Our plan today was to visit all the historic ruins around Athens. We had purchased a combo ticket €30/person which gets you admission into the Acropolis, the Ancient Agora, Roman Agora, Hadrian’s Library, Temple of Olympian Zeus, Kerameikos, and Aristotle’s School. Once you have the combination ticket, you will skip the ticket line at each of these sites and at the Acropolis. Combination tickets are valid for five days from the start date and can only be used one time for admission into each site, including the Acropolis.
- Hadrian’s Library
- Ancient Agora
- Roman Agora
- Acropolis
- Temple of Olympian Zeus
- Archaeological Museum
- Athens University
- View of Acropolis from city center
Hadrian’s Library – We started the day early with a visit to Hadrian’s Library which was within a mile walking distance from our hotel. Hadrian’s Library was founded by Emperor Hadrian in AD 132 on the north side of Athens Acropolis. The most impressive part of the ruin is its entrance – the great Corinthian columns on the well-preserved outer wall, and the impressive portico which served as the entrance to the courtyard.
During Byzantine times, three churches were built at the site, whose remains have partly survived:
Hadrian’s Library, Tetraconch – The first was a monumental Tetraconch church constructed in the 5th century and was located in the center of the library’s courtyard. The church was destroyed in the late 6th century. The only remaining part of that church is a section of a floor mosaic with floral patterns.
Hadrian’s Library, Megali Panagia, a large cross-shaped domed church, was constructed at the end of the 11th or early 12th century. It was probably the first cathedral of Athens. Megali Panagia burned down in a fire in 1884.
Hadrian’s Library, Church of Saint Asomatos – Built in the 12th century against the library’s north facade, this church was dedicated to Saint Asomatos, also known as the Archangel Michael. It was demolished in 1843, but some of its remains are still visible on the library’s facade.
Hadrian’s Library, Library rooms – At the eastern end of the colonnade, there was a series of rooms that constituted the actual library, where papyrus books were stored. In its heyday, it would have housed over 17,000 books, scrolls, documents and papyri. Some of the rooms here also served as lecture halls and reading rooms.
Hadrian’s Library, Auditoria – In the northeast and southeast corners of the Library were two similar spaces designed as amphitheaters with marble seats. Quite possibly, these rooms were used for lectures or as a meeting place. The north auditorium is full visible today, however, most of the south auditorium is still buried deep underneath the modern Adrianou street.
Ancient Agora – The Greek word “Agora” means a gathering place or a marketplace in Ancient Greece. The ancient Agora was the marketplace and the center of everyday life in ancient Athens. There are two entrances to the Agora site – the main one is on Adrianou road in the South and the side one in the North.
Points of interest in Ancient Agora are described below with pictures.
Ancient Agora, Stoa of Attalos – We started our self tour at the Stoa of Attalos which is one of the best restored building in Ancient Agora. A stoa basically means a covered walkway or portico. The Stoa was built by and named after King Attalos II, who ruled between 159 BCE and 138 BCE. The building was reconstructed from 1952 to1956 and currently houses the Museum of the Ancient Agora.
The collection in the 2-floored museum includes clay, bronze and glass objects, sculptures, coins and inscriptions from the 7th to the 5th century BC, as well as pottery of the Byzantine period and the Turkish conquest. We walked up to the second floor of the Stoa which had some more displays.
Ancient Agora, Church of the Holy Apostles – From the 2nd floor of the Stoa, a flight of steps takes you down and out to the Church of the Holy Apostles. Built in the mid-10th century, this was the only building in the Agora (apart from Temple of Hephaestus) that is almost intact since the beginning of excavations.
Ancient Agora, South Stoa -This formed the south side of an enclosed complex called the South Square and was built in the mid-second century BC. The area features life-sized bronze figures of two ancient philosophers, Socrates and Confucius in a deep discussions and was unveiled in 2021. Created by Chinese artist, Wu Weishan, it was a gift from the Chinese government to celebrate 50 years of diplomatic relations between China and Greece.
Ancient Agora, Middle Stoa – On the south side of the agora, the Middle Stoa (which ran parallel to the south stoa), was the most extensive monument built during the 2nd century BC. It was 147 m long and 17.5 m wide. Its function was mainly commercial.
