Acropolis history. Acropolis in ancient Greece. The main temple of the Athenian Acropolis - the majestic Parthenon

The Athenian Acropolis, which is a 156-meter rocky hill with a gentle top (approx. 300 m long and 170 m wide), is the site of the oldest settlement in Attica. In the Mycenaean period (15-13 centuries BC) it was a fortified royal residence. In the 7th-6th centuries. BC e. There was a lot of construction going on on the Acropolis. Under the tyrant Peisistratus (560-527) in place royal palace a temple of the goddess Athena Hekatompedon was built (i.e., a temple a hundred steps long; fragments of sculptures of pediments have been preserved, a foundation has been revealed). In 480, during the Greco-Persian wars, the temples of the Acropolis were destroyed by the Persians. The inhabitants of Athens took an oath to restore the shrines only after the expulsion of enemies from Hellas. In 447, on the initiative of Pericles, new construction began on the Acropolis; the management of all the works was entrusted to the famous sculptor Phidias, who, apparently, was the author of the artistic program that formed the basis of the entire complex, its architectural and sculptural appearance.

The sacred road, along which the procession of the Athenians moved from the agora to the temple of the patron goddess during the main holiday of the Great Panathenas, leads to the Propylaea, which has 5 passages and was flanked in antiquity by two equestrian statues of the Dioscuri. In the left wing, protruding from them, there was the Pinakothek (a collection of pinak paintings brought as a gift to the goddess Athena), in the right there was a repository of manuscripts and a room for the gatekeeper and watchmen. To the right of the Propylaea on a pyrgos (a ledge of a fortified rock) stands a small, light and graceful temple of the Ionic order, dedicated to Athena Nike, known as the Temple of Nike Apteros (Wingless Victory; 443-420, architect Kallikrates).

After the participants of the procession passed the Propylaea and entered the sacred territory, a panorama of the central part of the complex opened before them. In the foreground, slightly to the left of the road, stood a colossal bronze statue of Athena Promachos (Warrior), cast by Phidias. Behind it in the distance was the Erechtheion (architect unknown), the temple of Athena and Poseidon at the site of the dispute between these gods for the possession of Attica. The temple has a unique Greek architecture asymmetric plan; its three porticoes are located on different levels: on the west side - a portico leading to the temple of Athena Poliada (City), on the north - the entrance to the sanctuary of Poseidon-Erechtheus, at the southern wall of the temple - the famous portico of caryatids; the whole building was surrounded by a frieze with overlaid white figures (not preserved). In the Erechtheion, the oldest sanctuary of Athens, there was the sacred xoan of Athena (a wooden statue), according to legend, which fell from the sky, the altars of Hephaestus and the hero Booth, the tomb of the legendary Athenian king Kekrop, from the west adjoined the sanctuary of the Attic dew goddess Pandrosa. In the courtyard of the Erechtheion, a sacred olive tree grew, donated to the city by Athena, a salty spring beat, which Poseidon carved with his trident.

The lightness of forms, the special sophistication of decorative finishes and the complexity of the composition of the small Erechtheion contrasts with the strict and majestic, emphatically monumental Parthenon (Temple of Athena the Virgin; 69.5 m long and 30.9 m wide, the height of the columns is 10.5 m ; built in 447 - consecrated in 438; architect Iktin with the participation of Callicrates), which is a Doric peripter. The building is perceived from the Propylaea in three quarters - the audience saw not one of its facades, but the entire volume of the structure, got an idea of its appearance as a whole, and before seeing the main, eastern facade, they had to go around the temple from the outside.

In the temple itself, in the naos, there was a chrysoelephantine statue of Athena Parthenos (Virgin) by Phidias, the sacred money of the goddess and the treasury of the Athenian Maritime Union were kept in the opisthodom. In the pediments there were sculptural groups depicting the most significant events in the cult of Athena - her birth and the dispute with the sea god Poseidon for the possession of Attica. The metope reliefs around the perimeter of the building depicted scenes of mythological battles. Architectural details, sculpture and reliefs were brightly painted. The plan and order decision of the Parthenon also differ from the traditional ones in a number of features: in front of the naos there was a hall - a maiden's chamber (the Parthenon, which gave the name to the whole temple), along the wall of the naos there was an Ionic frieze depicting the Panathenaic procession.

