Athens - Acropolis

Athens, the southernmost capital on the European mainland, is one of the world's oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years. According to Greek mythology the city was named after Athena, the ancient Greek goddess of wisdom. Classical Athens was one of the most powerful city-states in ancient Greece. It was a centre for democracy, the arts, education and philosophy, and was highly influential throughout the European continent, particularly in Ancient Rome. For this reason it is often regarded as the cradle of Western civilisation and the birthplace of democracy.

The acropolis is located on a flat rock that rises 150 m above sea level and covers an area of around 3 hectares. It has probably been inhabited since the 6th millennium BC.

In Mycenaean times, it was the seat of the king from the 14th century BC. A defensive wall was later built in the 13th century BC, which also included access to a spring to maintain the water supply in the event of a siege. Later, in democratic Athens, it was extended as a temple precinct and lost its defensive function. After the victory over the Persians, Athens became the center of the Hellenic world from 448 BC under Pericles as the supreme power of the Attic League. This power and the wealth associated with it were also to be demonstrated through buildings. The Acropolis was completely redesigned by the master builders Iktinos, Mnesikles and Kallikrates under the direction of the ingenious sculptor Phidias.

The Erechtheion is a temple in the Ionic architectural style built between approximately 420 and 406 BC.

The Erechtheion stands on the site of the original palace of the mythical King Erichthonius (Erechtheus I). The temple incorporated several ancient cults for a total of 13 deities and heroes into a complex architectural form. It contained the the wooden cult image of the goddess Athena, supposedly fallen from the sky, which was redecorated annually at the Panathenaic festival.

The Erechtheion is best known for its vestibule, which, instead of columns, is supported by six larger-than-life figures of girls (korai). They are also called caryatids, however, it is not certain who they represent.

Over the course of its history, the building has been used for various purposes, often damaging its original form. In the 7th century, it was converted into a Byzantine Christian church.

One of the six Koren was brought to Great Britain by Lord Elgin in 1811 and is now in the British Museum. The remaining five were replaced by replicas at the end of the 20th century to prevent further damage from the elements.