The Parthenon is a temple on the Acropolis of Athens, Greece. The Parthenon was built in honour of the goddess Athena and served as a monumental entrance to the Acropolis. Its the most recognizable landmark in Greece and one of the most important landmarks in Europe. We visited Acropolis a few times, last time when we visited Athens with kids, and for them, we decided to learn more facts about Parthenon.
The site has been used as a place for celebration and worship for over 2,500 years. It’s one of the most recognizable symbols of ancient Greece worldwide. In modern times, it has been considered an enduring symbol of Ancient Greek culture and Western civilization more generally because its architectural style set standards that builders have followed since then all around the world.
The temple was dedicated to Athena Polias (meaning “Athena guardian of the city”). The people of Athens believed that this was where Athena came into being from her father’s head, Zeus.
Fast facts about Parthenon
- The Parthenon is a temple on the Acropolis of Athens, Greece.
- The Parthenon was built in honour of the goddess Athena and served as a monumental entrance to the Acropolis.
- The site has been used as a place for celebration and worship for over 2,500 years. It’s one of the most recognizable symbols of ancient Greece worldwide. In modern times Parthenon was an enduring symbol of Ancient Greek culture and Western civilization. itsBecause of the architectural style, which set standards that other builders have followed.
- The Parthenon was built in 447 BC
- It took ten years to build the Parthenon, and it is made of marble from Mount Pentelicus
- For nearly a thousand years, the site of the Acropolis was used as a place for celebration and worship. Parthenon during its lifetime served as a Greek Temple, Church and Mosque
- In 1687, a large explosion caused the roof to collapse and destroyed many sculptures inside. It happened because the explosives were stored in the Parthenon. When the random bullet hit it, the Parthenon blew up
- In addition to being an important landmark within Greece, this monument holds special cultural significance for many other nations outside Europe.
What is the Parthenon
The Parthenon is a temple of the Athenian goddess Athena. The word “Parthenon” is also used to refer to the building that stands on top of the Acropolis of Athens, Greece
What do we know about the beginning of construction
The history of the Parthenon is not fully known, but it was constructed in around 447 B.C., during the era referred to as the Golden Age of Athens. The design of the whole time has been attributed to two architects named Iktinos and Kallikrates, who had been closely associated with Pericles, an important figure in ancient Greece.
The origin of the Parthenon
The name “Parthenon” is a Greek word that means “virgin’s place”. Since Parthenon was dedicated to goddess Athena and she was considered for her purity as a virgin. The temple dedicated to the virgin goddess got called the Virgin’s place- Parthenon.
Parthenon was colourful
We all recognize Parthenon and Acropolis as whitewashed marble temples but judging from architects excavation, the buildings and the sculpture were painted in vibrant colours.
Part of Parthenon is in London
Lord Elgin, the British ambassador in Greece, “stole” from locals many sculptures from the Parthenon. In 1802, he found a decree that allowed him to remove art pieces from the Acropolis and bring them to England. He hired a team of artists to take much of the sculptures from the Parthenon back to London. They are now displayed in the British Museum in London – one of the biggest museums in the world.
British Museum still hasn’t given back the sculptures to Greece. Till recently, their excuse was that the sculptures are “part of the world’s shared heritage” and that Britain has the better condition to holds them. Now Athens have a high-end new Acropolis museum, but still, the sculptures – Elgin marbles remain overseas.
Nowadays, there are only 13 originals still standing at the Acropolis Museum in Athens.
What is the difference between Parthenon and Acropolis?
The Acropolis refers to an archaeological site in Greece, while Parthenon is a temple on the top of the hill. The Parthenon is a part of the Acropolis.
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