Acropolis of Athens*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Cultural
Criteria	i, ii, iii, iv, vi
Reference	404
Region†	Europe
Coordinates	37°58′17″N 23°44′10″E / 37.971421, 23.736166
Inscription history
Inscription	1987  (11th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO.

The Acropolis of Athens is the best known acropolis (high city, The "Sacred Rock") in the world. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex This is a list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Europe. Asia Minor, Cyprus, all of the Aegean Islands, the Canaries A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Acropolis (Gr akros akron edge extremity + polis city pl acropoleis Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification. The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca The Acropolis was formally proclaimed as the pre-eminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments on 26 March 2007. Events 1026 - Pope John XIX crowns Conrad II as Holy Roman Emperor. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[1] The Acropolis is a flat-topped rock which rises 150 m (490 ft) above sea level in the city of Athens. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's It was also known as Cecropia, after the legendary serpent-man, Kekrops or Cecrops, the first Athenian king. A snake is an elongate Reptile of the suborder Serpentes Like all reptiles snakes are covered in scales. Cecrops (in Greek,, Kékrōps) was a mythical king of Athens.

History

Early settlement

While the earliest artifacts date to the Middle Neolithic era, there have been documented habitations in Attica from the Early Neolithic (6th millennium BC). The Neolithic (from Greek νεολιθικός — neolithikos from νέος neos, "new" + λίθος lithos Attica (Αττική Attikí;) is a periphery (subdivision in Greece, containing Athens, the capital of Greece Once into the Bronze Age, there is little doubt that a Mycenaean megaron must have stood on top of the hill, housing the local potentate and his household, guards, the local cult facilities and a number of workshops and ordinary habitations. The term Bronze Age refers to a period in human cultural development when the most advanced Metalworking (at least in systematic and widespread use included techniques for Mycenaean Greece is a cultural period of ancient Greece taking its name from the archaeological site of Mycenae in northeastern Argolis, in the Peloponnese The megaron is the "great hall" of Mycenaean culture The rectangular hall fronted by an open two-columned porch and a more or less central hearth traditional The compound was surrounded by a thick Cyclopean circuit wall, possibly between 4. Cyclopean masonry is a type of stonework found in Mycenaean architecture built with huge Limestone Boulders, roughly fitted together with minimal 5 m and 6 m in height, consisting of two parapets built with large stone blocks and cemented with an earth mortar called emplekton. A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a Roof or structure. The wall follows typical Mycenaean convention in that its gate was arranged obliquely, with a parapet and tower overhanging the incomers' right-hand side, thus facilitating defense. There were two lesser approaches up the hill on its north side, consisting of steep, narrow flights of steps cut in the rock. Homer is assumed to refer to this fortification when he mentions the "strong-built House of Erechtheus" (Odyssey 7. Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the Erechtheus (Ἐρεχθεύς in Greek Mythology was the name of a King of Athens, and a secondary name for two other characters In Homer The Odyssey ( Greek: Ὀδύσσεια or Odússeia) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. 81). It was during that time that an earthquake caused a fissure near the northeastern edge, one that ran all the way down to the marl layer and in which water collected. An elaborate set of stairs was built and the well was used as a protected source of drinking water during some portion of the Mycenaean period, as it was invaluable in times of siege.

The Dark Ages

The western side of the Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens. The Parthenon ( Ancient Greek:) is a temple of the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Athenian Acropolis

