The Acropolis of Athens, an ancient citadel

The Acropolis of Athens is the most iconic landmark of Athens, the Greek capital.

Dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, this ancient citadel is the most important monument in Greece, and one of the most renowned historical sites in the world. A visit to Athens is not complete without a visit to the fascinating Acropolis.

Because of its architectural and historical significance, the Acropolis of Athens was inscribed on the UNESCO Heritage List in 1987.

Acropolis of Athens, the Erechteion and the Parthenon

How to get to the Acropolis of Athens

The Acropolis of Athens is located in the heart of Athens, on a rock 150 m above sea level.
It is easily reached on foot, by metro, bus, tram and trolley. Also, there are free and paid parking close to the Acropolis.

Right below the Acropolis, on the southern part, there is a charming pedestrian Dionysiou Areopagitou Street. By the way, the Acropolis Museum is located on this street.

On the east and north, the Acropolis is surrounded by the neighbourhoods of Anaphiotika and Plaka, the Areopagos Hill and the Ancient Agora. The main entrance to the site is located on the west side, together with the Odeion of Herodes Atticus.

Tickets for the Acropolis of Athens

If you are coming to Athens with a travel agency, you will have an organized excursion to the Acropolis. Otherwise, if you travel solo, the best way to get a ticket is to purchase it online, choose the exact time for your visit, and skip the long line.

Opening time and entrance

• Plan your visit to the following opening times:
  ⇒ during the summer season (1st April to 31st October), from 8 AM to 7.30 PM,
  ⇒ during the winter season (1st November to 31st March), from 8 AM to 5 PM.
  The Acropolis is closed on the 1st of January, the 25th of March, the 1st of May, Easter Sunday, and the 25th and 26th of December.
• Important note: you can visit the Acropolis only on a booked day and time slot, regardless of the ticket type. Due to the enormous number of visitors daily, from April 2024, the maximum number of visitors daily is set at 20,000 people.
• By the way, entering the site is possible 15 minutes before or after your booked time slot. But expect a wait of up to 30 minutes in the peak season and for a security check.
  
• There are two entrances to the Acropolis site.
  The main entrance is located at the western end of the Acropolis. The second side entrance is on the southern part of the site, near the Dionysus Theater. This entrance is usually less crowded than the main entrance. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from one entrance to the other.

A south slope and side entrance of the Acropolis of Athens

Price of the tickets

• Where to buy tickets: Tickets can be purchased online via the official Hellenic Heritage e-ticketing service, at the Acropolis entrance, at other archaeological sites, or via booking platforms, such as Get Your Guide, Viator or Tripadvisor.
• The standard ticket costs 20 EUR in the summer season and 10 EUR in the winter season.
  The reduced ticket is 10 EUR, and it is available for eligible visitors, including EU students and seniors from select countries.
  Admission is free for children under 5 years old and EU citizens aged 6 to 25 years old.
• There are various types of combined tickets, including the visit to the Acropolis with an audio guide, more sites or guided tours.
  For example, the combined ticket costs 37 EUR and it is valid for five consecutive days.
  Besides the Acropolis, with this ticket, you can also visit other sites, such as the Ancient Agora, the Roman Agora, Hadrian’s Library, the Temple of Zeus, Kerameikos Cemetery and Aristotle’s School (Lyceum).
  
• A free admission is possible on specific days, such as the 6th of March, the 18th of April, the 18th of May, and the last weekend of September. The free tickets cannot be reserved online.
• Visitors with wheelchair users and mobility issues can access the site with the special elevator located on the northwest side of the Acropolis. Before the visit, contact +30 210 3214172 for all details.

Tips: What you need to know before your visit
to Acropolis of Athens

• The Acropolis site is very crowded all year round, especially during the summer season. It is always good to arrive early in the morning or late in the afternoon. 
• Generally, the visit lasts about 1.5 to 3 hours, depending on your interest and the crowd.
• Wear comfortable shoes. The pathway is partly paved and leads up to the hill.
  Important note: it is not allowed to walk in high heels to avoid damaging the site.
• Smoking, food and drinks are not allowed on the site. You can only bring a bottle of water.
  Also, drunk tourists are not allowed to enter the Acropolis.
• Bring a hat or cap, sunglasses, and sunscreen during hot days. 
• A toilet is available near the main entrance of the site.
• Pets are not allowed on the Acropolis site.
• If you have enough time, visit the nearby Acropolis Museum. It houses many original artefacts and sculptures from the site. The standard ticket costs 20 EUR, and the reduced ticket is 10 EUR.

