Athens Acropolis: a brief description of the complex. Acropolis in Athens - the sacred center of the ancient city

In Greece there are many architectural objects of high historical value. One of them is Athenian - what is it? Acropolis means "high city" in Greek. This is a limestone flat hill above the city (about 80 m high) with steep slopes on all sides, except for the western one. In ancient times, the main function of this structure was protection from invaders.

Ancient settlements

The ancient Acropolis in Athens is mentioned long before the onset of the classical period of history. As a result of the excavations, elements of cultural heritage were discovered that corresponded to the Bronze Age (mainly early and middle). In the VII-VI centuries. BC e. temples were built, but later destroyed by the Persians.

According to legend, the Greek Acropolis was founded by the Athenian king Kekrops. The elevation in the center bears a name derived from his name - "cecropia" (cecropia).

Meaning of words

“Parthenon, propylaea, acropolis” - what do these concepts mean, and what is the origin of these words?

• Parthenon - the main temple in the Greek Acropolis, dedicated to the goddess Athena. From the Greek "parthenos" is translated as "virgin". This is the name given to Athena.
• The word "propylaea" comes from the Greek propylaion. This is the front arch at the entrance to the Acropolis of Athens. It has two multilevel Doric porticos.
• The meaning of the word "acropolis" in Greek is literally translated as "acro" - a hill, "polis" - a city. That is, it is a fortified part located on a hill.
• The Erechtheion is a temple dedicated to Poseidon and Athena. It has an asymmetric composition, located on several levels.
• Hekatompedon is the very Acropolis, which is dedicated to Athena.

Acropolis and its purpose

Acropolis - what is hidden in this ancient name and what is its meaning? It was the main place for finding the king. Also inside there were many temples where prayers were offered to the Greek gods and sacrifices were made. At the time of the conquest by the Turks, the Acropolis acted as a mosque for them. Today it is an ancient monument of architectural art.

The Acropolis of Athens as an architectural ensemble

The Acropolis forms the appearance of the city of Athens. In ancient times, this place had the significance of a sanctuary and a cultural center. All internal structures, temples form a single ensemble. The architecture of the Acropolis is unusually skillful, all its parts are integral, there is no place for chance - buildings and monuments, their location are carefully thought out and extremely logical. This ensemble was built asymmetrically and corresponds to two main principles during its heyday: harmony in the balance of the masses and the perception of architectural art in the dynamics of its construction. Temples Parthenon and Hekatompedon - the center. The Acropolis consists of 21 elements of buildings (the theater of Dionysus, the statue of Athena Promachos, the Propylaea, the Athenian altar, the sanctuary of Zeus and others).

Production material

What does the Acropolis look like today? What materials are all of its buildings made of?

Currently, many of the architectural monuments of the acropolis are undergoing restoration. Therefore, when looking at the sights, you can see that some of them are surrounded by scaffolding. Many buildings over the centuries have retained their grandeur, they can be used to judge the uniqueness and complexity of all architectural details. Examining the ancient columns, one might think that the material of their manufacture is limestone. In fact, all the elements of the Acropolis were built of marble, which was quite dilapidated under the influence of atmospheric phenomena, and some of its parts were destroyed by wars.

Propylaea

On the western side of the hill is the entrance to the Acropolis. What is Propylaea? This question worries many people who first visited the main attraction of Athens. The Propylaea is the main entrance to the Acropolis, a majestic marble gate. They have five openings for the passage. The widest of them (instead of steps it is equipped with a ramp) is located in the middle and was previously intended for riders and driving animals for sacrifice. Its width is 4.3 m. The facades of the gates consist of six-columned Doric porticos. In ancient times, the Propylaea, of all the structures of the Acropolis, was the most famous and was mentioned much more often than the Parthenon.