Ancient Agora, Temple of Hephaistos – After exploring Middle Stoa, a pleasant walk along a path and up a hill will lead you to this well-preserved and lovely Temple of Hephaistos on the north-west side of Ancient Agora. This fifth-century BC Doric temple is dedicated to Hephaistos, the patron god of metal working, craftsmanship, and fire.
Ancient Agora, Panathenaic Way in Ancient Agora historically wound its way to the Acropolis. It is named after Panathenaea, which is a festival celebrated in the honour of goddess Athena. This was the route that the procession would follow, likely also used to celebrate the Panathenaic Games; similar to the Olympic Games.
Ancient Agora, Odeion of Agrippa – Was a large auditorium built around 15 BC, occupying what had previously been open space in the centre of the Agora. It had a capacity to seat one thousand people.
Ancient Agora, Temple of Ares – This temple was dedicated to Ares, the god of war and courage. Fragments from the temple found throughout the Agora enable a full, if tentative, reconstruction of the temple’s appearance. The temple had a large altar to the east and was surrounded by statues. A terrace to the north looked down on the Panathenaic Way.
The Roman Agora – Adjacent to the Ancient Agora is the site of the Roman Agora, also known as the Roman Forum which was founded in the late first century BC. Its construction was funded by Julius Caesar and Emperor Augustus. The Roman Agora consisted of a large, open-air courtyard surrounded by colonnades on all four sides. A series of shops was situated on the eastern side while a fountain lay on the southern side. The main entrance was at the west, but another entrance led to the Tower of Winds, an octagonal building used for telling the time and predicting the weather.
Points of interest in Roman Agora are described below with pictures.
Roman Agora, Gate of Athena Archegetis – You enter this place through this monumental gate which has a row of four Doric columns and a socle made of Pentelic marble. It was constructed in 11 B.C. with the donations of Julius Caesar and Augustus and was dedicated by the People of Athens to their patroness, Athena Archegetis.
Roman Agora, Tower of the Winds – One of the easily recognizable sites here is the Tower of the Winds which is an octagonal marble tower named after the 8 large reliefs of wind gods around its top. It may have been used to estimate time based on the position of the sun.
Roman Agora, Public Latrines – Built in the 1st century AD, these latrines were called “Vespasianae” after Roman Emperor Vespasian. Public latrines, were usually rectangular and had a marble or stone bench with holes for sitting. A channel of clean water ran through the middle of the latrine to carry away waste. Public latrines were places where Romans would socialize, sitting side by side without any separation. Public latrines were not free, and people had to pay an entrance fee.
Acropolis – Dedicated to goddess Athena, Acropolis is considered as the greatest and finest sanctuary of ancient Athens. It was the center of the ancient city and functioned as a citadel in its protected hilltop location. The buildings that still stand today were constructed under the direction of Pericles in the 5th century BC. The Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Propylaea, and others, are the remnants of the Golden Age of Greece.
We had bought the combo ticket with admission to Acropolis @12:15pm. We reached the entrance 10 minutes early and fortunately for us, the line to get in was not too long.
Acropolis, Odeon of Herodes Atticus – Before you get to the Propylaea or the entrance into the Acropolis, you will come across a great viewpoint over the stunning Odeon of Herodes Atticus. In ancient times, Odeons were built for musical contests and this ancient stone theatre has gone on to host some of the world’s best musical performances during the last 60 years since its restoration and modern day re-opening.
Widely known by locals as simply “Herodeon”, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus was built between 160AD – 174AD by the wealthy benefactor of Athens, Herodes Atticus as an ode to his late wife Rigilla. It was destroyed some 100 years after it was built during the invasion of the Erouloi in 268 AD. It was fully restored in 1950s before its grand opening in 1955. With 35 rows, the marble auditorium extends slightly beyond a semi-circle with a diameter of 80 m and today seats 4680 people.
Acropolis, Propylaea – This monumental gateway to the Acropolis sanctuary, designed by the architect Mnesikles, was erected between 437 and 431 BC on the site of an earlier gate. It was never completed, however, as construction stopped on the eve of the Peloponnesian War in 431 BC. Take you time to admire and appreciate this impressive gateway as you climb up to the top.