In front of the Parthenon, on the right side of the Propylaea, there were also the sanctuaries of Artemis Brauronia and Athena Ergana (Craft), a repository of weapons and sacred armor - Halkoteka (450). Open area The acropolis was occupied by numerous altars and gifts to the gods - statues, steles. The temple and theater of Dionysus (6th century BC - rebuilt in 326), the Odeon of Pericles (a covered round building for musical competitions) (2nd half of the 5th century BC) adjoined the northwestern slope of the Acropolis .), the theater of Herodes Atticus (2nd century AD), the sanctuary of Asclepius, Stoya (Portico) of Eumenes.

Parthenon

In ancient times, the Parthenon rising above the hill could be seen from any part 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. In ancient times, the sanctuary was known not only as a cult center, but also as a monument of art, confirming the glory of Athens as the "school of Hellas" and beautiful city. The well-thought-out composition of the entire ensemble, perfectly found general proportions, a flexible combination of various orders, the finest modeling of architectural details and their unusually accurate drawing, the close relationship between architecture and sculptural decoration - make the buildings of the Acropolis highest achievement ancient Greek architecture and one of the most outstanding monuments of world art.

In the 5th century, the Parthenon became the church of Our Lady, the statue of Athena Parthenos was transported to Constantinople. After the conquest of Greece by the Turks (in the 15th century), the temple was turned into a mosque, to which minarets were attached, then into an arsenal; The Erechtheion became the harem of the Turkish pasha, the temple of Nike Apteros was dismantled, and the wall of the bastion was built from its blocks. In 1687, after being hit by a cannonball from a Venetian ship, an explosion destroyed almost all central part temple of Athena the Virgin, during an unsuccessful attempt by the Venetians to remove the sculptures of the Parthenon, several statues were broken. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Englishman Lord Elgin broke out a number of metopes, tens of meters of a frieze and almost all the surviving sculptures of the pediments of the Parthenon, a caryatid from the portico of the Erechtheion.

After the declaration of independence of Greece, during the restoration work (mainly at the end of the 19th century), the ancient appearance of the Acropolis was restored as far as possible: all late buildings on its territory were liquidated, and the temple of Nike Apteros was re-laid. The reliefs and sculptures of the temples of the Acropolis are in the British Museum (London), in the Louvre (Paris) and the Acropolis Museum. The sculptures that remained in the open air have now been replaced by copies.

(from gr. "akra polis" - " upper city”) is a city fortress of the countries of the Ancient World. In ancient Greece, a fortified part of the city located on an elevated place, which served as protection in times of danger. On the acropolis, temples were erected to the gods, the patrons of the city, the treasury and weapons of the city were kept. The oldest acropolises are known in Mycenae, Tiryns. The most famous is the Acropolis of Athens. The Acropolis of Athens is a complex architectural and spatial complex, taking into account the surrounding nature as much as possible.

Athens Acropolis

located on a natural limestone cliff 156 m above sea level, with a flat top (270–155 m). According to the found ceramic fragments, the date of the first settlements on the Acropolis (4-7 thousand BC) is determined. In the 13th century BC. the rocks of the Acropolis of Athens are reinforced with stone walls 5 m thick, the construction of which was later attributed to the Cyclopes, beings of supernatural power. Some of these walls have survived to this day (for example, behind the southern wall Propylaea).

In ancient times, the Acropolis was the center of the political and military life of the city: first of all, it was the residence of the ruler. At the end of 2 thousand BC. The Acropolis acquires exclusively cult significance. The goddess Athena had two hypostases: on the one hand, she is the patroness of the forces of the earth, fertility, fertility (Polyadas), on the other, she is the militant protector of the city and the Virgin (Pallas). During the Geometric Age (10th-8th century BC), her cult was held in a small temple on the site where the temple was later built Erechtheion. According to the myths, her wooden image was thrown by Zeus to the ground and fell on the Acropolis.