Parthenon

The Parthenon is the main temple for which the Acropolis is famous, where the bas-reliefs depict scenes from ancient Greek myths, including the birth of Athena from the head of Zeus. The size of the temple is quite impressive: its width is 30 m, length is about 70 m. The columns standing around the perimeter are 10 m high. The structure of the columns is amazing: they expand towards the center, and the corner ones are installed with a slight inclination relative to the floor. Thanks to the cunning of the ancient architects, the temple looks the same proportionally, no matter from which side it is observed. Inside was installed the famous sculpture of the goddess - Athena-Virgo. It was created by the main creator of the Acropolis, the architect Phidias. The hands and face of the goddess were made of ivory, parts of clothing and weapons were made of gold, the sparkle of the eyes was achieved through the use of natural gems. The statue has not survived to this day. Its appearance was restored thanks to the found ancient copies.

Erechtheion

A temple where several gods were glorified at once: Athena, Poseidon and Erechtheus (the ancient king of Athens). Inside was the well of Poseidon, filled with salt water. According to legend, this well arose as a result of a trident strike, which the great Poseidon held in his strong hand. Based on the fact that the temple building was intended for various purposes, it had two entrances, from the north and east sides. Each of them contained its own portico, mounted on Ionic columns. The opening was decorated with an ornate pattern with many carved details and was considered the most beautiful architraves of the era of Pericles. Not far from the temple there was a cave in which the sacred snake of the goddess Athena lived. The snake personified the great ruler of the city - Erechtheus. Until now, the interior decoration of this temple has not been preserved, only in the writings of contemporaries can one find a description of the premises.

Theater of Dionysus

Greek theaters were always built on a hillside, where seats were set up for spectators, in front of which there was a wooden stage. The audience seats had the shape of a semicircle (they were called "theatron") and surrounded the platform where the choir was located (the platform was called the orchestra). In the IV century. BC e. seats for spectators were made in the form of a recess in the rocky ground and then lined with marble. Theater of Dionysus - the first monumental Greek theater, located on the southern slope of the Acropolis. Until our time, marble chairs, which were intended for significant guests and honorary residents of Athens, have been preserved. The capacity of the theater is 17 thousand people.

Temple of goddess Nike

This is another temple that has survived to our time, which is part of the ensemble (Acropolis). What is "apteros" - the word for the name of the goddess? Usually Nika was depicted with wings behind her back. But this temple is an exception to the rule, since the people of Athens decided to keep the victory for themselves. Therefore, the wings were deliberately not made in order to prevent Nike from flying away and leaving her in the city forever. Accordingly, "apteros" means "wingless".

The temple has four Ionic columns, the upper parts of which are decorated with spiral scrolls. The temple of Nike Apteros was built during the Peloponnesian War, so the bas-reliefs depicted the victory over the Spartans and Persians. At the time of the capture by the Turks, the sanctuary was dismantled for the construction of military fortifications. To date, the Temple of Nike is often closed to visitors due to restoration.

That which is destroyed by time

Some architectural objects have not survived to this day. In their place, only foundations or shapeless ruins of buildings that once adorned the Acropolis were found. What did they store, what did they look like in their heyday? For example, Hecatompedon or Pandroseion? This can be judged by the results of excavations or by the literary evidence left to the world by Ancient Greece. At the site of Hekatompedon, the remains of columns and parts of sculptural compositions were found. The sanctuary of Artemis was almost completely destroyed: only insignificant remains of it and a warehouse where weapons were stored were found.

New Museum

Located on the territory of the Acropolis, it began its work in 1874. Basically, there are elements that were previously located in the Upper City. The collection became larger and, after a while, the available premises became insufficient. Not far from the Acropolis, they began to build a new, more spacious building. But the work did not always go smoothly, as there were some obstacles and problems associated with the choice of architects or land. At the beginning of construction, at the stage of preparing the land for laying the foundation, historically significant architectural objects were discovered. As a result, the construction of the museum was suspended.

In 2009, a three-level museum complex with a glass floor was opened, thanks to which visitors have the opportunity to observe the excavations.

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 emerged fully armed 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 the Greco-Persian wars. 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. Each monument lives its own life in it, 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 Doric porticoes located at different levels, 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, which are barely perceptible to the eye, are of decisive importance. 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 in the open air, openings were made in the ceiling of the portico, which have survived to this day. Nearby was the entrance to the 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.

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

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

A 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 a snake and half a man, and the first king in Athens. What exactly did he like about the towering hill, even today having a height of over 150 meters - with its flat top, close to heaven and convenient for construction, or convenience from a strategic point of view - myths do not tell.