Acropolis, Temple of Athena Nike (or wingless victory) – Another important ruin at the entrance is the Temple of Athena Nike. It is the smallest temple at the Acropolis constructed in the year 420 BCE. The temple of Athena Nike, built in Ionic order of beautiful white Pentelic marble, has columns at the front and back but not on the sides – this kind of floor plan is called an amphiprostyle. The columns are monolithic, which means that each one of them was made of a single block of stone
Acropolis, Parthenon – Once you go through the grand entrance, the view of the Parthenon and other statues and buildings suddenly open up in front of you and takes your breath away. The Parthenon is a large temple dating from 447 BC to 338 BC and dedicated to the virgin goddess Athena. With its monumental rows of Doric columns and stunning sculptural details, the temple is an awe-inspiring sight.
Acropolis, Erechtheion – This sanctuary was built between 421 BC and 395 BC and it replaced the Ancient Temple of Athena Polias, part of which had been destroyed by the Persians sixty years earlier. At the time it was built, the Erechtheion was dedicated to the worship of Athena and Poseidon-Erechtheus. In the following millennia, it was also used as a Christian church, a palace for a bishop, and a residence for a garrison commander. The best feature of the Erechtheion complex is the Porch of the Caryatids, with six statues of maidens in place of Doric columns. Now severely weathered and affected by pollution, five of the caryatids were removed to the Acropolis Museum in 1978 and replaced with replicas. The position of the sixth Kore, still held in the British Museum, has been left empty.
Acropolis, Theatre of Dionysus – This ancient theater built on the south slope of the Acropolis hill, was originally part of the sanctuary of Dionysus Eleuthereus (Dionysus the Liberator). Development on the site began around mid 6th century BC with the creation of the orchestra, a circular floor of earth 60 feet in diameter with an altar at the centre. Placed near temple of the fertility god Dionysus, the orchestra was used for dramatic performances, which, together with a procession and sacrifice, composed the annual spring festival of the god. The theatre reached its fullest extent in the fourth century BC when it would have had a capacity of up to 25,000, and was in continuous use down to the Roman Period. The theatre then fell into decay in the Byzantine era. It was identified, excavated, and restored to its current condition in the nineteenth century.
View of Athens from Acropolis – The video below gives you a sweeping view of all the major sites around Athens – Ancient Agora, Hadrian’s Library, Roman Agora, Lycabettus Hill, churches etc.
Temple of Olympian Zeus – Also known as the Olympieion, this colossal temple was dedicated to Zeus, the King of Gods. Construction began in the 6th century BC, but it was not completed until the reign of Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD, some 638 years after the project had begun. During the Roman period, the temple, which included 104 colossal columns, was the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world. The temple’s glory was short-lived, as it fell into disuse after being pillaged during a barbarian invasion in 267 AD, just about a century after its completion. Only 15 (out of more than 100) columns remain standing, and another surviving column lies on the ground, but the ruins’ monumental presence gives a sense of the massive size of the original building.
Watch your belongings around this area and all around Athens. pickpocketing and bag stealing is a common crime that tourists as well as locals experience in Athens.
National Archaeological Museum – Entry fee €12/person. Founded in the 19th century, the National Archaeological Museum is the largest archaeological museum in Greece and one of the greatest antiquities museums in the world. The museum is housed in an impressive Neoclassical building with 8,000 square meters of exhibition space.
On display are more than 11,000 exhibits, offering a comprehensive overview of Greek civilization from prehistory through the classical period to late antiquity. The National Archaeological Museum houses the largest and one of the most significant Sculptures of Greek antiquity worldwide, dating from the 7th century BC to the 5th century AD.
The Vase and Decorative Objects Collection showcases ancient Greek pottery from the 11th century BC all the way until the classical Roman period.
View of Acropolis from around Athens – You can get a great view of Acropolis from various places around Athens. Some of the restaurants have rooftop dining, with incredible views across to the Acropolis, showing the grand entrance, the Temple of Athena Nike, and the Parthenon, all of which are lit up in the evenings. Here are some pictures of acropolis as you stroll around the city.
