Acropolis of Athens
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Acropolis of Athens
It’s the symbol of Athens, the so-called "sacred rock", the link between the extraordinary ancient culture and the contemporary one. Today there are monuments of all eras, from prehistory to modern day. In particular you will admire the Parthenon, the magnificent temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. Its columns have a slight curvature at the centre which gives the impression that they are bowing due to weight. The secret of this monument lies in the fact that the lines are never straight and it's easy to note that the horizontal lines always have a slight curvature in the middle. At one time the Parthenon contained the chryselephantine statue of Athena made in gold and ivory, by the famous sculptor Phidias, lost in early Byzantine period.
You can admire the Propylaea, which receives visitors before they reach the Parthenon, the temple of Athena Nike, built in 420 BC to celebrate the victory against the Persians, the Erechtheum, located in the most sacred of the Acropolis, where Athena had sprout its sacred symbol, the olive tree, the famous Caryatids, statues of beautiful priestesses who support the roof of the southern porch of the Erechtheum.
Finally you must visit the Acropolis Museum which is still behind the Parthenon, pending the opening of the new larger museum in the district of Makrigiànni, south of Acropolis. It contains considerable sculptures, some fragments of the Parthenon friezes and some of the original statues of the Caryatids.
A ticket costs 12 € but it allows access to other monuments of Athens. Try and go before the morning screaming and annoying tourist hordes, or just an hour before closing, when the groups head towards the bus. It’s advisable to take the pleasure of getting there by walking in slow approach to Anafiotikà, passing the Plaka and the Agorà.
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What to see in Athens
Syntagma Square and National Garden
National Archaeological Museum
Temple of Olympian Zeus and Arch of Hadrian
Museum of popular Greek instruments in Athens
Museum of Cycladic Art and Ancient Greece
