Due to its location, 100 metres above the rest of the land, the site of the Acropolis has long been coveted. A natural fortress, its military purpose faded as Athenian society became more sophisticated. At its heyday under Pericles in the 5th century BC, the Acropolis was home to the city’s most sacred sanctuaries.

Even today, visitors still seek it out and are eager to visit it during a stay in Athens.

The slopes of the Acropolis

There are two entrances to the site, one from the south and one from the north. To the south, the path is lined with ruins, traces on the ground and columns that the interpretation boards put into context. However, it is difficult to imagine what the monuments were like in the past; it looks more like an archaeological site.

The first group of buildings that can be identified is probably the theatre of Dionysus. One can clearly distinguish the layered stone stands where 17,000 spectators could be seated. In the front row, a semicircle of marble seats still awaits the dignitaries, as in the 5th century BC.

A little further up the path to the top, the Odeon of Herod Atticus is a theatre built during the Roman period in 161. Rediscovered and restored, the theatre is used for modern shows.

The Propylaea

This is the ceremonial entrance before entering the sanctuary. After climbing a large staircase that tames the steep slope, the visitor is welcomed by a large portico of crenellated columns with Doric and Ionic capitals. There were five passages, closed by large wooden doors.

Temple of Athena Nike

This small temple, like a scale model, stands on a platform in front of the Propylaea. It is a sanctuary dedicated to the victory that the Athenians wished over the other Greek cities.

The Ottomans had dismantled the temple and used the stone blocks to build a wall. In 2010, the temple was rebuilt, stone by stone like a big puzzle with all the identified elements.

The Parthenon

The most emblematic building of the Acropolis, the one that can be seen from afar. Unlike the other buildings, it is not a temple but a treasure. This is where the Athenians kept their reserve of precious metals.

Its dilapidated state is the result of the cannonade in 1687 when the Venetians attacked the Ottomans. Since the 19th century, the remains have been gradually cleared of interfering additions and the ancient structure has been reconstructed and consolidated. The sculpted elements were deposited and presented in the Acropolis Museum. Copies are replacing them.

The Erechtheion

This strange construction, whose main façade cannot be discerned, contains the most exquisite ensemble with the caryatids. It is a temple intended to collect the cult of various gods whose sanctuaries were destroyed during the conflicts. It had several rooms and must have expanded even further.

Young girls are often associated with the service of ancient sanctuaries. It is therefore not surprising to see them represented in the portico, the purpose of which we do not really understand. Of the six original caryatids, one is now in London at the British Museum, the other five are on display at the Acropolis Museum. Copies replace them on the site.

The flag of the Acropolis

It flies high in the sky of Athens. It reminds the inhabitants of the patriotic action taken by two young Greeks during the German occupation in 1941. One night in April, they took down the swastika flag and put up the Greek flag. Every evening, a group of soldiers comes to lower the national colours in a short ceremony after the visitors have left.