Costas Tavernarakis/flickr.com

Like it or not, whether Kekrops ever lived or is it a collective image, it is not known, it is only known that the earliest finds made by archaeologists do not belong to the 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 brought something different to the hill of the Athenian Acropolis. 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 was quite modest.

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

And the most famous building, which became a kind of symbol of Greece and actually illustrates the acropolis in Athens - a huge temple of the goddess of wisdom and war at that time, Pallas Athena, Hekatompedon, the predecessor of the Parthenon, was erected during the reign of Peisistratus, that is, between 560 and 527 years before our era.

Peisistratus was not only a tyrant whose cruelty was reflected in the centuries, but also the son and student of Hippocrates himself. By his direct command, the royal ancient residence was demolished and Hekatompedon grew on the site of the palace, which had a length of exactly one hundred paces.

A lot is known about this monument of the Athenian Acropolis, excavations have unearthed a perfectly preserved foundation, the remains of pediments, bases and fragments of statues, and much more. The possibilities of reconstruction made it possible to fully present the plan of the building, and computers helped scientists create a three-dimensional model that ideally fits the ancient description of this temple.

Jean-Pierre Dalbera/flickr.com

The Old Museum of the Acropolis has a permanent exhibition, which presents both layouts with the development of the hill in various cultural eras in general, as well as recreated “in miniature” copies of various buildings of the Acropolis, which are the “stars” of ancient culture, including models of the royal palace, and the Parthenon and, of course, the Hekatompedon.

For the first time, the Athenian Acropolis underwent serious destruction, after which it was never fully restored, in the sad and tragic year in the ancient history of Athens - 480 BC.

It was the time of the war with the Persians, as a result of which, during the siege and storming of the city, all the buildings on the hill remained for a long time lying in dust and ruins, since the inhabitants of the city vowed to start restoring 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 hands of Pericles “reached” the Acropolis, who not only decided to restore individual buildings, but, on the contrary, to build a new, uniform in its architectural design, huge complex of the Athenian acropolis, so that all of Greece would see in it a symbol of eternity and greatness of Athens.

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

Carole Raddato/flickr.com

Not only Phidias worked on the creation of the plan for the new complex on the hill, but the best and most worthy Athenian architects of that time worked under his supervision. History has preserved their names - Mnesicles, Callicrates, Iktin and Archilochus, in addition to architecture, he 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 of the entire complex under construction on a hill, conceived so that a walk along the Athenian Acropolis would always lead to it, to the Parthenon.

Since the time of this global development, initiated by Pericles, significant changes have bypassed the Athenian Acropolis, but every historical time has sought to find its own use for buildings on a hill above Athens.

For example, in the 5th century AD, Christians turned the Parthenon into a sanctuary of the Mother of God, and the statue of Athena herself was taken to Constantinople, and after the capture of Greek land in the 15th century by the Turks, the Parthenon was turned from a church into a mosque and even attached to the construction of 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 mosque the Parthenon became an arsenal.

However, some sights of the Acropolis that survived Christianity could only envy such a fate. For example, the small temple of Nike 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 a harem was located in the Erechtheion, which stood just north of the Parthenon.

In the 17th century, namely in 1687, during the siege of Athens from the sea, a direct hit by a cannonball practically demolished the central part of the temple of Pallas Athena, moreover, the Venetians, trying to take the sculptures out of the Parthenon, smashed most of them in a hurry.

In the 19th century, the British distinguished themselves, namely, Her Majesty's diplomat Thomas Bruce Elgin, who was the 11th Earl of Kincardine 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" lord ordered everything that could be broken physically to be broken and loaded onto ships.

Thus, they left for Britain:

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

During the liberation Greek rebel war against the Turks, at the same time, in the 19th century, the entire Athenian Acropolis almost perished, even the hill itself might not have remained on the map. The Turks attempted to undermine, which was prevented by Kostas Hormovitis, who became a national hero, whose name many Greek streets bear to this day.

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

Almost from the moment of the declaration of independence of Greece from the Turks, the restoration and restoration of the appearance of the Athens Hill began, and the first tour of the Athenian Acropolis took place at the end of the 19th century.

