Thursday, August 27, 2015

If a person only names the acropolis , we abruptly know he is speaking about The Acropolis of Athens at Greece which is a landmark of the ancient Greek history.  This herculean structure of 5th century B.C is a single of the numerous acropolises existing in Athens but this is the most ostentatious and a accurate emblem of the dignity of ancient Greeks. Spread more than an area of 3 hectares , the structure of Acropolis of Athens is practically 495 feet high above sea level and it has witnessed all ups and downs of the history of Athens for the last 5 millenniums. The Acropolis of Athens is also named as Cecropia.

The Acropolis
The Acropolis of Athens ( Bird eye view )

The Acropolis of Athens is situated in the valley of Ilisos and it has been employed as sacred worship location, a citadel and palaces simultaneously. A fantastic fortification wall recognized as Pelasgicon was constructed  around the Acropolis of Athens in the late Bronze Age which remained in use for many centuries even after the collapse of Mycenaean civilization. The Acropolis of Athens was destroyed by the Dorians in the 12th century B.C by a fire and it was reconstructed by Hipparchus in 514 B.C and Hippias in 510 B.C but the Pelasgicon was permanently demolished by them declaring it as vicious. By now the position of the Acropolis of Athens was not only as a complicated of palaces but had turned far more into a sanctuary of goddess Athena. It was visited by a enormous number of worshippers each year who employed to decorate the wooden statue of Athena and attend  the Panathenean games festival comprising of athletic and musical competitions.

In 480 B.C  the Acropolis of Athens was occupied by the Persians who entirely destroyed the Acropolis. The Persians have been defeated again by the Greek but the Acropolis of Athens laid in ruins until it was reconstructed on a huge scale  in the middle of 5th century B.C by Pericles who was a prominent and influential statesman, orator, and common of Athens . Additionally the popular Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Propylaia, and the temple of Athena Nike have been also built which are now the preserved parts of all of the Acropolis complicated.

Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons.
The Parthenon ( Acropolis of Athens )

The Parthenon was constructed as symbol of thanks to the goddess Athena . The building was also identified as Temple of Athena the Virgin. It later became the most iconic structure of the Acropolis of Athens and also functioned as a treasury, a fortress, a church, and a mosque. The Parthenon was beautified  with excellent marble sculptures both from inside and outdoors as effectively. According to some archeologists it was painted in bright and red colour.

The Erechtheum or Erechtheion  was really a temple which was constructed on a slope in the north of Acropolis of Athens. Marble stone was utilised in its total building and its doorways and windows have been amazingly carved. The columns had been embellished  with gilt bronze and multi-colored inset glass beads. It was a center for the religious offerings of the ancient Greeks and a lot of holy relics had been preserved right here.

The Erechtheum ( temple of Zeus )
The Erechtheum or Erechtheion

 The wonderful Prοpylaia was in fact a gate-home which was constructed in 432 B.C just before the outbreak of the Peloponnesian wars at the entrance to the Acropolis of Athens. The Popylaia was constructed with white pen telic marble and limestone.  The whole creating was consisted of two adjoining wings one on the northern side and one on the southern side. It had a wall  pierced by five doors the tallest was appropriate in the middle and was the a single used for processions.

The temple of Athena Nike was contrived in the southwest of the Acropolis plateau, correct next to the Propylaia. It was built on a strategic location which was the most accessible spot. The temple was created by Kallikrates and it was renovated with carved strips.

The fantastic Greek Athenian Acropolis or Acropolis of Athens has faced many incidents which has time to time deteriorated its construction including the all-natural disasters , unauthentic restoration efforts and acts of wars. In 1975 a comprehensive restoration project was started with an aim to restore its structure in actual kind and the collection and identification of all of its stone fragments. Now it has been restored even though not fully but to the most extent. An totally new Acropolis museum is also constructed under the south slope of the Acropolis of Athens in Dionyssiou Areopagitou street .The museum includes remarkable artworks , sculptures , excavations, the historic statues of the Caryatides and parts of the Parthenon Frieze.

The Acropolis of Athens which is a fabulous landmark of Greek history no doubt symbolizes one particular of the most ancient and advanced civilizations of the world. It has offered for the final a lot of centuries till present enormous subjects associated to archeology. It is one particular of the most distinguished historical internet sites listed in the UNECO world heritage.

 

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