Event: Greece - Athens

The Acropolis

When:	Daily
Where:	The Acropolis
Costs:	€12 (ticket also valid for the Ancient Agora and Roman Forum)
Opening Hours:	Summer daily 8am-7pm; winter daily 8.30am-3pm

Floodlit by night, the Acropolis is a rocky mound rising above Plaka. It is the birthplace of Athens, and crowned by three ancient temples, the best known being the Parthenon. The all-glass New Acropolis Museum opens open in late 2008.

The word Acropolis derives from the Ancient Greek words for "high city", and this monument is one of the world's most famous ruins. The sacred rock on which the famous landmark perches is over 500 feet high, and the towering columns have withstood the power of the elements for more than 2500 years.

The various monuments of the Acropolis complex reflect the successive waves of occupation which Athens has endured. But despite the demise of the Ancient Greek civilisation more than 2000 years ago, it is their architectural remains that capture the imagination and continue to pull millions from all over the world.

Of all the precious monuments which litter the rocky plateau above the bustling modern city of Athens, it is the Parthenon which remains the international symbol of Ancient Greek architecture. It was dedicated to Athena Parthenos, the protectress of Athens and the guardian of civilised life, and built between 447 and 438 BC. Sculptural reliefs on all sides of the building include figures of gods, beasts and some 360 humans depicted in the Procession of the Panathenaea, the most formal religious festival of ancient Athens.

The whitened stone of the remains may appear authentic, but in actual fact during the Golden Age of Pericles (~450-330BC), when the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion were added, the columns themselves were probably painted in bright, even gaudy colours.

The last three centuries have been crueller to the Parthenon than the preceding two millenia. The first disaster to befall it was in 1687 when the Turks were using the building as a gunpowder magazine. During a siege of the Acropolis by Admiral Morosini and his Venetian army, a bomb exploded on top of the temple, destroying a great part of the monument.

The poor ruins underwent further humiliation at the beginning of the 19th century, this time at the hands of the British. Lord Elgin, the English ambassador to Constantinople, stole the greatest part of the sculptural decoration of the monument (frieze, metopes, pediments), transferred them to England and then sold them to the British Museum, where they are still exhibited.

Although open throughout the year, perhaps the best time to explore this rich historical site is during the spring, when the proliferation of grass and wildflowers, and the less intense heat, makes it extra special.