The first thing every tourist who is going to see the sights of the Athens Hill with their own eyes should know is 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 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 finds of archaeologists, which are the result of work since the beginning of the last century, are also not in the open air. They are presented in the expositions of the Museum of the Athenian Acropolis. Interesting facts about the history of the finds and their study, as well as curiosities at the excavations, will be told by a 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, which includes both the Acropolis itself and the 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 are closed in the evenings until morning, with the onset of twilight, amazingly beautiful lighting turns on, and students and young people from all over the world gather on Ares Hill with guitars and cheap wine - to the attention of Russian youth - beer is not honored at these parties.

Guillen Perez/flickr.com

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

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

This site has preserved incredible acoustics and, of course, it is worth taking a seat on a semicircular stone bench, which, by the way, are genuine, since the theatrical “pit”, which still remembers Socrates, was dug out only in the last century, respectively, no one managed to pull the stones apart. The theater of Dionysus can still accommodate about 17 thousand people, all 67 rows for spectators are completely ready to receive them.

Carole Raddato/flickr.com

In addition to the theater of Dionysus, there is another historical site, partly preserved from the time of Pericles, and partly a reconstruction. This is the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the place where all city meetings were held, where politicians spoke, and where Pericles himself had a brief address, in fact, a message to citizens that the last Persian had left the Greek land, and it was time to restore the temples on the hill.

Robert Anders/flickr.com

Now the Odeon, as well as under Pericles, is designed for 5,000 people, but you can go inside during performances only with tickets. As a rule, dancers perform here, for example, the ballet of the Russian Bolshoi Theater often comes on tour.

The not completely restored Erechtheion deserves special attention when visiting the complex. Dedicated to Poseidon and named after King Erechtheus, mythically the son of the god of the seas, this large temple boasts a number of reconstructed statues and even illumination in the evening, providing great opportunities for fine art photography.

Today, the entire hill is a huge construction site, and reconstruction, restoration and archaeological research are being carried out simultaneously and everywhere. However, it looks very neat and does not interfere with the tourist buses with curious lovers of antiquities in them, or tourists walking on their own, or photographers, performing artists, or anyone else.

How to get there?

Before getting from Athens airport to the entrance to the historical complex, it is worth considering that it will take the whole day to see everything that is on the hill and near it, apart from the fact that the most beautiful and interesting here happens 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 a few hours between flights in 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 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. The ticket costs 5 euros, buses leave every 20 minutes, and the driver takes the fare. From the square you need to literally climb up, on foot, along the pretty paving stones of Makrigianni Street. It is impossible to get lost - the hill with the Acropolis is perfectly visible and it is quite difficult to confuse it with something else.
2. Metro - the station is located at the airport itself, it is easy to find it by the signs, the final destination is the same - SYNTAGMA square. There is only one branch at the airport - blue. It's impossible to get confused. The fare is 8 euros, tickets at the metro 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 a savings of 2 euros. The more people travel together "back and forth", the cheaper the trip. Having reached the square, you can either get off and walk along the Athenian streets, or transfer to the neighboring red line and drive to the ACROPOLI station. That is, before the entrance to the museum and the historical complex itself.
3. Taxi is not the most budget option, the only plus is that the car will deliver directly to the steps of the entrance to the historical complex. The taxi rank is located between the 2nd and 3rd entrances to the airport. The cost will be 35 euros during the day, that is, from 5 am to midnight, and 50 euros for those wishing to ride at night. You can order a car by a certain time through the website.

Video: empires of stone - Acropolis, Athens, Greece.

What is the price?

The sightseeing "train" stops near the New Acropolis Museum. This is a sightseeing tour, very interesting and, most importantly, allowing you to decide where to go first. The price of the "train" 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 from archaeologists and restorers, for example, if the building is closed to the public, 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 athletic competitions were held, costs 3 euros. You can order an excursion with a visit to the Acropolis using the portal.

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

• theater of Dionysus;
• Temple of Zeus
• the ruins of the Adrian Library;
• ancient ancient cemetery - Keramik;
• Parthenon;
• Agora, 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 Mnisikleous street, immersed in greenery and restaurants for every budget and taste, it is impossible to make a mistake with the direction, you need to focus on the visible Mount Lycabettus, with which the street connects the historical complex of the Acropolis.

