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Photo: Steve Swayne, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This massive temple was built in the 5th century BC in thanksgiving for the Greek victory over Persian invaders. It was later converted into a Christian church, then an Ottoman mosque. It was mostly intact until 1687, when a Venetian bomb landed on the Parthenon, which the Ottomans had used as a munitions dump. From 1800 to 1803, the 7th Earl of Elgin removed many of the surviving sculptures and shipped them to England. Since 1975, numerous large-scale restoration projects have been undertaken to preserve remaining artefacts and ensure its structural integrity.
The Parthenon is a former temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, that was dedicated to the goddess Athena. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of classical Greek art, and the Parthenon is considered an enduring symbol of ancient Greece, Western civilisation, and democracy.
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Classical Athens' main theatre, the first theatre ever built. Many of the great Greek plays were performed here for the first time. According to Plato's Symposium, it could hold an audience of 19,000 spectators. Aristophanes' The Clouds, mocking Socrates, was first performed here, and Plato considered this play to be a contributing factor in Socrates' trial and execution.
A small but excellent museum displays artifacts from Mycenean Greece on, and includes some wonderful Persian artifacts.
This theatre, built in 161 CE, is still used for concerts and plays. The stone backdrop is still preserved to a remarkable height of 3 stories, because it was incorporated into a later fortification on the site.
This landmark street starts from the Temple of Olympian Zeus at Vasilissis Olgas Avenue, continues under the southern slopes of the Acropolis near Plaka, and finishes just beyond the Temple of Hephaestus in Thiseio. The street has been pedestrianised, forming a scenic route. The entire route provides visitors with views of the Parthenon and the Agora (the meeting point of ancient Athenians), away from the busy city centre.
It was the ancient fortified town of Athens, dating back to the Late Bronze Age. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its historic role and the many iconic buildings of the Greek Classical age, among them the Parthenon, the Erectheion, and the Temple of Athena Nike. The key landmark of Athens, visible from afar, the Acropolis dominates the Athenian sky and symbolizes the foundation of modern culture and civilization. The Acropolis is considered to be an enduring symbol of Western civilisation.
Roman Forum
This area became the main marketplace of the city after the Ancient Agora to the west became primarily a religious facility under Roman rule. It houses the Tower of the Winds, an eight-sided tower with a different wind deity on each side, the remains of ancient shops, and a fountain. Although the official entrance faces the end of Pikilis, you cannot buy tickets at the entrance. The ticket office is just around the corner and across the street to the north, on Epaminonda.