Already in the middle of the 7th c. BC. the first major building appears on the Acropolis - the temple of Poliada, replacing a small sanctuary of the geometric period, in which the city treasury was kept. New were the dimensions of the building and the pediment framing that appeared for the first time (only on the east side). At the beginning of the 6th c. BC. the building is rebuilt: the dimensions increase, a second pediment and a colonnade appear. Around 525 BC the temple was rebuilt, finding marble pediments, metopes and other details. Around the same time, the first marble statues (« Moskhofor"(570 BC)), numerous images of girls, the so-called. bark.

After the victory at Marathon in 490 BC. It was decided to create on the Acropolis next to the ancient temple of Polias a new temple dedicated to Pallas Athena. This temple was narrower than Parthenon, had 6 columns. However, the buildings were never completed, because. The Persians, who captured Athens, completely destroyed the city and all the sanctuaries of the Acropolis. The return of the Athenians to their city in 478 BC - the beginning of a new stage in the life of the Acropolis: the southern wall of the Acropolis is being built, the temple of Poliada is partially restored, a colossal bronze statue is being created Athens Promachos(Warriors) (465-455 BC).

Installed on a high pedestal in the center of the Acropolis, it was a kind of connecting axis of the entire ensemble. Depicted in a luxurious helmet, with a shield and a spear, she was visible from afar, from the sea, because. the sun shone on the golden parts of the statue (the tip of the spear, the helmet). Sculpture Athens Promachos The works of Phidias amazed contemporaries with their grandiose size.

Under Pericles, who proclaimed the unification of the entire Greek world under the rule of Athens, in 450 BC. work begins on the creation of an ensemble on the Athenian Acropolis according to a single plan: Parthenon– Temple of Athena Parthenos (447-438 BC), Propylaea- solemn gate, entrance to the Acropolis (437–432 BC), temple Niki Apteros(Wingless Victory) (between 449–420 BC), temple Erechtheion(421–406 BC), statue Athens Promachos. The planning and construction of the Acropolis was carried out under the direction of Phidias.

Erechtheion

- an outstanding monument of ancient Greek architecture, made by an unknown author (421-415 and 409-406 BC). The Ionic temple, located near the Parthenon, is dedicated to Athena, Poseidon and the legendary king of Athens, Erechtheus, who gave the temple its name. One of the legends associated with this temple tells of a dispute between the gods (Athena and Poseidon) about the patronage of Attica. An olive tree grew near the temple - a gift from Athena to the inhabitants of the city. Burnt by the Persians in 480 BC, as the legends told, it revived again. The floor of the temple retained traces of a blow with the trident of Poseidon.

The peculiarity of the temple is its unusual asymmetric layout, taking into account the unevenness of the soil. From three sides the building is decorated with porticos of various shapes, including the famous portico of caryatids. The temple consists of two rooms located at different levels. East End temple, located higher than the western one, is dedicated to Athena Poliada. In this part of the temple, which keeps the most ancient wooden sculpture, according to legend, fell from the sky, entered the portico with 6 Ionic columns. It was for this sculpture that the robe, peplos, created by the priestesses and brought during the solemn processions of the Panathenas, was intended. West Side dedicated to Poseidon, Erechtheus.

Portico of the Caryatids

- the work of one of the students of Phidias Alkamen. Caryatids, which act as columns, are made of Pentelicon marble.

The cornice of the portico rests not on the heads of caryatids, but on carved "baskets". Currently, all originals have been replaced by copies. One of the caryatids is kept in the British Museum, the rest in the Acropolis Museum.

Graceful, light and free in composition Erechtheion takes special place in the architecture of the ancient world.

At the foot of the Acropolis on its eastern side, open-air theaters were built: Theater of Dionysus, erected by Greek architects, and Odeon of Herod Atticus, built by Roman builders in the 2nd century.