After a snack, you can return to the tour, 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.

In order to enjoy the beauty of the Athenian Acropolis, you will definitely pass through the Monastiraki area. Starting from the northern slope of the hill of the Acropolis in Athens and to the southwestern slope, Theorias street stretches. On the right side at the beginning of the street there is a place from which a beautiful view of the hill with all its structures opens. A little further, on the left side, is the Church of the Transfiguration. Starting climbing the slope, soon you will see on the right a small rocky hill of the Athenian Acropolis - the Areopagus. In ancient times, meetings of the Athenian Supreme Court were held on it.

Climbing this rock on the steps carved in stone, you need to be very careful, because they, like most of the top of the Areopagus, are very slippery. Rubber-soled shoes are best for this climb. But in boots on a leather bottom, you will quickly get to the emergency room than to the flat area of ​​the mountain. There is another climb to the Areopagus, located not far from the one already mentioned. It has metal steps. In the very heat of the day, it is better not to climb the mountain, since you will not be able to stay on top for a long time and in search of a shadow you will be forced to go back down.

The Propylaion became the entrance to the Athenian Acropolis. It was built in 438-432. BC. Translated from the Greek language "propylea" is an impressive front tower, which included the masses of the people. Of course, the entrance to the Acropolis of Athens, which was worshiped, must have been monumental. The Propylaion, which the Greeks spoke of with great enthusiasm, was called the Brilliant Face of the Acropolis.

However, the Propyleion temple of the Acropolis was never fully completed - some of its sections remained unpolished, and during the explosion in the powder warehouse organized by Turkish soldiers in 1646, the Propyleion was quite badly damaged.

On the right side of the Propylaion is the temple of the Acropolis - Nike Apteros (temple of the Wingless Victory). This rather elegant structure has surprisingly small dimensions - only 8.27 x 5.44 meters. In the temple of the Athenian Acropolis there is a wooden sculpture of the goddess. According to the legend, originally the goddess Victory had wings that were cut off by the Athenians so that she would forever remain in their city.

The place on which the temple was erected is connected in the Athenian Acropolis with a dramatic event described in ancient mythology - the ruler of the capital of Athens - Aegeus saw the sea from this place, waiting for the ships of his son Theseus, who was supposed to sail with news of an important event. Theseus moved to about. Crete, in order to deal with the Minotaur and free his city from a terrible tribute, in case of his success, he had to change the black sail of mourning to the white sail of victory, but, rejoicing at his success, Crete forgot about the agreement. The black sail misled Aegeus. The unfortunate ruler thought that his son was dead, and threw himself into the sea, which was then called the Aegean. The temple was destroyed during the Turkish occupation, its fragments served as material for the construction of the bastion. Fortunately, the bulk of the blocks still survived, and the temple in the Athenian Acropolis was almost completely restored.

The north side of the Athenian Acropolis is adorned with a handsome marble temple Erechtheion, which is the most beautiful creation of classical art. It was built on the site of the palace of the rulers of Mycenae in 419-405. BC and became a place of worship for the Athenians. It was at this place that the dispute between two deities for patronage over the city was resolved. In order to reconcile them, the Athenians built two temples, one of which is dedicated to Athena, and the other to Poseidon, and both temples are under the same roof. This building is called the Erechtheion. The eastern part of the temple was dedicated to Athena - the oldest statue of the goddess is kept here, which, according to the Athenians, fell from heaven. The Temple of Poseidon in the Acropolis is located 12 steps below. In the floor of this temple, in a place where there is no tile flooring, one can see three holes, which are considered to be traces of the trident of Poseidon. Exactly in this place on the roof of the temple you can see a hole from the handle of a trident, which was made when it was raised, during the blow. Apparently, the ancient Greeks were not at all embarrassed by the time paradox.

