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Athens Acropolis One of the most outstanding features in Athens, even today, is the rocky outcrop known as the Acropolis (meaning Top of the City). The Acropolis rises 156 metres above sea level and has a length of 300 metres and a width of 150 metres. It's position is of importance as it gives a commanding view of the surrounding area and down to the sea. The first inhabitants fortified the rock with walls of 6 metre thick slabs. On its summit are a variety of important religious buildings including the Erechtheion and the Parthenon. At the foot of the hill is the ancient agora, the theatre of Dionysus and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. The main buildings on the Acropolis are in honour of one god principally - Athene who had competed with her uncle Poseidon for control of Athens itself. The monuments which can be seen on it today date from the Classical period and generally come from the years 447 - 406 B.C. The Acropolis played a very important role in one of the main festivals in honour of Athene, the Panathenaia in which a great procession made its way up to the summit with maidens carrying a robe (peplos) which had been specially woven for the occasion to adorn the ancient olive wood statue of the goddess. One of the structures on the Acropolis is the Propylaia. This marked the entrance onto the summit and the two constituent parts were built between 437 - 432 B.C. The entire structure was made up of a central rectangular space with six Doric columns on both the east and west sides. There were various other features including colonnades, chambers etc where people could congregate before going any further onto the hill. The temple of Athene Nike is a small elegant monument built in the Ionic order and it is situated on the south west side of the Acropolis. It is said to have been built between 427 - 424 B.C. and the architect to have been Kallikrates. The temple is small in dimension but very well preserved. The religious statue of Nike (Winged Victory) was housed in the nave. A frieze runs around the top of the structure depicting an assembly of the Gods of Olympus with Zeus and Poseidon on either side of Athene on one side, and battles of the other sides. The Erechtheion is situated to the north of the Parthenon, is the second largest temple on the Acropolis, and it was begun in 421 B.C. It is a completely unique structure for its design. It is a pillared building with six columns on the facade, internally divided by a wall into two parts which are not directly linked. To the south was the Porch of the Caryatids which has six statues of kores (female figures) which rest on a high base and support the entablature and marble roof. It is believed that the eastern section of the temple was dedicated to the goddess Athene while the western section was for the worship of Erechtheos, Hephaestus and the hero Voutos (all linked to Athens heritage).
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