Day 3.5: Athens The Acropolis

Today we finally get to the Acropolis.  Early breakfast then 1^st up was the Acropolis Museum. 

                                       

The museum opened in 2009, though there was a small museum on the Acropolis itself since the late 1800’s.  The museum is located bnear the southeastern slope of the Acropolis hill,

                                   

on the ancient road that led up to the "sacred rock" in classical times. It sits 300yds from the Parthenon and is situated such that it catches the reflection of the Acropolis in its glass façade.

                                    

It was designed to exhibit the artifacts related to the Acropolis, but our guide gave us the impression that the true motivation was to remove the British argument for not returning the Elgin Marbles and other artifacts that the Greeks claim rightfully belong in Greece, which was that there was no adequate place to safely exhibit the pieces.  Thomas Bruce, 7th Earl of Elgin claimed to obtain in 1801 a controversial permit from the Ottoman Empire, which then ruled Greece from 1801 to 1812, Elgin's agents removed about half of the surviving sculptures of the Parthenon, as well as sculptures from the other temples on the Acropolis The Marbles were transported by sea to Britain. In Britain, and eventually were sold British government in 1816 and were passed to the British Museum.  Once Greece became independent, they asked for the artifacts to be returned, but have been stonewalled.  Attempts have been made for mediation by UNESCO, but so far have failed.  It continues to be a source of tension between the British and Greek governments.

                             

The museum has replicas of the Elgin Marbles, as well as replicas of the friezes that adorned the east and west ends of the Parhenon. 

                                    

Most of these had been destroyed by early Christians when the temple was converted into a church in 690 AD.

                                             

In addition, there are 3 well preserved carytids, of six caryatids that held up the roof of the temple on the Acropolis known as the Erechtheion. Caryatid is the name given to an architectural column which takes the form of a standing female.

                          

A brief walk uphill took us to the entryway to the Acropolis.  The granite and marble walkways have been highly polished by the millions of feet that have trod on the stones, making it a treacherous climb. 

                                       

Scaffolding and cranes are still scattered all over the Acropolis 15 years after we were previously here.  I think they are the same ones.  Funding appears to be a major problem for archeological renovation here. 

                                       

Giant Jig-saw Puzzle

                                     

From the top of the Acropolis, you can see 2 theaters, one renovated and used for concerts, plays, and ballet,

                   

and one un-rennovated, 

                   

as well as the Acropolis Museum.

                 

In the distance, there is the hill and monument where Socrates is presumed to have drunk his famous hemlock death potion,

a small rock out cropping where St Paul gave a sermon in 52 AD, and no one showed up, so he went off to Turkey instead to preach,

                                         

and the Temple of Hephaestus, god of fire near the ancient agora (which we visit later.

                               

The Parthenon dominates the Acropolis.  It was completed in Athens heyday in 432 BCE taking only 9 years to construct.  It was dedicated to the goddess Athena, goddess of wisdom and creativity and served as the treasury for the city.  It faced east as all other temples did of that era.

                     

                           

It had many lives after its origins.  In 590 AD, it was desecrated and many of its reliefs were destroyed by early Christians who converted into a church to the Virgin Mary.  After the Ottoman conquest, it was turned into a mosque in the early 1460s. On 26 September 1687, an Ottoman ammunition dump inside the building was ignited by Venetian bombardment. The resulting explosion severely damaged the Parthenon and its sculptures. In 1806, Elgin removed most of the remaining artifacts.  In 1975, the Greek government began a concerted effort to restore the Parthenon and other Acropolis structures.

The other major structure on the Acropolis is the Erechtheion.

The east end of the Erechtheion was dedicated to Athena and housed her ultra-sacred wooden statue. The west part of the building was devoted to Poseidon.  A rock that Poseidon struck with his trident during his contest with Athena was supposedly there, as well as several altars to Hephaestus, and a legendary Athenian hero named Boutos.  The caryatids were the support columns for the temple.

                               

The Acropolis is hot in the noonday sun.  Although I don’t believe the forecast called for temperatures any higher than about 80. It felt like it was well over 90 and not a breath of a breeze.  After about an hour up there, we all had enough of the columns and the crush of humanity and we descended off the rock to a little tavern in the Plaka in the shadow of the Parthenon.  On the way down, we went down little lanes lined by walls covered with street art (fancy word for graffiti).  The houses had metal balconies reminiscent of the French Quarter in New Orleans.

                 

                                       

The restaurant was a real local tavern. Unfortunately, nether Jeri nor I were excited about the planned meal.  Lots of feta.  Dessert was great, though.  Good thing we’re not much in the way of lunch eaters.

                                              

Last stop of the day was the Agora with the stoa at one end

                               

                               

and the Temple of Hephaestus at the other. 

                              

This was the ancient market where things were bought and sold and where ideas were exchanged.

The Temple of Hephaestus was built shortly after the Pathenon and was dedicated to the god of fire.  In the 7^th Century AD, it was converted to a Christian church devoted to St George (he really got around). It is considered to be the best preserved ancient temple in all of Greece.

                            

                                    

Jeri and I meandered back through the Plaka to our hotel after a frozen yogurt cone and people watching break.

I am looking forward and dreading tomorrow.  We board our boat and I have to put the tandem back together. I’m not sure what our internet access will be, just keep checking back periodically to see if anything goes through.  We will be in Istanbul on the 15^th and should have good service by then.