Bravroneion

- one of the sanctuaries of Artemis of Bravron, the patroness of women preparing for childbirth, and women in childbirth. The building was located to the right of the Propylaea, had the shape of the letter “P” in plan, its open part was facing the Panathenaic road. Inside was kept the xoan of the goddess, her statue by Praxiteles. Not preserved.

Temple of Roma and Augustus

(27 BC) - a small, marble, round unpreserved temple. The round building with Ionic columns (“monopter”) was dedicated to the goddess Roma and the divine emperor Augustus.

Not far from the temple of Roma, on the very high point Acropolis, there was an important sanctuary of the ancient Acropolis - the sanctuary Zeus Poliea. The central event of the ritual in this sanctuary was the sacrifice of a bull. Not preserved.

Athenian Acropolis - greatest monument ancient architecture in the Greek city of Athens. Ancient temples of the gods of Hellas were located here. The Acropolis rises above the city, standing on a huge limestone rock.

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View of the Acropolis of Athens (Carole Raddato / flickr.com) Parthenon (Tilemahos Efthimiadis / flickr.com) Acropolis of Athens (© A.Savin, Wikimedia Commons) Acropolis, Propylaea (Dimitris Kamaras / flickr.com) View of the Plaka area from the Temple of Zeus Olympian, Acropolis, Athens, Greece (George Rex / flickr.com) Acropolis - Theater of Dionysus (swifant / flickr.com) Temple of Nike Apteros (Tilemahos Efthimiadis / flickr.com) Temple of Apteros (Tilemahos Efthimiadis / flickr.com) Close-up of one from the corners of the Temple of Apteros on top of the Acropolis (Jack Zalium / flickr.com) The Propylaea (elias filis / flickr.com) The Propylaea (piet theisohn / flickr.com) Entrance to the Acropolis (ohhenry415 / flickr.com) View of the Acropolis from the Agora (Arian Zwegers / flickr.com) Erechtheion (Casey And Sonja / flickr.com) Hecatompedon (Roy L… / flickr.com) Ronny Siegel / flickr.com Erechtheion / Caryatids (George Rex / flickr.com) Odeon of Herodes Atticus built in 161 AD on the southern slope of the Acropolis in Athens in memory of his wife Annia Regilla, Athens, Greece (Carole Raddato / flickr.com) Parthenon, Acropolis of Athens (Carole Raddato / flickr.com) Parthenon, 1985 (Nathan Hughes Hamilton / flickr.com) In front of the Parthenon (Kristoffer Trolle / flickr.com) Parthenon, Acropolis in Athens (faungg's photos / flickr.com) Parthenon in Athens (Attica, Greece) (© A.Savin, Wikimedia Commons) Map of the Acropolis with captions (© Madmedea, Wikimedia Commons)

The main attractions of Greece are the Acropolis of Athens, Olympia and Rhodes.

The Acropolis is the greatest monument of ancient architecture in the Greek city of Athens. This is a whole complex of structures, on which the ancient masters of sculpture and architects worked.

The Acropolis of Athens was sacred place, ancient temples of the gods of Hellas were located here. It is sad that now only ruins can be seen here. But even at present architectural ensemble The Acropolis of Athens is admired by lovers of antiquity.

The Acropolis is the heart of Athens, and of all Greece. It rises above the city, standing on a huge limestone rock. Its upper platform is small - 300 by 130 meters.

At the top stands the majestic Parthenon, the temple of the goddess after whom the capital of Greece is named. It is the main attraction of the Acropolis. It can be seen almost everywhere in the city, and at present it is forbidden to build high-rise buildings in Athens so as not to overshadow this unique cultural monument.

Next to the Parthenon, you can see the graceful Erechtheion - the temple of three deities: Athena, Poseidon and Erechtheum. It was possible to enter the Athenian Acropolis only through the huge gates - the Propylaea.

Acropolis in ancient Greece

Acropolis in Greek means high city. As already mentioned, he stands on an impregnable rock, which, in turn, crowns the hill, stretched from west to east. It is surrounded by walls, especially they are high in those places where it is possible to climb the rock.

