Photo. The ancient wonder Acropolis baths in the hot sun in July 2012.
The Acropolis of Athens is the birthplace of modern Western Civilization. Its an ancient citadel located on a high rocky outcrop 150 metres above the city of Athens. It contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance. The most famous is the Parthenon. This 2500 year old temple served as a treasury, church and mosque throughout its rich history.
From the Greek "Akro", means high or extreme/extremity or edge and "Polis", means city, translated as "High City", "City on The Edge" or "City in the Air". The construction of the Acropolis of Athens begun under Pericles' leadership on 28 July 447 BC. The earliest known human habitation on the Acropolis and around the Agora of Athens is from ca. 7000 BC - 5000 BC.
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Photo. Acropolis - "High City" - attracts many tourists.
The ruins of the ancient wonder reminds of the Greek heydays.
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Acropolis can be observed from many places around in the city. Its quite spectacular and picturesque. Be prepared to take a walk and climb up a tall hill in the hot weather.
There are so many thing to see, so many steps and slopes. Bring with you plenty of water and a hat if you go there in summer.
It`s could be tiring going up the hill, but it`s well worth every step once you reach the top. There you get a wonderful view. Start the ascending the hill early in the morning or it`s going to be too crowded. In the high season there are long lines. They move slowly both due to the huge number of people and the poor Greece effeciency.
The Acropolis was formally proclaimed as the preeminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments on 26th March 2007. It was inscripted on the UNESCO list in 1987.
As UNESCO writes on its website: "The Athenian Acropolis is the supreme expression of the adaptation of architecture to a natural site. This grand composition of perfectly balanced massive structures creates a monumental landscape of unique beauty consisting of a complete series of masterpieces of the 5th century BC. The monuments of the Acropolis have exerted an exceptional influence, not only in Graeco-Roman antiquity, a time when in the Mediterranean world they were considered exemplary models, but in contemporary times as well."
This monument is so important for the Greeks. The restoring work continues on Acropolis (as you see on the photos in this article). The ancient Greeks took only eight or nine years to build the Parthenon. Its modern restorers, led by Greek architect Manolis Korres, have already taken over 30 years and nearly $90 million to repair and restore it, and their work may not be complete until 2020.
Stein Morten Lund, 27th October 2012
Additional information
The Acropolis of Athens is not part of the The Seven Wonders of the World, or the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It refers to remarkable constructions of classical antiquity listed by various authors in guidebooks popular among the ancient Hellenic tourists, particularly in the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. Of the original Seven Wonders, the Great Pyramid of Giza, is the oldest and only remaining intact wonder.
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