| The Acropolis, the hill on which the Parthenon & | | | | stays on still convey something of the brilliancy of |
| additional important ruins are located, is the first | | | | the age of Pericles. |
| place you must see when visiting Athens. Not all | | | | The word Acropolis deduces from the Ancient |
| its attractivenesses are on top side of the hill, so | | | | Greek words for "high city", and this monument is |
| take your time to appreciate the ruins you will | | | | one of the world's most famous ruinations. The |
| pass along your way upwards to the top of the | | | | consecrated rock on that the famous landmark |
| hill. As a matter of fact, before starting up, take a | | | | perches is over 500 feet high, & the towering |
| look at the amphitheaters and the Odeon of | | | | columns have withstood the power of the |
| Herod Atticus (this is one of the locatings where | | | | elements for more than 2500 years. |
| the Athens Festival is held in the period of | | | | The various monuments of the Acropolis complex |
| summer). | | | | reverberate the successive waves of occupancy |
| This religious core of ancient Athens, which | | | | which Athens has endured. But despite the |
| received its classical pattern in the time of | | | | demise of the Ancient Greek civilisation more than |
| Pericles, reverberated the humanist values of | | | | 2000 years ago, it is their architectural remains |
| Greek culture and thoughts which have retained | | | | that captivate the imagination, and continue to pull |
| their power down to our own day. In spite of the | | | | millions from all over the world. |
| destruction by many centuries, most notably the | | | | Although open throughout the year, perhaps the |
| devastating explosion in 1687, when a Venetian | | | | best time to visit this rich historical site is in the |
| grenade blew up a Turkish powder magazine | | | | period of the spring when the proliferation of |
| which had been housed in the Parthenon & made | | | | grass and wildflowers, & the less intense heat, |
| the 2,000-year-old temple a ruin, the surviving | | | | makes it extra special. |