Propylaea (elias filis / flickr.com)

In ancient times, the Acropolis of Athens served as a sanctuary and at the same time a refuge natural origin who protected the Greeks from their enemies.

In the 480s BC, the "high city" was besieged by the Persians under the leadership of King Xerxes.

They were unable to climb the imposing rock, but were able to penetrate the Athenian Acropolis from the north. There seemed to be thickets of bushes there, the slope was not guarded, and it was assumed that no one would be able to climb it. However, several Persians were able to get into the Acropolis and the first thing they did was open the gates.

The invaders took out all the valuables and destroyed many buildings, including the still unfinished Parthenon. Arrows found on the northern slope testify to this event. When the Greeks returned to their monastery after the battle of Salamis, they built a wall to protect the north side and, of course, sought to restore their sanctuary.

Excavations have shown that in the 2nd century BC, religious holidays, meetings of authorities and lawsuits took place here. And the whole social, cultural and religious life of Athens took place in the Acropolis. The oldest buildings The Acropolis is poorly preserved, unlike Olympia and other places of worship in Greece.

The oldest buildings on the Acropolis

From the buildings of the VI century, only the foundations have survived to the present, due to the war of the Greeks with the Persians. The buildings that were in this period are undoubtedly like the temples of Apollo at Corinth, Hera at Olympia and Demeter at Paestum.

Their architecture is heavy and harsh. In the 6th century BC, the most ancient temple Athens on the Acropolis, which was called. Having passed through the gates - Propylaea, a person admired its beauty.

Ancient masters strove for symmetry, which was present everywhere: in planning, in images. The pediment of the Hekatompedon depicted the struggle of Hercules with Triton. And also there was a sculpture of a kind Attic creature, which had three bodies and three heads and was called Tritopator.

He is depicted crawling out of the corner of the pediment. The paint on it was preserved, the body was pink, and the hair and beards were blue. It is noteworthy that one of the heads is kept in the museum and went down in history under the nickname "Bluebeard". The ancient master filled the low parts of the pediment with writhing snake tails.

A soft limestone relief depicting the battle between Hercules and the Hydra was also found here. The statues found here are widely known. Someone claims that these are sculptures of goddesses, someone sees in them girls who bring gifts to Athena. Their clothes are beautiful and festive, complex hairstyles are richly decorated.

Athenian Acropolis during the reign of the Romans

Many buildings arose when Greece became part of the Roman Empire, under Hadrian. The temple of Zeus and the Acropolis in Athens are separated by an arch, this is the border between the old ancient city and buildings from Roman times.

View of the Plaka area from the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Acropolis, Athens, Greece (George Rex / flickr.com)

On the side of the Acropolis, on the arch is written: "This is the city of Theseus." It is connected with the heroic legend. Rise of Athens above the rest Greek cities, occurred after the state fell on the island of Crete.

This event happened thanks to Theseus, who defeated the minotaur. With the help of Ariadne's thread, he was able to return, at the same time free and glorify the city.

On the other side you can see the inscription: "This is the city of Hadrian." That is, the city of the emperor, under which many buildings were built in Athens. The material was Pontic marble.

The construction was carried out in such a way that the whole complex of buildings looked harmonious, and there was no sudden transition from the rest of the city to the sanctuary. Not far from it is the theater of Dionysus, the market square, other sanctuaries - the temple of Zeus and the temple of Hephaestus.

The architectural ensemble of the Athenian Acropolis

The ruins that can be seen in the Acropolis now belong mainly to such majestic buildings as the Propylaea with the temple of Nike the Wingless, the Parthenon and the Erechtheion.

The ensemble of the Athenian Acropolis was truly beautiful in ancient times, if, for example, in Olympia all the temples are similar, then in the Acropolis each building is unique.

Acropolis, Propylaea (Dimitris Kamaras / flickr.com)

The first thing you can see from the buildings of the Acropolis is the majestic gate with columns - the Propylaea.

They were built after the creation of the Parthenon. Initially, they had to be absolutely symmetrical.