There is no evidence that conclusively states whether or not there was a Mycenean palace on top of the Athenian Acropolis. However, if there was a palace, then there is evidence that it was only destroyed by later building on the Acropolis, not because of any kind of invasion. This agrees with the standard Athenian folklore that the area resisted the Dorians successfully. The Dorians or Dorian Greeks ( Greek:, Dōrieis singular, Dōrieus were Not much is known as to the precise state of building on the rock leading up to the archaic era, except that the Acropolis was taken over by Kylon in the Kylonian revolt, and twice by Pisistratus: all attempts directed at seizing political power by coups d' etat. Cylon (also spelled Kylon from Κύλων was an Athenian associated with the first reliably dated event in Athenian history the Cylonian affair. Peisistratus (sometimes transliterated Peisistratos Psistratus, Peistratus, Pesistratusor or Pisistratus, Greek: Nevertheless it seems that a nine-gate wall, the Enneapylon, had been built around the biggest water spring, the "Clepsydra", at the north-western foot. It was Pisistratus who initially established a precinct for Artemis on the site. Peisistratus (sometimes transliterated Peisistratos Psistratus, Peistratus, Pesistratusor or Pisistratus, Greek: In Greek mythology, Artemis language|Greek] ( Nominative), ( Genitive))] was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister

Archaic Acropolis

A temple sacred to "Athena Polias" (Protectress of the City) was erected by mid-6th century BC. This Doric limestone building, from which many relics survive, is referred to as the "Bluebeard" temple, named after the pedimental three-bodied man-serpent sculpture, whose beards were painted dark blue. The Doric order was one of the three '''orders''' or organizational systems of Ancient Greek or Classical architecture; the other two Canonical Whether this temple replaced an older one, or a mere sacred precinct or altar, is not known. In the late 6th century BC yet another temple was built, usually referred to as the Archaios Naos (Old Temple). It is thought that the so-called Doerpfeld foundations might have belonged to this temple, which may have been sacred not to Polias but to Athena Parthenos (Virgin), at least for as long as the Polias "Bluebeard" temple stood. It is not known how long these temples coexisted.

To confuse matters, by the time the "Bluebeard" Temple had been dismantled, a newer and grander marble building, the "Older Parthenon", was started following the victory at Marathon in 490 BC. The Battle of Marathon ( Greek: Μάχη τοῡ Μαραθῶνος Machē tou Marathōnos) during the Greco-Persian Wars took place in 490 To accommodate it, the south part of the summit was cleared of older remnants, made level by adding some 8,000 two-ton blocks of Piraeus limestone, a foundation 11 m deep at some points, and the rest filled with earth kept in place by the retaining wall. Piraeus (pɪˈræʊs Πειραιάς, piɾeˈas Πειραιεύς, piɾeˈefs is a city in the periphery of Attica, Greece, and a The Mycenaean gate was demolished and replaced with the Old Propylon, a monumental colonnaded structure whose purpose was strictly ceremonial, rather than defensive.

The Older Parthenon was caught unfinished by the invading Persians in 480 BC, and was razed to the ground burnt and looted, along with the Archaios Neos and practically everything else on the rock. Once the Persian Wars were over, the Athenians brought some order to the location, firstly by ceremonially burying objects of worship and art that were rendered unsuitable for further use. This "Persian debris" is the richest archaeological treasure excavated on the Acropolis, as its burial had protected it from further destruction through the ages.

The Periclean building program

Most of the major temples were rebuilt under the leadership of Pericles during the Golden Age of Athens (460–430 BC). Pericles (also spelled Perikles) (c 495 – 429 BC Greek:, meaning "surrounded by glory" was a prominent and influential Statesman, orator The term Golden age is best known from Greek mythology and legend but can also be found in other ancient cultures (see below Phidias, a great Athenian sculptor, and Ictinus and Callicrates, two famous architects, were responsible for the reconstruction. Phidias (or Pheidias; in Ancient Greek,; c[[ 80 BC]] c 430 BC) son of Charmides was an ancient Greek Iktinos (or Ictinus) was an Architect active in the mid 5th century BC Kallikrates (also spelled Callicrates was an ancient Greek architect active in the middle of the fifth century BCE During the 5th century BC, the Acropolis gained its final shape. After winning at Eurymedon in 468 BC, Cimon and Themistocles ordered the reconstruction of southern and northern walls, and Pericles entrusted the building of the Parthenon to Ictinus and Phidias. The naval Battle of the Eurymedon took place in 466 BC on the Eurymedon River in Pamphylia in Asia Minor, and was fought between the Athenian Cimon (in Greek, Κίμων &mdash Kimōn) (510 Athens - 450 BC Citium, Cyprus) was an Athenian Themistocles ( Greek:; c 524&ndash459 BC was an Athenian soldier and statesman The Parthenon ( Ancient Greek:) is a temple of the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Athenian Acropolis

