Acropolis



The Acropolis of Athens (Ancient Greek: Ἀκρόπολις) is an ancient citadel located on a high rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. The word acropolis comes from the Greek words ἄκρον (akron, "edge, extremity") and πόλις (polis, "city"). Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as "The Acropolis" without qualification.

While there is evidence that the hill was inhabited as far back as the fourth millennium BCE, it was Pericles (c. 495 – 429 BCE) in the fifth century BCE who coordinated the construction of the site's most important buildings including the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion and the temple of Athena Nike. The Parthenon and the other buildings were seriously damaged during the 1687 CE siege by the Venetians in the Morean War when the Parthenon was being used for gunpowder storage and was hit by a cannonball.

The Acropolis was formally proclaimed as the preeminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments on 26 March 2007 CE.

In 2189 OTT, the Acropolis was completely restored as it was when it was built. Along with the neighboring city of Athens, it is now a major tourist site on Terra.