A few words about the history of Athens and the Acropolis

The history of the Acropolis is strongly connected with the history of Athens. From the small Neolithic and later Mycenaean settlements, ancient Athens became the centre of democracy, art, music, philosophy, and freedom.

The Acropolis reached its peak in the 5th century BC, in the period known as “the Golden Age of Athens”. During the rule of Pericles, an Athenian statesman (461-429 BC), the stunning Parthenon, the Erechtheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike were erected.

The most known architects, such as Ictinus, Callicrates, and Mnesikles, and sculptors, such as Pheidias, Alkamenes, and Agorakritos, made the Acropolis the most important masterpiece of Greece.

During the centuries, Athens and the Acropolis were under various rulers. But, the Acropolis still stands proudly on the Acropolis rock and ignites visitors’ imaginations of its glorious days…

What to see at the Acropolis of Athens

You are probably familiar with the word “Acropolis” which means “the high city” in Greek. In fact, many ancient Greek cities had their own acropolis.

The sacred Acropolis rock is approximately 300 m long and 150 m wide. Various temples and buildings were built there. After the liberation from the Ottomans, the remains of their presence were removed from the site, in an attempt to restore the Acropolis to its original look.

The first time, I visited the Acropolis of Athens in August 2015. That summer, my sister and I were on our way back from the beautiful island of Paros. So, we stayed two days in Athens and started our tour from this marvellous place.

The second time was on the 31st of December 2024, within the organised trip by the travel agency Mayak Tours from Belgrade. Even though we had a limited time, it was a beautiful reminder of the stunning ruins of the former ancient heart of the town.

The Acropolis Hill, map

Propylaea of the Acropolis of Athens

The zig-zag path leads you up to Acropolis Hill, where you’ll reach the Propylaea, the grand entrance to the Acropolis. The complex seen today was built between 437 and 432 BC by the architect Mnesikles on the site of an earlier gateway. However, it was never completed.

Propylaea and the Temple of Athena Nike (right), Acropolis of Athens

The Propylea is a pi-shaped building made of Pentelic marble, featuring both Ionic and Doric columns that frame the entrance to the sacred Acropolis.

Impressive Propylaea columns

Two wings extend from the main entrance and central hall, one to the east and one to the west.

On the north wing (to the left of the Propylaea), once was a large chamber named the Pinacotheca. This room was adorned with paintings and probably served as a refectory or a resting area for visitors.

The Pinakotheke of Acropolis

The entrance to the Temple of Nike was possible from the south wing with Doric columns.

Columns and facade of Propylaea on the east side, The Acropolis of Athens

By the way, both wings were converted into churches in the Christian time. But under the Frankish rule, it became the residence of the dukes of de la Roche. Then, in the Ottoman period (1458-1830), the Propylaea was used as garrison headquarters and an ammunition store. It caused a huge explosion in 1640, which destroyed the building.

The Temple of Athena Nike

The small temple of Athena Nike is located on the southwest corner of the Acropolis. It was completed in 420 BC, on the place of an earlier temple, at the edge of the hill.

This marble temple, dedicated to Athena, the goddess of victory, was designed by the architect Kallikrates.

Temple of Athena Nike, Acropolis of Athens

Only priestesses could enter the temple, where once stood the statue of Athena Nike, a symbol of victory. According to Pausanius, it was Nike without wings, called Athena Apteros. It is supposed that Athena had no wings so that she could stay and never leave Athens.

Propylaea (left) and the Temple of Athena Nike (right)

The Parthenon temple

The Parthenon is the symbol of the Acropolis, Athens, and Greece.

The temple was built between 447 and 432 BC, after the victory of the citizens of Athens over the Persian Empire in the Greco-Persian wars. It is dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena Parthenos (“Athena the Virgin”). The famous Phidias sculptor made her massive bronze statue 9 m high, decorated with ivory and gold. It was standing between the Parthenon and Propylaia. According to some rumours, the statue is lost and maybe moved to Constantinople and taken apart.

Architects Iktinos and Kallikrates, together with the sculptor Phidias, were responsible for this masterpiece of the Greek civilization. The Parthenon is known for its perfection in building. Phidias used the mathematical concept of the Golden ratio (1.618), represented by Phi, the 21st letter of the Greek alphabet. By the way, the Parthenon is 30.8 m wide and 69.51 m long.

The Temple of Parthenon

Even though the Parthenon looks perfect, the truth is a little bit different. It contains no straight lines and no right angles! Also, the columns are slightly tapered, and the corner columns are larger in diameter than the other columns.