the Propylaea

the Erechtheum

In 437 BC Mnesicles started building the Propylaea, monumental gates with columns of Pentelic marble, partly built upon the old propylaea of Pisistratus. A Propylaea, Propylea or Propylaia (in Greek &mdash Προπυλαια is any monumental Gateway based on the original Propylaea that serves The Erechtheum (Έρέχθειον Erechtheion) is an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens in Greece Mnesikles (Latin transliteration Mnesicles) was an ancient Athenian architect active in the mid 5th century BCE the age of Pericles. A Propylaea, Propylea or Propylaia (in Greek &mdash Προπυλαια is any monumental Gateway based on the original Propylaea that serves Marble is a nonfoliated Metamorphic rock resulting from the Metamorphism of Limestone, composed mostly of Calcite (a crystalline form of These colonnades were almost finished in the year 432 BC and had two wings, the northern one serving as picture gallery. At the same time, south of the propylaea, building of the small Ionic Temple of Athena Nike commenced. Nike means "Victory" in Greek, and Athena was worshiped in this form as goddess of victory on the Acropolis in Athens, After an interruption caused by the Peloponnesian War, the temple was finished in the time of Nicias' peace, between 421 BC and 415 BC. Nicias or Nikias (Νικίας (c470 BC-413 BC was an Athenian politician and general during the period of the Peloponnesian War.

During the same period the building of the Erechtheum, a combination of sacred precincts including the temples of Athena Polias, Poseidon, Erechtheus, Cecrops, Herse, Pandrosos and Aglauros, with its so-called the Kore Porch (or Caryatids' balcony), was begun. The Erechtheum (Έρέχθειον Erechtheion) is an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens in Greece In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" Erechtheus (Ἐρεχθεύς in Greek Mythology was the name of a King of Athens, and a secondary name for two other characters In Homer Herse is a figure in Greek mythology, daughter of Cecrops (or according to Pausanias, of Actaeus) sister to Aglauros and Pandrosus (or Pandrosos; English translation: "the all-dewy one" was a figure in Greek mythology, and a daughter of Cecrops (or according Aglaulus or Agraulos (Ἄγραυλος is a name attributed to three figures in Greek mythology. Origins The origins of the term are unclear It is first recorded in the Latin form caryatides by the Roman architect Vitruvius.

Between the temple of Athena Nike and the Parthenon there was the temenos of Artemis Brauronia or Brauroneion, the goddess represented as a bear and worshipped in the deme of Brauron. Temenos ( from the Greek verb "to cut" plural temene is a piece of land cut off and assigned as an official domain especially to kings In Greek mythology, Artemis language|Greek] ( Nominative), ( Genitive))] was the daughter of Zeus and Leto, and the twin sister The Brauroneion was the sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia on the Athenian Acropolis, located in the southwest corner of the Acropolis plateau between the Chalkotheke Ancient Greece, a deme ( δῆμος) was a subdivision of Attica, the region of Greece surrounding Athens. The archaic xoanon of the goddess and a statue made by Praxiteles in the 4th century BC were both in the sanctuary. A xoanon ( Greek: ξόανον plural ξόανα xoana, from the verb ξέειν xein, to carve or scrape) was an Archaic wooden A goddess is a Female Deity. Many Cultures have goddesses Often deities are part of a polytheistic system that includes several deities Praxiteles ( Ancient Greek: Πραξιτέλης English prækˈsɪtɨliːz of Athens, the son of Cephisodotus the Elder, was the most renowned of the

