What You Should KnoW about acropoliS in athenS

Acropolis in Athens should be on top of your list of things to do. Exploring the Acropolis is as much fun for historians as it is for normal tourists, including kids. Athens is an ancient city and it offers a stunning perception of history. While there are many sites of historical relevance and significance, Acropolis is rather unique. It has historical, architectural, military and religious significance. Get yourself a planned tour and make sure you check into one of the child friendly hotels in Athens if you are traveling with your kids.

Here’s what you should know about Acropolis in Athens.

• The Acropolis is basically a hilltop citadel. It has a flat top and it houses the ruins and remains of numerous historically significant buildings and sites. It is fifty feet wide and eighty feet high. Acropolis spans 30,000 square meters and it is about 500 feet above sea level. It was constructed circa 450 BC. The construction began in 447 BC and was completed in 438 BC. It is also known as the sacred rock because of its defensive leverage. The Acropolis offered the Greeks the leverage to view the positions of armies during wars.

• The famous temple of Athena, known as Parthenon, is located inside Acropolis. Once hailed as an impregnable fort, Acropolis has suffered time and again, during wars and has endured the ravaging of time. Since the first excavations of the site, circa 1830s, the site has been protected to an extent. The excavations had been planned with great diligence to not jeopardize the structures any further. But pollution and repairing attempts have caused substantial damage. Despite the intentions being noble, failed attempts to reconstruct certain parts and to salvage some structures that were not completely ruined have taken a toll on Acropolis. Acropolis is also called Cecropia, taking its name from the legend of the serpent man, Cecrops or Kekrops who was the first Athenian king.

• When you explore the Acropolis, observe the layouts of the city, the various defense mechanisms that were used, check out the Acropolis rock which is a stone made of limestone and it has been around since the Late Cretaceous period. The Acropolis itself has been around since the Neolithic era. The site was primarily used for residential purposes and it later became more religious or spiritual after the temple was built. The Greeks were devoted to the Goddess Athena.

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