, so the restorers will probably not be out of work for a long time.

This is the elevated part or the so-called upper city. Fortifications were built here, where in case of attacks citizens could hide and, of course, the most basic temples were erected here. All ancient Greek cities had acropolises, but the most famous is the Acropolis of Athens, towering 150 meters above the main city.

The Acropolis rises above all of Athens, its silhouette forms the skyline of the city. Rising above the hill in ancient times could be seen from any end of Attica and even from the islands of Salamis and Aegina; sailors approaching the shore could already see from afar the brilliance of the spear and helmet of Athena the Warrior.

The Acropolis just refers to those places that are said to be magnificent and delightful. It is considered to be a miracle that has survived to this day, even despite the fact that all the buildings are extremely laconic in their form, and the entire Acropolis can be walked in an hour.

The walls of the Acropolis are steep and steep. Previously, there was a huge amount of valuables, various sculptures inside. Now only four great structures can be found inside the Acropolis.

History of the Acropolis

The construction of the Acropolis began in the 2nd century BC. But during the Greco-Persian wars, it was completely destroyed. For almost a century, he stood in a terrible state.

By the middle of the 5th century BC, Athens became the most prosperous city in Hellas, an economic and cultural center. It reached its peak during the reign of Pericles. On his initiative, the city began to be decorated with all sorts of buildings. In 449, the grandiose reconstruction of the Acropolis was completed.

The Athenian Acropolis was built, as they say, on a grand scale. It is impossible to capture it with one glance. Of course, today only a small part of that ancient structure has been preserved, but even now it is worthy of admiration. To begin with, it is worth getting acquainted with the Acropolis, which existed under the ancient Greeks.

Only one entrance led to the Acropolis along a narrow road located on the western side. This entrance is through the gates of the Propylaea, built by the architect Mnesicles in 437-432 BC. The gates were decorated with a wide staircase and two porticos, one of which faces the hill, and the second - to the city. Once upon a time, the ceilings of the Propylaea were painted with golden stars against the blue sky.

The Propylaea are surrounded by the walls of the temple of the Wingless Nike. Small building with 4 columns. This temple was designed as early as 450 BC, but construction could only begin in 427. They built it for 6 years. In ancient times, inside the temple was a wooden statue of the goddess of victory. Traditionally, Nika was depicted as a girl with a pair of wings, but the ancient Greeks depicted her without wings so that victory would not “fly away” from them.

Entering through the gate, one could immediately see the statue of Athena, erected in 456-445 by the sculptor Phidias. Athena was depicted with a shield in her left hand and a spear in her right, she had a military helmet on her head. The height of the statue was 7 meters, and the spear was even more - 9 meters.

To the left of the statue of Athena was a temple. It was dedicated to Athena, Poseidon and King Erechtheus. It was in this temple that the most valuable was kept, in particular, a wooden statue of a warrior goddess, which, according to legend, fell from the sky; the sacred peplos, which was woven by priestesses, the altars of Ifest and Erechtheus .. The most important rites were performed in this temple.

The temple of Erichtheion was small in size (23 by 11 meters), but it united several sanctuaries under it at once. The temple was uneven in its height: the western part of the building is 3 meters lower than the eastern side. This is because the temple was built on uneven ground.

The interior space was divided into two parts. On the western side was the sanctuary of the Erechtheion, and on the eastern side was the sanctuary of Pallas Athena. The sculptural decoration of the temple was very rich. All around the perimeter there were friezes, the theme of which was myths.

A sacred olive tree grew in front of the western facade of the temple, but it was cut down, and the temple itself was destroyed.

In the center of the Acropolis was the Parthenon, also dedicated to the goddess Athena. It was built over 9 years (447 - 438 BC). Its architects were Iktin and Kallikrat. The Parthenon was a rectangular building measuring 70 by 31 meters, surrounded on all sides by columns - 17 on the longitudinal sides and 8 columns on the end parts of the temple.

The Parthenon is richly decorated with various sculptural elements created by prominent masters. ancient world(Phidias, Alkamen, Agoracritus, Callimachus). The popular notion that Greek temples were always colored is actually wrong. In ancient times, the Parthenon was very colorful, and according to today's tastes, it is even almost luridly painted. Of course, over time, the paint fades, so the temples that have survived to this day are exclusively white color.