Behind the Propylaea, Phidias' gigantic bronze statue of Athena Promachos ("she who fights in the front line"), built between 450 BC and 448 BC, dominated. The Athena Promachos (Ἀθηνᾶ Πρόμαχος "Athena who fights in the front line" was The base was 1. 50 m high, while the total height of the statue was 9 m. The goddess held a lance whose gilt tip could be seen as a reflection by crews on ships rounding Cape Sounion, and a giant shield on the left side, decorated by Mys with images of the fight between the Centaurs and the Lapiths. Cape Sounion (Modern Greek Aκρωτήριο Σούνιο - Akrotírio Soúnio; Latin Sunium promonturium In Greek mythology, the centaurs (from Ancient Greek: Κένταυροι - Kéntauroi are a race of creatures composed of part Human In Greek mythology, the Lapiths were a legendary people whose home was in Thessaly, in the valley of the Peneus and on the mountain Pelion. Other monuments that have left almost nothing visible to the present day are the Chalkotheke, the Pandroseion, Pandion's sanctuary, Athena's altar, Zeus Polieus's sanctuary and, from Roman times, the circular temple of Augustus and Rome. The Chalkotheke ( Greek for "bronze store" was a structure on the Athenian Acropolis. The Pandroseion was a sanctuary dedicated to Pandrosus, one of the daughters of Cecrops I, the first king of Athens, Greece, located on Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2

Hellenistic and Roman period

Byzantine, Latin and Ottoman period

The Venetian siege of 1687.

In the Byzantine period, the Parthenon was turned into a church, dedicated to Holy Wisdom (Hagia Sophia). Under the Latin Duchy of Athens, the Acropolis functioned as the city's administrative center, with the Parthenon as its cathedral. The Duchy of Athens was one of the Crusader States set up in Greece after the conquest of the Byzantine Empire during the Fourth Crusade, A large tower was added, which was demolished in the 19th century. After the Ottoman conquest, the Parthenon was converted into a mosque. A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger The buildings of the Acropolis suffered significant damage during the 1687 siege by the Venetians in the Morean War. The Morean War ( La guerra di Morea) was a campaign fought during the Great Turkish War between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire

Archaeological remains

The entrance to the Acropolis was a monumental gateway called the Propylaea. A Propylaea, Propylea or Propylaia (in Greek &mdash Προπυλαια is any monumental Gateway based on the original Propylaea that serves To the south of the entrance is the tiny Temple of Athena Nike. Nike means "Victory" in Greek, and Athena was worshiped in this form as goddess of victory on the Acropolis in Athens, A bronze statue of Athena, sculpted by Phidias, originally stood at its centre. Phidias (or Pheidias; in Ancient Greek,; c[[ 80 BC]] c 430 BC) son of Charmides was an ancient Greek At the centre of the Acropolis is the Parthenon or Temple of Athena Parthenos (Athena the Virgin). The Parthenon ( Ancient Greek:) is a temple of the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Athenian Acropolis East of the entrance and north of the Parthenon is the temple known as the Erechtheum. The Erechtheum (Έρέχθειον Erechtheion) is an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens in Greece South of the platform that forms the top of the Acropolis there are also the remains of an outdoor theatre called Theatre of Dionysus. The Theatre of Dionysus was a major open air theatre in Ancient Greece, built at the foot of the Athenian Acropolis and forming part of A few hundred metres away, there is the now partially reconstructed Theatre of Herodes Atticus. The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a Stone Theatre Structure located on the south slope of the Acropolis of Athens.