Of greatest interest in the 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 called Caryatids, that is, women from a small town called Karia, which was famous for its exceptional beauty. At the beginning of the 19th century, one of the Caryatids, along with pediments and friezes, was taken to England by the ambassador of Constantinople, Lord Elgin, with the permission of the Turkish government. The Athenians were so excited by Elgin's act that a legend was soon invented about the night crying of the five Daughters who remained in the temple, about their stolen sister. Lord Byron wrote the poem "Curse of Athens" dedicated to the marauders of these priceless treasures. The British Museum to this day keeps the famous Elgin marbles, a copy was placed in the place where the statue stood.

On the hill of the Areopagus or the Supreme Court, court sessions were held in the days of ancient Athens. At the foot of the mountain are the burial places of the Mycenaean kings of the era of their reign in Athens. They are long tunnels that go into the thickness of the stone. To the right of the stairs there is a rock, on which the sermons and words of the Apostle Paul, who preached here in 50 AD, are carved. Nearby is the tomb of St. Dionysius the Areopagite - the first convert of Paul.

Climbing the Areopagus, you can enjoy the magnificent view of Syntagma Square, Omonia, Monastiraki, Plaka, the Ancient Agora and most of Athens. This is an unforgettable sight. Many people come here at sunset to admire the city in the light of the sun setting behind. At night, you can meet many couples in love here, admiring the luminous city and each other.

Without its sacred mountain, the Acropolis, Athens would not be Athens. If you stand in the middle of a modern street with shops, on which there are no cars, then your eyes will open a view of the Athenian Acropolis. Sitting on one of the warm summer evenings on a cozy terrace at a table under the open sky, you will once again see the Athenian Acropolis illuminated by lights. No matter how intrusive it may sound, but you must visit the Acropolis of Athens, which is the soul and heart of Athens! It is best to choose the morning hours for this, when there is still no strong heat, and climbing the steep streets will replace a full morning exercise.

Temples of the Acropolis: Arreforio, Erechtheion, Parthenon, Temple of Athena Victory, Propylaea and other beautiful ancient buildings will take you back to the time of the Greek Gods, Pericles, Iktin, Phidias, and the builders and architects of this unsurpassed temple complex. Unfortunately, it is currently impossible to visit the Acropolis Museum, located behind the Parthenon, since its entire exposition has been transferred to the ultra-modern New Acropolis Museum.

Many sources contain various translations of the word "Acropolis", among which there are even the most incredible and ridiculous ones. In fact, in ancient times there were only two translations: "city on a hill" and "edge of the city." At present, the second version of the translation has become more widespread.

The sacred mountain has finally become accessible to people with physical disabilities! In accordance with the requirements of the International Olympic Acropolis Committee and the European Union, the permissions of the Greek Ministry of Culture, the Central Council of Archeology and the Minister's order, you can climb the hill using an elevator built above the Kanellopoulos Museum on the northern slope.

To the north of the main entrance to the Acropolis of Athens is a special entrance through which a person in a wheelchair and his companion can get to the elevator. A special moving platform raises from the sidewalk to the level of the elevator. At the very top, from the elevator to the observation area, located northwest of the Erechtheion, there is a platform and an inclined path. A paved path leading from the Erechtheion to the northwest corner of the Parthenon allows access to a spot from where you can admire the eastern façade of the Propylaea. From the northeast corner of the beautiful Parthenon, the path turns to the Museum of the Acropolis of Athens, where you can clearly see the eastern side of the Parthenon and the ruins of Rome and the Temple of Augustus. At the Acropolis of Athens, a small vertical elevator takes you down to the level of the entrance to the Acropolis Museum, which is currently closed.

In order for people in wheelchairs to avoid the usual daytime crowds, it is best to plan your day in such a way as to view the Acropolis of Athens from 8 to 10 am in the morning and from 13 to 17 hours in the afternoon. In no case do not forget that it is very hot on the top of the hill on a summer afternoon!

Acropolis(from the Greek word "acropolis" - which means "upper city") - is a fortified part of the city, located on a hill and designed to defend the city in wartime. The Acropolis was the site of the original settlement of people, and much later a lower city was built around it, which did not have significant protective structures.