The interior of the Parthenon was divided into two parts. The first part is the cella, where the 12-meter statue of Athena, created by Phidias, was located. Athena was wearing a luxurious helmet and festive elegant clothes. The face of the goddess and her hands Phidias made of ivory, and the clothes were covered with gold plates.

The second room was intended for priestess girls who worked on making sacred vestments goddesses.

Modern Acropolis

The modern Acropolis bears little resemblance to the one that existed many centuries ago. Modern tourists can get to the site where the Propylaea are located through the Beile gate, built in the Roman-Byzantine era. They got their name in honor of the archaeologist Beyle, who in 1853 discovered them under the remains of a Turkish fortification. Right in front of the entrance are the ruins of the Temple of the Wingless Nike, which was destroyed by the Turks when they captured the city. In the middle of the 19th century, when Turkish rule was overthrown, they tried to restore the temple, but it was no longer possible to make it the same as before.

Much of the Acropolis was irretrievably destroyed. For example, the statue of Athena the Warrior was taken to Constantinople, where it was destroyed in the 13th century.

The Temple of the Erechtheion repeatedly suffered from robbers, especially during the Greek struggle for independence in 1821-1827. Only in 1906 they began to carry out the reconstruction of the temple, restoring it on the preserved foundation.

The Parthenon in the 13th century was turned into christian temple. During turkish wars The Parthenon was shelled. The main building and the colonnade were completely destroyed. Nowadays, it has been partially restored, but its former grandeur has already been lost.

Of course, the modern Acropolis is not so majestic, but even today it is one of the most beautiful buildings on our planet. Much has been destroyed, if not completely destroyed. But something has been preserved and still attracts tourists to Athens.

The Acropolis is the legendary symbol of the Greek capital - the city of Athens. A piece of history, a shrine that has found incredible fame all over the world. A cult architectural complex rises on the city hill, consisting of several fortified ancient Greek buildings - this is the whole Acropolis. He, like an invisible thread, binds ancient civilization with modern Greece. The Acropolis is the most valuable historical and cultural monument that belongs not only to one's own country, but to the whole world. Millions of tourists and pilgrims from all over the world come to admire this grandiose complex every year.

A bit of history

The history of the Acropolis dates back to ancient times. When on the territory of the legendary Attica appeared new town. In the 15th century BC, the residence of the Mycenaean kings settled here. During the reign of Pisistratus, a beautiful temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, Hekatompedon, was erected within the city.

In the 5th century BC, most of the Acropolis was destroyed by Persian soldiers. The revival of the city began 3 years later under Pericles. Greece was conquered in the 15th century Ottoman Empire. And numerous temples ancient complex turned into mosques. After Greece became officially free (19th century), new work began on the restoration and restoration of the appearance of the Acropolis.

Buildings of the Acropolis

At the entrance to the territory of the architectural complex, you can see the famous gates of the Propylaea - the brainchild of the famous ancient Greek architect Mnesicles. Only a few snow-white columns and part of the roof have survived to this day. The tour of the holy city starts from the southern slope of the hill. Here rises the oldest theater in Greece - the theater of Dionysus. In the 5th century, famous Greek playwrights Euripides, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Aristophanes presented their creations on its wooden stage. The seats in the auditorium were also made of wood. The stage and benches made of marble appeared only in the 4th century BC. At present, tourists can see a huge auditorium in the shape of a semicircle and part of a dilapidated facade. In the 2nd millennium BC, during the reign of Eumenes II, a fortified portico was added to the theater of Dionysus. In sweltering heat or extreme cold, viewers could take refuge in it. Today it is an elongated stone structure, “shabby” and damaged by time.

The next point of the tour is the legend of the Acropolis - the sacred temple of the goddess Athena Parthenon. At one time it was the most beautiful building of the complex, an unsurpassed masterpiece of architectural art. In the 6th century BC, a small archaic temple was built on the site of the Parthenon. In the 5th century BC, a new, beautiful building, made of white Pentelian marble, grew on its ruins. The central hall of the temple was decorated with the golden goddess Athena, the creation of the sculptor Phidias. Now restoration work is underway on the territory of the Parthenon, so admire the "remains" Ancient Greece can only be outside. To date, only a small part of the temple has remained - a few elegant antique columns, towering on a powerful marble foundation. The walls and roof of the Parthenon are practically gone.