The Parthenon served as a treasury of the Delian League, i.e. the Athenian Empire. At the end of the 6th century AD, it became a Christian church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Then, under Ottoman rule, it was converted into a mosque with a minaret on the southwest corner and an ammunition dump.

During the Siege of the Acropolis in 1687, the Venetians, under the command of the future Doge Francesco Morosini,  bombed the Parthenon and destroyed a mosque and around 50% of its architectural decorations.

The marvellous Parthenon, the Acropolis of Athens

The Elgin Marbles

Probably you heard about ” The Elgin Marbles”.
In fact, it is a collection of sculptures and objects removed from the Athenian Acropolis, named after Thomas Bruce, 7th Lord Elgin. He was a British nobleman and an ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (1799–1803).

So, between 1801 and 1812, Lord Elgin removed objects from the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Temple of Athena Nike, and the Propylaia. Among them there were the marbles, fragments of the Parthenon pediment, a frieze with metopes, and a caryatid from the Erechteion. These objects were shipped to England with Turkish permission because Greece was under Turkish rule at that time.

In 1816, Lord Elgin sold these objects to the British Museum on the condition that they be kept together and named “The Elgin Marbles”.

Parthenon, Acropolis of Athens

Even though the Greek government demanded many times to return the objects from the Acropolis, the British Museum didn’t accept their request. One of the reasons is that they rescued the marble columns and objects from damage, then it was a legal trade, etc.

But the truth is that they belong to Greece, the rightful owner. In the Acropolis Museum, the plaster casts represent the pieces removed by Elgin. Despite several public campaigns, these objects are still in the ownership of the British Museum.

By the way, the story about the Elgin marble was described in Karen Essex’s excellent book “Stealing Athens”. She described the destiny of the Acropolis objects removed to London through a story of Mary, the wife of Lord Elgin, and Aspasia, a mistress of the Athenian statesman Pericles.

Something similar happens with the famous statue of Venus de Milo (Aphrodite of Melos). It was found on the beautiful island of Milos, and today, the statue is still in the Louvre Museum in Paris.

Restauration projects

After Greece gained independence from the Ottoman Empire, huge efforts were made to restore the Parthenon and the Acropolis. Several restoration projects were made, especially to return all surviving pieces to their original place. This process continues even today.

Parthenon columns

 The Erechtheion or the Temple of Athena Polias

The beautiful and unique temple of Erechtheion is dedicated to both the goddess Athena and the god Poseidon.
It is located on the north side of the Parthenon. The temple was named Erechtheion after the mythical hero and king of Athens who founded the city. It is believed that his tomb is located beneath the foundations of the temple.

So this temple was built on the former temple of Athena Polias between 421 and 406 BC.

The Erechtheion or Temple of Athena Polias at the Acropolis of Athens

 Porch of the Maidens or Caryatid Porch

The temple is famous for its Caryatid Porch with six beautifully carved female statues, Caryatids.
They replace traditional columns and represent the maidens from the Laconic city of Karyes on the Peloponnese. It is believed that the Porch of the Caryatids was made for the tomb of Cecrops, the king of Attica and the son of King Erechtheion.

The Temple of Athena Polias with Caryatids, The Acropolis of Athens

The Caryatids that we can see today are replicas of the originals that once stood at the temple. For their protection, five original sculptures were transferred to the nearby Acropolis Museum where everyone can see them. The sixth original caryatid was removed by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, and it is now displayed at the British Museum in London.

As I have mentioned before in the text, the Greek government still demands from the British Museum and the UK government, to return the caryatid and half of the decorative surviving sculptures of the Parthenon. Until today, they still refuse to do it. But, one empty pedestal in the Acropolis Museum still waits for the sixth caryatid to return and join her sisters-caryatids…

Caryatids of the Erechtheion, the Acropolis of Athens

By the way, the first caryatids in ancient Greece were standing in the Siphnian treasury. We saw them in the Archaeological Museum in Delphi. 

In the following centuries, many copies of caryatids became part of various buildings worldwide. Even we in Serbia have an example, such as the Monument to the Unknown Hero on Avala mountain, near Belgrade. Six caryatids represent all the peoples of the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia, i.e. Serbian, Bosnian, Montenegrin, Dalmatian, Croatian, and Slovenian women.

Myth about the goddess Athens and the god Poseidon

Near the west porch of the Erechteion, you can see an olive tree. According to mythology, its roots can be traced back to the original olive tree that the Goddess Athena planted.

