Acropolis

The Acropolis of Athens is a citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historical significance, the most famous of which is the Parthenon. The word acropolis is from the Greek words akros (“highest”) and polis (“city”), and thus means “high city”. The Acropolis of Athens was first inhabited in the Mycenaean period (1600-1100 BC). After the Mycenaean period, the citadel was used as a place of worship by the city’s inhabitants. In the 6th century BC, the Athenian statesman Pericles commissioned the construction of several major buildings on the Acropolis, including the Parthenon, the Propylaia, and the Erechtheion. The Acropolis was subsequently used as a fortress by the Athenian army during the Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC). The Acropolis was extensively damaged during the 17th century AD by the Venetians, who used the marble from its buildings to construct fortifications in the city of Athens. In the 19th century, the Greek government began a program of restoration and conservation of the Acropolis. Many of the buildings on the Acropolis are now protected as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.