The Acropolis

Lonely Planet review

The Acropolis is the most important ancient site in the Western world. Crowned by the Parthenon, it stands sentinel over Athens, visible from almost everywhere within the city. Its monuments of Pentelic marble gleam white in the midday sun and gradually take on a honey hue as the sun sinks, while at night they hover above the city brilliantly illuminated. The sudden glimpse of this magnificent sight cannot fail to lift your spirits.

Pericles set about transforming the Acropolis into a city of temples after being informed by the Delphic oracle in 510 BC that it should become a province of the gods. Unsurpassed in grace and harmony, the Parthenon is the largest Doric temple ever completed in Greece, the only one built completely (apart from its wooden roof) of Pentelic marble.

The Parthenon had a dual purpose - to house the giant statue of Athena commissioned by Pericles and to serve as the treasury for the tribute money that had been moved from Delos. It was built on the site of four earlier temples, all dedicated to the worship of Athena.

Beside the Parthenon is the Erechtheion, immediately recognisable for its much-photographed Caryatids, the six maidens who take the place of columns. The Acropolis Museum houses a collection of sculptures and reliefs from the site.