Walled cities were usually built around a hill or a high cliff. Internal fortifications were erected on the rock. Such a citadel in ancient Greece was called the Acropolis. However, the building performed not only the role of an internal fortress - the Greeks kept in the depths of their minds ideas about prehistoric times, and the square raised on a rock symbolized for them the celestial sphere, the sacred forces purifying the soul and immortality.

Fearless warriors and wise military engineers fortified the entrance to the Acropolis only when the enemy approached. The threshold of the sacred site seemed to the Greeks a kind of boundary of immortality and earthly prosaic deeds. On the acropolis were located temples dedicated to the ancient Greek gods. One of the outstanding monuments of world architecture is the Acropolis in Athens.

athenian acropolis occupies a rocky hill over 150 meters high. Its top is flat, and the temples are built on it in ascending order. The hill reaches a width of 170 meters and a length of about 300 meters.

Structure of the Acropolis in Athens.

The ensemble of the Athenian Acropolis includes several temples and other important objects, among which are the following:

• - This is the central and most important temple of the Acropolis, dedicated to the patroness of the city, the goddess Athena. The temple was built in the middle of the 5th century BC by the architect Kallikrates.

• Hekatompedon- one of the oldest temples in the Acropolis, which was built in honor of the goddess Athena, which was built much earlier than the Parthenon.
• - a temple as part of the Acropolis, located north of the Parthenon, which also had an important religious and cult significance. The Erechtheion was dedicated to the goddess of wisdom, Athena, the god of the seas, Poseidon, and the legendary Athenian king Erechtheus.

• Statue of Athena Promachos- a huge bronze statue of the goddess Athena - the patroness of the city - the policy. Its author was the sculptor Phidias, who erected a statue in 465-455 BC on an elevated pedestal between the temples of the Parthenon and the Erechtheion.

Athena holds a shield and a spear in her hands, and a golden helmet flaunts on the head of the statue. The spear was also made of pure gold. In the rays of the sun, they sparkled, and their light was visible for many kilometers. That is why the statue of Athena Promachos served as a kind of beacon for sailors - they navigated along it and successfully reached the shores of Hellas.

• Propylaea- represent a passage, limited by a colonnade, which is intended for solemn processions. It is not by chance that the Propylaea became the hallmark of the Acropolis - their slender colonnade forms the entrance to the ensemble.

• Temple of Nike Apteros- dedicated to the goddess Nike - the winner. The temple is located in the southwest direction from the Propylaea. It is built on a ledge of a rock, and therefore is additionally reinforced with a supporting wall 8 meters high. The Temple of Nike was built by Callicrates in 427-424 BC.

• Eleusinion
• Bravroneion- This is the sanctuary of the goddess Artemis of Bravron, which was located in the corner of the Acropolis next to Chalcotheca. The goddess Artemis patronized pregnant women and women in childbirth. The temple is distinguished by its simplicity and elegance.

• chalcotheque- a special building in which weapons, ritual objects and utensils for making sacrifices were collected for storage. It was here that spears belonging to the city, shields, shells, catapults, as well as trophy weapons obtained in a fair fight from the enemy were stored.

• Pandroseion- this is a temple building - a sanctuary built in honor of the daughter of the first king of Attica Kekrops, whose name was Pandrosa. The courtyard of the sanctuary has a trapezoidal shape. On its territory there is an altar of the god Zeus Herkey, the patron of the family hearth.

• Arrephorion- This is a small structure that serves as a residence for four arrephoras - young girls of noble origin who weaved peplos, intended as a gift to the goddess Athena during the annual Panathenaic Games.
• Athenian altar- a special place in the courtyard of the Acropolis, where it was customary to perform ritual sacrifices in honor of the ancient Greek gods. Usually, sacrifices had to be made during celebrations and holidays.

• Sanctuary of Zeus Poliea
• Shrine of Pandion- today it is the ruins of a destroyed building, which in ancient times was located in the southeastern part of the Acropolis of Athens. This small building was the temple of the legendary ancient Greek hero Pandeonis, one of the Athenian kings.
• Odeon of Herodes Atticus- is a building in the form of an ancient Greek theater, designed for visiting 5 thousand spectators. The building was built in 165 AD by order of the Greek orator and philosopher Herodes Atticus in memory of his deceased wife Regina. To date, the building has been preserved almost completely, and it hosts performances and concerts.

