Acropolis, Greece

The construction of the Parthenon began in 447 BCE, one year after the Peace of Callias ended hostilities with Persia. Pericles used tribute money from Athens’ allies across the Aegean to fund it, which the allies had contributed for collective defence. Several allies objected to the repurposing. The result was the most sophisticated piece of architecture produced in the ancient world: a temple built with subtle convex curves in the floor and columns, tapering columns, and tilted column capitals, all designed to correct the optical distortions that perfectly straight geometry produces at this scale.

Visiting

The Acropolis receives around 2 million visitors a year. Go at 8am when it opens in summer, or late afternoon when the tour groups have left. The site closes at sunset. A combined ticket covers the Acropolis, the slopes sites, and the Ancient Agora for EUR 30; individual Acropolis admission is EUR 20.

The Parthenon scaffolding has been present since the 1970s and the restoration work continues. This is not a disappointment once you understand the scale of what they are attempting: reversing centuries of damage, Ottoman occupation, and Venetian cannon fire (the 1687 explosion that destroyed the interior was caused by a shell hitting the Turkish powder magazine stored inside). The building is actively being restored to a better condition than it has been in for 400 years.

The Erechtheion has the Porch of the Caryatids: six female figures serving as columns. The originals are in the Acropolis Museum; the figures on the porch are high-quality replicas. The originals in the museum have survived better; five of the six are from the original building, the sixth is in the British Museum in London. The gaps between them in the museum display are not accidental.

The Acropolis Museum

At the base of the hill, the museum holds the original sculptural programme from the buildings above, including the Parthenon frieze fragments. The third floor display shows the fragments Athens holds with gaps for the pieces currently in London; this is deliberate advocacy in the ongoing repatriation debate. The museum building itself is worth noting: the lower level is transparent over excavated ruins of an ancient Athenian neighbourhood visible below the foundation.

Eating Near the Acropolis

The restaurants immediately below the rock in the Plaka and Monastiraki neighbourhoods vary widely. Ta Karamanlidika tou Fani in Monastiraki does Anatolian-influenced Greek deli food and is worth the walk. The hilltop terrace views come at tourist pricing; eat one floor up from the street and the prices drop.