AcropolisPersonal travel impressions in stories and pictures from Acropolis, Greece. Click on the pictures to enlarge, send as a free e-card, or download for personal use. You can locate Acropolis and navigate the world using Google Earth Show on map
N 37° 58.284
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One of the best known symbols of any country is the Acropolis of Athens, although many people mistake the Parthenon temple with the Acropolis notion. Acropolis literally means upper city, and this is what it has been for centuries: a city built on a hill, overlooking the surroundings of what has become the city of Athens. Until the last century, people still lived on the Acropolis. Now, you can still see small dwellings as you walk up the hill to the entrance.
As long as you go on a clear day, you see Athens appearing below as you climb the hill of the Acropolis. You appreciate the strategically strong position of the Acropolis - it is easy to imagine that before more advanced weapons were invented, these were cities that were almost impossible to conquer. As soon as you come to the top, you also see that this has also been a place where beautiful temples were built.
Although now many parts of the Acropolis are under construction (possibly also for the Olympic Games in 2004), you can still grasp the magnitude of the place, you can enjoy the detailed ornaments on some of the temples, marvel at the proud statues of the Erechtion temple that was the most sacred site of the Acropolis. This is where the city derives its name from: the goddess Athena won a contest with Poseidon over who would be the patron of the city. You can guess who won...
