Visiting The Acropolis in Greece
The
word 'Acropolis', is synonymous with Athens in the minds of many people.
In fact 'acropolis' means 'high city', and there are many other towns
and cities in Greece built around a mount or peak. The Acropolis in
Athens is a limestone outcrop surmounted by the distinctive shape of the
Parthenon, a constant reminder of the glory of Ancient Greece.
The Propylaea
is the superb marble entrance gate to the Acropolis, built in about 430
BC, and considered by many to be architecturally the equal of the
Parthenon. Built on a slope, it has five gates with enormous doors and
wings to either side.
The
Parthenon, a Doric temple constructed between 447 and 432 BC, is made of
about 13,500 blocks of marble, no two the same. It is a masterpiece of
design, using sophisticated techniques to counteract optical effects
that would have made the columns look too thin and the building squat.
The outer colonnade consists of 46 columns supporting 96 metopes (carved
panels) with battle scenes. The inner, Ionic, frieze was a majestic 160
meters (524 feet) long but was removed and taken to Britain by Lord
Elgin in the early nineteenth century.
The building
held a statue of Athena that was over 11 meters (36 feet) high and
covered in gold. The extraordinary marble roof was cut so thinly that
light filtered through onto the statue. Sadly, neither exists today, but
the aura of this extraordinary place is redolent with the weight of the
history of civilization. The Ionic Erechtheum is perched at the north
edge of the Acropolis overlooking the city. Its original caryatid
statues are the museum.