Erechtheion and Areopagus

Another notable building of the Acropolis is the ancient Erechtheion temple, built in the 5th century BC, which is not inferior in beauty even to the Parthenon. At present, only a few columns remain from the temple, an original portico decorated with sculptures of young girls, and several dilapidated walls.

The Areopagus is the place where the famous ancient court sat in ancient Greece. The first city parliament appeared here. The most interesting thing is that the courthouse was "carved out" of the sacred rock. At first glance, it seems as if it is part of it, as if growing out of the ground. To this day, small "crumbs" of this building have survived, ruins in which the "spirit of justice" still hovers.

The Acropolis Museum is very popular with tourists. Within its walls you can learn a lot of interesting things about ancient civilization, tyrant kings, the history of the city, Greek architecture, etc. The pearls of its exposition are - Moskhofor, a unique sculpture dated to the 6th millennium BC. In the center of the composition is a young man bringing a “golden” calf as a gift to the goddess Athena. Koras are several graceful, refined figures belonging to young girls. The sculptures are so realistic that you can see their hairstyles, facial features and even folds on the national clothes. The frieze slabs are rectangular plates depicting the Olympian gods. On some plates you can see whole scenes from ancient Greek mythology. Caryatids - statues of the ancient priestesses of the Erechtheion temple.

How to get there?

The sacred hill of Athens is located in the western part of the capital. You can get to it by metro, using its 2 line, moving to the Acropolis station. And you can get there by trolleybus number 15, 5 and 1 or by bus number 208, number 106, number 135, number E22. Those who decide to make a walking trip need to move from the center of the capital along Dionysiou Areopagitou street, without turning straight anywhere. The Acropolis is open for visits daily from 8:00 to 18:00. The ticket price is 12 euros.

Address: Athens 105 58, Greece

Telephone:+30 21 0321 4172

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Each policy of Ancient Greece had its own Acropolis, but none of them can surpass the Athenian in scale, layout and concentration of such a number of monuments of past eras.

Without it, the capital of Greece is simply unthinkable, it is rightfully considered its calling card, a real mecca for tourists from all over the world. Here time stands still, it is frozen in impeccable grace architectural forms. Everything here looks majestic and impresses with its scope and monumentality, testifying to the high level of development of the culture of the ancient Greeks and remaining a model of world architecture for centuries.

Originally on the hill of the Acropolis was imperial palace, and in the 7th century BC, large-scale reconstruction began and the foundation was laid for the first and most significant temple - the Parthenon. It impresses not only with its size, but also with a special layout - it can be seen in volume. If you look at the building from the side of the central gate, three walls appear at the same time. The secret is that the columns of the Parthenon are located at a certain angle to each other, which is the reason for a number of other interesting architectural features. And the main decoration of the temple was the statue of Athena, made of ivory and gold. Around the 5th century BC, she was taken to Constantinople, where she burned down in a fire.

Acropolis

No less grandiose is the Erechteinon, built on the site where the legendary dispute between Poseidon and Athena took place. Here, in the sanctuary of Pandora, an olive branch was kept, and a spring flowed with sea ​​water. In addition, the temple has the famous sculptures of Caryatids - six beauties that replace the columns of the temple, many friezes and a mosaic preserved in places.

The temple of the goddess Nike also stands out among others, which, according to legend, the Athenians left without wings so that she would not fly away from them, and victory was always theirs. This is a truly legendary place - it was here that Aegeus was waiting for his son Theseus, and in a fit of unbridled despair he jumped into the sea. And very close is the ancient theater of Dionysus, where Aristophanes and Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides presented their dramas and comedies.

Previously, one could enter the Acropolis through a huge gate - the Propylaea, which is a masterpiece of architectural art and was called "the brilliant face of the Acropolis."

In one of their parts of these gates, the very first art gallery in the world was placed.

Of course, even the monumental structures of the Acropolis are subject to the influence of time, so everything that can now be seen there is pretty much destroyed. The appearance of the "upper city" was further changed by the numerous destruction and devastation that took place in different times. But, nevertheless, the Athenian Acropolis amazes us with its grace, luxury and perfection, even being in ruins.