"ATHENS, THE CITY OF THE GODDESS" 1 . 2 . 3 . 4 . 5

Athens is a place of great cultural interest, as well as a vivid and modern city. The harmonious and perfectly balanced fitting between the old and the new age makes this city unique. Both sides of Athens are extremely appealing to tourists. There are many interesting museums to visit and various cultural activities to attend , that cater for all tastes. Travelers attracted to Athens by an interest in the history of the ancient world's cultural capital have many choices to make.

The Acropolis of Athens was both a fortress and a sanctuary mainly for the worship of the goddess protecting the city, goddess Athena, after whom the city was named.
Light is the word that comes to mind when one looks up at the holy rock of the Acropolis.
Every city in ancient Greece had its own acropolis, the equivalent of the fortress in medieval times. An acropolis was always built on a rock or a hill overlooking the city, not necessarily the highest one but the one with a water supply was chosen. High walls were built around it in order to offer refuge and protection to the citizens in case of invasion or war.
The famous theatre of Dionysus stands on the southern slope of the Acropolis , in the precinct of the god who protected the dramatic contests held during the festival of the Great Dionysia. The visible structures date to 330 B.C. with Roman additions. Around it are remains of a Hellenistic portico used as a promenade and the odium of Pericles (445 B.C.), a large auditorium rebuilt in Roman times.

The Acropolis, consisting of the words Akron (edge, summit) and Polis (city), means "the highest point of a city", is certainly the focal point of any visit and every archaeological tour undoubtedly starts with the Parthenon , the temple that symbolizes Greek architecture and represents the very core of Greek civilization. Built in 448-438 B.C. from a design by Phidias, Ictinus and Callicrates, the temple is a classic example of the Doric order, with a colonnade of eight columns at each end. Its structural and decorative elements were based on complex mathematical calculations, successfully expressing in architecture the harmony of proportions already experimented with and codified by Polyclitus in his sculpture. The underlying principles are probably to be found in the philosophical debates of the Pythagoreans and Anaxagoras regarding universal harmony.

The Parthenon is dedicated to goddess Athena Parthenos (virgin). The peristyle, comprised of 8 x 17 columns and still virtually intact, stands on an imposing stylobate approximately 70m (230 ft) long and 31m (102 ft) wide. Inside, the pronaos and opisthodomos seem to have been reduced to a minimum, to the advantage of the cella, on the east side, and the smaller "Chamber of the Virgins"  the Parthenon proper - on the west. In the cella, a double row of Doric columns framed the cult statue of Athena Parthenos on three sides. This colossal chryselephantine masterpiece by Phidias stood around 12m (40 ft) high.

You can view my portfolio of photos at http://www.panoramio.com/user/45649/tags/Acropolis or http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickolaos/tags/akropolis/ 

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