In fact, Athena, the goddess of wisdom and victory, and Poseidon, the god of the sea, were competing to see who would be the city’s patron deity. At that time, Athens was named Cecropia after its founder, King Cecrops. He was a mythical figure, half man and half serpent, who ruled over this city-state. To avoid a conflict, the god Zeus proposed a competition: who could offer a better gift to the king and the people?

So Poseidon struck the ground with his trident, and a water spring was shown. But it was seawater, and the people could not use it for drinking or watering the land.

However, Athena gifted an olive tree.
“Her gift provides food from olives, oil for cooking and lamps, wood for building homes and boats, and even shade from the hot sun” (source: Greek Myths website).
Of course, the king and the people chose an olive tree, and the city was named Athens in her honour.

Acropolis of Athens, The Erechtheion with an olive tree

From that time, the goddess Athena was the patron of the city. Her sacred animal owl became a symbol of knowledge throughout Greece.

Also, her olive tree became a symbol in Greek culture. It represents peace and victory. We are familiar that Olympic champions were crowned with olive wreaths.  Olive oil is used for various purposes. It has a huge role in nutrition, in medicine for various preventions and diseases, and for skin and hair care.

The Erechtheion or Temple of Athena Polias, East façade, August 2015

The Beulé Gate

At the bottom of the Propylaia staircase, you can see the marble Beulé Gate.
It is a fortified gate built in the late Roman period. It was a part of the Post-Herulian Wall, built around the Acropolis in the years after the attack of the Germanic Heruli tribe in 267 or early 268 CE.

The gate was named after Charles Ernest Beulé, a French archaeologist who discovered it in 1852.

Today, this gate is an exit of the Acropolis. On the left side, you can follow the path which leads you to the south slope.

The back of the Beulé Gate, Acropolis of Athens

 The Odeon of Herodes Atticus

Located at the foothill of the Acropolis, this ancient amphitheatre was built during the Roman times, about 161 AD. The philosopher and politician Herodes Atticus erected it in memory of his wife Regilla, who died in 160 AD. It was destroyed during a raid by the Heruli in 267 AD.

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Acropolis of Athens

The Theatre of Herodes Atticus was believed to be covered and could host 5,000 spectators. It had 32 rows of marble seats divided into two sections.

The Theatre of Herod Atticus

During the 1950s, the theatre was excavated, and it had a few restorations. Even today, from May to October, visitors can enjoy musical concerts and tragedies in the theatre during the Athens Epidaurus Festival.

Acropolis of Athens, Theatre of Herod Atticus

The Theatre of Dionysus

The ancient Theatre of Dionysus is nestled on the southern slope of the Acropolis, built in the 6th century BC.
It was considered the oldest theatre in the world. Famous tragedians Sophocles, Euripides, Aeschylus, and Aristophanes presented their works there during the annual spring drama festival.

A view from the Acropolis to the Theatre of Dionysos and Archaeological Museum in the background

The Theatre of Dionysus had several additions and renovations. Even today, a few of the front row stone seats with carved legs and armrests with the names of spectators can be seen.

Theatre of Dionysos at the Acropolis of Athens, August 2015

Also, it is believed that the theatre could have housed 17,000 spectators during the 4th century BC. As I saw from the top of the Acropolis, today, it is not allowed to enter the theatre space, as it was during our visit in 2015.

Seats at the Theatre of Dionysus, August 2015

Acropolis of Athens, Theatre of Dionysos, August 2015

Close to the theatre, you can see the ruins and inscriptions of the Asclepius of Athens. 

Asklepion of Athens on the south slope of the Acropolis, August 2015

It is one of the numerous Asclepian sanctuaries built in Greece in honour of Asclepios, the god of medicine.
By the way, the most famous sanctuary is the Asclepian Sanctuary in Epidaurus, together with the ancient theatre.
👉 You can read more about it here: Epidaurus, the most famous ancient theatre.

Acropolis of Athens and ancient monuments

Besides the stunning Acropolis of Athens, there are many ancient monuments which are interesting to see.
Some of them are: Areopagus Hill, Ancient Agora, the Temple of Zeus Olympian, the Hadrian’s Library, the Roman Agora, the Arch of Hadrian, the Tower of the Wind, etc.

In a word, the Acropolis of Athens is a stunning reminder of Athens’s great ancient history. Walking around the numerous monuments takes us back to the glorious times when art, democracy and philosophy had a huge impact on the social, political and cultural aspects of everyday life.

Stay tuned, because you can learn more about them in the following post 🙂

Source:

• VisitGreece.com website
• Greeka.com website
• AncientGreece.com website
• Greek myths website