• Standing Eumenes- This is a two-story building in which there are columns of the Doric order. Inside the building there are Ionic columns, and the upper tier is decorated with capitals made in the Pergamon style. Ahead of the Stoa are the remains of the foundation of the monument to Nikias. The standing Eumenes was built on a hillside, and got its name from the name of the architect Eumenes II of Pergamon.
• Asklepion- This is an ancient Greek temple, built in honor of the god of healing Asclepius. The sanctuary had not only religious and cult significance, but also served as a medical institution. Asklepions contributed to the development of medical science in Ancient Hellas.

The treatment of the sick was carried out by the priests of the god of healing - Asclepiades. At first, only certain ritual actions were performed, but later the priests began to use various healing herbs and potions. This helped to cure the sick, and also contributed to the accumulation of special medical knowledge.

• Theater of Dionysus
• Odeon of Pericles
• Temenos of Dionysus
• Sanctuary of Aglaura

Propylaea.

This border was a colonnade called the Propylaea. The Greeks perfected the order, borrowed from traditional Egyptian architecture. The columns of the Propylaea are made in the Doric order, which the Greeks considered the embodiment of strength and courage.

The exterior of the Propylaea is not characterized by symmetrical lines. The right wing of the building seemed to shrink to make room for a marble temple. The four columns of the temple, thinner and more elegant, stand on chiseled stands and end with two elastic curls. These are columns of the Ionic order - the embodiment of graceful femininity.

Temple of Nike Apteros.

The goddess of victory, Nike, is depicted unarmed, for real victory is higher than weapons. Victory is fickle, which is why Nika has eagle wings. After the Greco-Persian wars, the Greeks claimed that having settled in their city, Nika would never leave it, and therefore depicted a victory without wings, and the building was called the Temple of the Wingless Victory - Nike Apteros. Thus, Victory became the home goddess for Athens.

And, as proof that she feels confident and comfortable, on one of the bas-reliefs of the temple, she slowly straightens the tie of her sandal. Temple of Nike is located directly in front of the entrance to the Acropolis. The left wing of the Propylaea is a spacious marble pavilion in which the world's first museum of painting, the Pinakothek, was arranged.

Statue of Athena Promachos.

Just as other cities were separate policies, the Acropolis was a special world, opposed to the city - a world in which reality merged with fiction. Those who came to the Acropolis were met by a huge figure in a scaly shell, cast in bronze.

In the struggle for independence, there was a conscious unity between people and the land. The Greek selflessly served the fatherland. The peace won could prove fragile, and Athens could at any moment again turn to war. The armed world existed in the guise of the patroness of the policy in armor and a helmet. The bronze figure, leaning on a spear, was for the Athenians the goddess Athena herself.

Greek sculptors did not adhere to once and for all established standards, they were constantly in a creative search. The artist sought to give the figure a more expressive pose or a new gesture. The canons of Greek art were not immutable and the priests did not follow their strict observance. Each master made his own changes. Also, Greek art was unknown once and for all established plots.

The world was presented to the Greeks in constant cyclical movement. The plastic incarnation of gods and heroes was a statement of perfection. Sculpture was considered the main of the arts, and the work on the creation of sculptural compositions was headed by the brilliant ancient Greek sculptor Phidias, the creator of the bronze statue of Athena.

According to the myth, two deities claimed the role of the patron of the city - the policy - Athena and the god of the seas Poseidon. During the dispute, Athena lightly touched the rock with her spear, and an olive tree grew in this place. In turn, Poseidon struck a stone with his trident, and water gushed out of it.

However, the gods unanimously recognized the miracle created by Athena as more useful, and gave the city under her protection. The city also got its name from the name of the goddess.

The god of the seas, Poseidon, was also the god of the rich, while the goddess of wisdom, Athena, patronized the workers. The myth of Athena's victory over Poseidon is captured in a sculptural composition on the western pediment of the Parthenon, the main temple of the Acropolis.

Most of the figures are depicted naked. The ideal of the Greeks was the harmony of external and internal beauty, the unity of body and spirit. The Greek gods, restless, ardent and active in character, were similar to the Greeks themselves.