A Guide to Ancient Athens: Acropolis, Temples & Archaeological Sites to Visit

Athens, the birthplace of Western civilization, is a city that is steeped in history. It is home to an enviable collection of ancient monuments that are among the most important in world history, which are also easily accessible for tourists. Read on for a guide to some of the most important sites to visit during your stay in the Greek capital.

Acropolis

Located on a rocky plateau rising high above the center of the city, the Acropolis is one of the most famous historic sites in the world.

The area was used as a citadel by the ancient Greeks as well as a religious site, with its grand temples built under the direction of Pericles in the 5th century BC, considered to be the ‘Golden Age’ of the Athenian city-state. The most famous building here is certainly the Parthenon, a massive temple dedicated to Athena, but the citadel is home to plenty of other fantastic structures, too, like the Erechtheion (dedicated to Poseidon), the Temple of Athena Nike, and the Propylaea, which served as the entrance to the complex.

The buildings you see here today are in ruins, but don’t blame it on the ancient Greeks. Their constructions were strong enough to stand the test of time, but they couldn’t withstand modern munitions: at the end of the 17th century, while the Venetians were laying siege to Athens, their cannons hit the munitions that the Ottomans were storing on the Acropolis, provoking huge explosions that left these beautiful buildings as a shell of their former selves.

Even so, the buildings are plenty impressive, as is the view of the surrounding city and the blue waters of the Aegean Sea in the distance. Take your time up here and try to imagine what it would have looked like in the Athens of antiquity.

Ancient Agora of Athens

In ancient Greece, the agora was the central public space of a city, roughly akin to the town square. In classical Athens, this space epitomized the novel idea of democracy, a place where any citizen could come to conduct business, debate political issues, or simply socialize. The area was home to the city’s main market as well as government buildings like the assembly house, where citizens were encouraged to actively participate in the political dealings of the city-state. In addition, the agora was the main meeting place of the city, frequented by philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, who came to teach, debate, and speak with their fellow citizens.

The Agora is mostly in ruins today, but you can still trace its past importance in the foundations and layout of its buildings. One of the few mostly intact structures is the temple known as the Hephaesteion, dedicated to Hephaestus, god of artisans and craftsmen. It was on the hill in front of this temple that the craftsmen of ancient Athens would sell their wares.

Kerameikos

Located at the western edge of the historic center, the archaeological site at Kerameikos provides a fascinating window into the life of normal Athenians.

The large area that has now been excavated was in ancient times bisected by the city walls; the section inside the walls was the potters’ quarter (‘ceramic’), while outside the walls lay one of the city’s main cemeteries. You can walk through the former city gates and along the Sacred Way, following in the footsteps of members of the secret religious rites traveling from Athens to Eleusis. The site also has a museum showcasing some of the beautiful ceramics recovered from the archaeological digs.

Roman Agora

As great admirers of the Greeks, the Romans were keen to incorporate the Hellenic lands into their ever-expanding domain, respecting their foundations but building on them as well. Even after conquering the Greek mainland in 146 BC, the Romans granted Athens the status of a free city, allowing it a certain degree of autonomy in creating its own laws and managing itself.

The Romans made various additions to Athens, maintaining the original structural integrity of the city but adding to it, too. One such example is the Roman Agora, begun by Julius Caesar and finished by Augustus in the 1st century BC, which served as the marketplace and commercial center of Roman Athens. The site is mostly in ruins, but you can still appreciate its past grandeur, especially while passing through the Gate of Athena Archegetis at its entrance or admiring the famous Tower of the Winds.

Hadrian’s Library

The Romans placed great importance on the Greeks’ contributions to religious and philosophical thought, and they sought to carry on these traditions in their rule of the city, too.

For this reason, the Roman emperor Hadrian erected his monumental library next to the agora in 132 AD, dedicated to scholarship and learning. The library housed a large collection of scrolls and books while also providing lecture halls and study spaces, making it a true center of intellectual life in the city.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

One of Hadrian’s other significant contributions to Athens was his completion of the Temple of Olympian Zeus, begun by the Athenian tyrants more than six centuries earlier. The tyrants had set out to build the largest temple in the world, but, after the tyranny was overthrown and replaced with democracy, the project ground to a halt. The Greeks considered it hubris to build on such an enormous scale, and Aristotle famously wrote that the excessively large temple was an example of tyrants embarking on colossal building projects in order to leave their subjects devoid of the time or energy to rebel.

The Romans, however, did not share the same concerns, so Hadrian was happy to finish off the project to reflect the great strength of his empire. The temple consisted of 104 huge columns, with an equally massive cult statue of Zeus in its center. Today, only 16 of the columns remain standing, but they are large enough to give you an idea of what this place would have looked like two thousand years ago.