As independent travellers we found it a bit of a challenge to get tickets, tour information and even finding the entrance! Everything is done online. Challenges aplenty! Anyway we got our tickets and an early start time. Tickets are sold for admission in time blocks. We got ours nice and early, for 8.00am when the gates are first opened for the day. Anyway we had a bloody good look and mostly enjoyed our time ‘on top’. It was pretty spectacular given most of it was about 2500 years old!
THE ACROPOLIS - A photo story in 4 parts.
1 The HERODEON. An amphitheatre with seating for 5000. Built a a wealthy Roman HERODES ATTICUS between 174 and 160 BC.
2THE ODEON OF HERODES ATTICUS. AN Odeon was a place for theatre and musical performances. This one was on the way up to the top of the Acropolis and it was difficult to appreciate because the were people everywhere and lots of challenging steps
3 ATHENAS ABODE including the TEMPLE OF ATHENA NIKE and THE ERECHTHEION. The ‘E’ is the building with the 6 majestic maiden columns called the CARYATIDS.
4 THE PARTHENON. The iconic largest building on thr Acropolis. The structure we see from our apartment. It is undergoing extensive restoration and looks like a building under construction, but it being reconstructed. At the end of this blog I will paste an answer from Chat GPT about what it was used for in its heyday.
4 SUNDRY VIEWS ON THE TOP. A few photos of bits and pieces up on the top and one photo with a marking on it - our apartment is inside the ⭕️ on the photo.
Now some additional information about the PARTHENON from ChatGPT.
The Acropolis of Athens was at its peak during the Golden Age of Athens, roughly in the 5th century BCE, especially under the leadership of Pericles (circa 460–429 BCE). This was the time when many of the iconic structures, like the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike, were built or significantly enhanced.
Though the Acropolis was not a residential area—it was a sacred and ceremonial center—it played a vital role in the religious and cultural life of the city. Here’s what typically went on:
1. Religious Rituals and Worship
• Citizens came to honor Athena, the patron goddess of the city.
• Priests and priestesses conducted daily offerings and sacrifices at the temples.
• Special festivals like the Panathenaic Festival brought thousands for processions, music, athletic contests, and sacrifices.
2. Processions and Festivals
• The Panathenaic Procession culminated at the Acropolis, where a newly woven peplos (robe) was offered to the cult statue of Athena.
• Other festivals involved music, poetry, and theatrical performances that often related to the gods honored on the Acropolis.
3. Art and Civic Pride
• The Acropolis also showcased the art and architecture of Athens’ golden age. Sculptors like Phidias worked on massive projects, including statues like the colossal Athena Parthenos.
• Citizens and foreign visitors came to admire the temples and statues, reinforcing Athenian identity and pride.
4. Maintenance and Construction
• During the peak period, a lot of construction and restoration took place.
• Workers, artisans, and architects were often seen on-site, especially during Pericles’ building program.
In short, the Acropolis was a religious, artistic, and political symbol, pulsing with sacred rites, civic rituals, and cultural pride—though not with daily civilian life like a marketplace or residential neighborhood.
Off to Corinth tomorrow but no more blogs for a while. 👋👋👋
This featured blog entry was written by roaminallover from the blog TURKEY AND GREECE -.
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