But since the temple of Nika the Wingless appeared on the right side, it was necessary to make this part of the gate smaller in order to achieve harmony.

The author of this majestic gate was the architect Mnesicles. He skillfully combined the harsh Doric and sublime Ionic orders in the construction. This building was a gate with a roof, which was supported by columns, with 5 passages.

On the left side there used to be an art gallery. To the right was a small room. A lift was equipped to the gate, which did not have steps, so that chariots could drive in.

Temple of Apteros (Tilemahos Efthimiadis / flickr.com)

The Temple of Nike the Wingless (Goddess of Victory), of course, had a statue of the goddess inside. The Nike sculpture here does not have wings, as it was conceived on purpose, since the Greeks wanted victory to always remain here. The temple stands as if it invites you to enter inside.

The interior space is small, the walls are made of unpolished marble. Outside, the temple is decorated with a frieze, on which the gods and battle scenes.

The reliefs of this temple were discovered in 1835. They were supposed to be located under the columns of the temple. These are relief images of the goddess Nike in various poses and scenes, but most often in profile. On one, she slaughters a bull; on the other, she removes her sandals before entering the temple.

Erechtheion (Casey And Sonja / flickr.com)

Passing through the gate, one could see the statue of Athena, which obscured the southern portico of the Erechtheion.

The choice of the place where it was built is connected with the myth. This legend formed the basis of the whole city. Athena and Poseidon argued which of them would become the patron of the city. Poseidon struck with his trident and a spring gushed out at that place. Athena grew an olive, and locals chose her.

The Erechtheion was created in a lighter Ionic order and differs significantly from the Parthenon. In that historical monument two types of marble are combined - white and purple.

The portico of the Caryatids is the southern portico of the Erechtheion. Here, 6 sculptures of caryatids rest against the roof with their heads, holding it. The principle of symmetry and harmony prevails here too, half of the sculptures rest on the left leg, half on the right. Elaborately carved folds in the sculptures' clothing show slight tension. Inside the Erechtheion is complex, it has many levels. Here are the sanctuaries of the gods: Poseidon, Athena and Erechtheus.

The main temple of the Athenian Acropolis - the majestic Parthenon

The Acropolis ensemble is crowned by the eight-columned Parthenon. In its grandeur, it tops the list of ancient buildings. In appearance, it is similar to the Temple of Zeus at Olympia. But it stands on a specially leveled and backfilled area.

Parthenon, 1985 (Nathan Hughes Hamilton / flickr.com)

During its construction, the simple archaic arrangement of buildings, such as at Olympia and Delphi, went back centuries. A solemn procession passed along it in ancient times. It exalts the greatness of man.

Of particular interest are the metopes of the Parthenon, although they are poorly preserved. They depict the gods of ancient Greece, the series of which is completed by the goddess of the night, Nux.

It also depicts preparations for a military campaign, the farewell of soldiers, and the Trojan War. The southern metopes show the battle with mythical creatures - centaurs.

The frieze of the Parthenon depicts a solemn procession in the third year of the Olympiad. It is noteworthy that the Olympic Games got this name because they were originally held in Olympia.

Horsemen, priests with rams and bulls, young men carrying vessels are depicted here. On the other side, the frieze depicts the gods surrounded by noble people of Greece.

How to get to the Acropolis?

The Acropolis of Athens is the main attraction of Greece and, of course, a place of pilgrimage for tourists.

You can get to the Acropolis by metro. The nearest station is Acropoli. Alternatively, you can get off at: Thissio, Syntagma Square, Monastiraki Square, Omonia Square.

Useful information for tourists

Entrance to the entire archaeological area costs 12 euros, except Sunday (on this day you can go for free).
On Mondays and holidays, all museums and areas are closed. On other days, the visit is open from 8:00 to 19:00.
The archaeological zone includes attractions such as the Acropolis, the Temple of Zeus, Keramiko, the Ancient Agora, the theater of Dionysus.
Beforehand, it is better to familiarize yourself with the scheme on which these cultural monuments are marked.