Most of the valuable ancient artifacts were situated in the Acropolis Museum, which resides on the south-east corner of the same rock. The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum located in Athens Greece on the archeological site of Acropolis. An operation to move them for the 400 metres distance to the New Acropolis Museum started on Sunday, 14 October 2007, and continued for six weeks. The New Acropolis Museum is a purpose built Museum by architect Bernard Tschumi to house the archaeological findings related to the Acropolis Hill Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[2]

Site plan of the Acropolis at Athens showing the major archaeological remains

Site plan

1. Parthenon
2. Old Temple of Athena
3. Erechtheion
4. Statue of Athena Promachos
5. Propylaea
6. Temple of Athena Nike
7. Eleusinion
8. Sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia or Brauroneion
9. Chalkotheke
10. Pandroseion
11. Arrephorion
12. Altar of Athena
13. Sanctuary of Zeus Polieus
14. Sanctuary of Pandion
15. Odeon of Herodes Atticus
16. Stoa of Eumenes
17. Sanctuary of Asclepius or Asclepieion
18. Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus
19. Odeon of Pericles
20. Temenos of Dionysus Eleuthereus
21. Aglaureion

Cultural significance

Every four years the Athenians held a festival called the Panathenaea that rivalled the Olympic Games in popularity. The Parthenon ( Ancient Greek:) is a temple of the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Athenian Acropolis The Old Temple of Athena was an Archaic temple located on the Acropolis of Athens. The Erechtheum (Έρέχθειον Erechtheion) is an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens in Greece The Athena Promachos (Ἀθηνᾶ Πρόμαχος "Athena who fights in the front line" was A Propylaea, Propylea or Propylaia (in Greek &mdash Προπυλαια is any monumental Gateway based on the original Propylaea that serves Nike means "Victory" in Greek, and Athena was worshiped in this form as goddess of victory on the Acropolis in Athens, An Athenian temple to Demeter, the Eleusinion was the place where all sacred objects associated with the Eleusinian Mysteries were kept between ceremonies The Brauroneion was the sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia on the Athenian Acropolis, located in the southwest corner of the Acropolis plateau between the Chalkotheke The Chalkotheke ( Greek for "bronze store" was a structure on the Athenian Acropolis. The Pandroseion was a sanctuary dedicated to Pandrosus, one of the daughters of Cecrops I, the first king of Athens, Greece, located on The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a Stone Theatre Structure located on the south slope of the Acropolis of Athens. In ancient Greece, an asclepieion (or asklepieion) was a healing temple, sacred to the god Asclepius. The Theatre of Dionysus was a major open air theatre in Ancient Greece, built at the foot of the Athenian Acropolis and forming part of The Theatre of Dionysus was a major open air theatre in Ancient Greece, built at the foot of the Athenian Acropolis and forming part of The Panathenaea (Παναθήναια "all-Athenian festival" was the most important festival for Athens and one of the grandest in the entire ancient Greek The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games During the festival, a procession moved through Athens up to the Acropolis and into the Parthenon (as depicted in the frieze on the inside of the Parthenon). The Parthenon ( Ancient Greek:) is a temple of the Greek goddess Athena, built in the 5th century BC on the Athenian Acropolis There, a vast robe of woven wool (peplos) was ceremoniously placed on Phidias' massive ivory and gold statue of Athena. A peplos (πέπλος is a body-length Greek garment worn by women in the years before 500 BC. ATHENA was an Antimatter research project that took place at the AD Ring at CERN.

References

External links

• The Acropolis of Athens (Greek Government website)
• The Acropolis Restoration Project (Greek Government website)
• The Restitution of the Parthenon Marbles
• UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Acropolis, Athens
• Reconstruction of the ancient Acropolis
• Excerpt on the geology of Athens from: A Geological Companion to Greece and the Aegean by Michael and Reynold Higgins, Cornell University Press, 1996

• Acropolis of Athens is at coordinates 37°58′17″N 23°43′34″E / 37.971421, 23.726166 (Acropolis of Athens)Coordinates: 37°58′17″N 23°43′34″E / 37.971421, 23.726166 (Acropolis of Athens)