You can also visit the New Acropolis Museum, which houses many of the sculptures found here. The entrance to it is 5 euros, the visit is possible from 8:00 to 20:00.

In ancient Greece, in addition to the Acropolis, you can visit attractions such as the Temple of Zeus at Olympia and the Palace of the Grand Master in Rhodes.

Acropolis in Athens is business card Greece, tourists from all over the world come here. In terms of the number of ticket sales and attendance, it is not inferior to the Colosseum in Rome.

Despite past wars and natural disasters, it has stood for two thousand years (and will stand for the same amount) and still amazes the imagination with its majesty and perfection of forms.

Similar structures were built not only in, but also on the territory of Asia Minor (), in and Ancient Rome. The Acropolis is the elevated part of the city (built on a hill). It served as a refuge for the nobility in case of war. Palaces, government buildings, temples of patron deities were built on its territory. Despite the endured cataclysms, the Athenian Acropolis has been preserved better than any of the existing ones. To this day, active work is underway to restore it.

Story

Even in the archaic times, the first temples were laid. In VII-VI BC. active development of the hill began. It served as a royal residence. In 447 BC the rebuilding of the complex began by the famous sculptor of that time, Phidias. The complex received that architectural appearance which is known to us now. Gradually, the greatest cultural monument dilapidated, Athens turned into country town Roman Empire.

A panoramic walk along the street near the Acropolis is many times more interesting than the ruins themselves (:

IN Byzantine period the temple of the goddess Athena, the patroness of the city (Parthenon) became a Christian church. With the advent of the Turks in the 15th century, the entire temple complex was turned into a mosque, and then into an ammunition depot and an arsenal. In the XIX century, Greece became an independent country, from that moment the ancient appearance of the Acropolis began to be actively restored. The buildings built on the territory in the Middle Ages and New Time were liquidated.

All the sculptures that are located on the territory of the Acropolis in Athens have been replaced by copies, the originals are kept, and the Acropolis Museum.

What does the Acropolis look like?

Unfortunately, at the moment it is ruins.. Yes, large-scale work is underway to restore its individual facilities, but the completion of the work is very far away.

The height of the hill on which the monument is built is 300 meters. Climbing on it, you will open beautiful view to Athens. The Acropolis consists of 21 elements, which are interconnected in one architectural ensemble.

Temple of the Parthenon in Athens

The Parthenon, the key temple of the Acropolis, is the best preserved. Created from white marble, it turned yellow over time. It is considered the oldest building in the world, because its age is two thousand years! Its history is the history and culture of all Greece.

Until recently, the Theater of Dionysus staged ancient Greek comedies and tragedies, but now it is partially closed for reconstruction (due to be completed in 2015).

The architecture of the Erechtheion temple has an unusual asymmetrical layout, and a lot of relics were found in it, which are stored in museums around the world.

Photos

Helpful information

Come to the opening or a few hours before closing, so as not to stand in a long queue for a ticket and walk around the complex without extreme heat. Stock up on water, you will have to climb a 300-meter hill. On the rise you will find a rather steep staircase, be careful.

The entrance ticket costs 12 euros, it can be purchased on the spot. Discounts for students and pensioners. The line is long, but it moves very fast. The ticket is valid for four days. If you don’t have enough energy to see everything at once, you can always return. IN winter time on Sundays admission is free.

Opening hours: from 8:00 to 20:00 hours, closed on Monday.

The fastest way to get there is by metro. Get to the Acropoli station, from there follow the signs that are at every step.

Acropolis on the map

Acropolis of Athens, Athens 105 58, Greece

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 coast Aegean Sea, in Attica, on the Acropolis - a rocky hill 156 m high located in the center of the plain irrigated by the Iliss River and its tributary Eridan - 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 the Greco-Persian wars. Representatives of all Greek cities, gathered in 449 BC, adopted the plan for the development of 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. For decoration famous city he drew funds at his own discretion and in the temple treasuries, and even in 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 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 best families Athens. Their functions included the manufacture of a sacred peplos, in which they dressed up every year. ancient statue Athens, kept in the Erechtheion.
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 white marble 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.