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Why is the acropolis on a hill?

Why is the acropolis on a hill?

From both a religious and a military point of view, a hilltop site was highly desirable: militarily, because an acropolis had to be a citadel; religiously, because a hill was imbued with natural mysteries—caves, springs, copses, and glens—that denoted the presence of the gods. The Parthenon, Athens.

Why was Athens built on a hill?

The Acropolis was built on a hill in the middle of the city of Athens. Surrounded by stone walls, it was originally built as a citadel and fortress where the people could retreat when the city was attacked. This building was dedicated to the goddess Athena and was also used to store gold.

What was the significance of the location of the Acropolis?

The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient 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 being the Parthenon….Acropolis of Athens.

UNESCO World Heritage Site
Buffer zone 116.71 ha

How high is the Acropolis in Athens?

The Acropolis of Athens is the most striking and complete ancient Greek monumental complex still existing in our times. It is situated on a hill of average height (156m) that rises in the basin of Athens.

What is special about the Acropolis?

The Acropolis also features the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion temple and the impressive entryway called the Propylaea. The Acropolis served as a citadel, a fortress for citizens during times when the city was under attack, as well as a place honoring the Greek gods, with the temples, ceremonies and shrines.

What is the highest hill in Athens and what is located there?

Mount Lycabettus (/ˌlaɪkəˈbɛtəs/), also known as Lycabettos, Lykabettos or Lykavittos (Greek: Λυκαβηττός, pronounced [likaviˈtos]), is a Cretaceous limestone hill in the Greek capital Athens. At 277 meters (908 feet) above sea level, its summit is the highest point in Central Athens and pine trees cover its base.

What is the highest hill in Athens?

Mount Lycabettus
At 300 meters, Mount Lycabettus is the highest peak in Athens. Every half an hour a funicular whizzes up to the summit. Among other attractions, there’s a restaurant with sky-high prices and views to match.

What happened at the Acropolis in Athens?

In 480 B.C., the Persians attacked again and burned, leveled and looted the Old Parthenon and almost every other structure at the Acropolis. To prevent further losses, the Athenians buried the remaining sculptures inside natural caves and built two new fortifications, one of the rock’s north side and one on its south.

What is the area of high land where temples and palaces were built in Greek city states *?

About 3,200 years ago, large structures were built on the Acropolis including what appears to be a palace (of which very little survives) and a series of “cyclopean” walls, so named because a myth emerged in later time periods that the walls had been built by mythical creatures called Cyclops.

Which is the best description of the Acropolis?

What Is the Acropolis? The term “acropolis” means “high city” in Greek and can refer to one of many natural strongholds constructed on rocky, elevated ground in Greece, but the Acropolis of Athens is the best known.

Is the Acropolis of Athens Open to the public?

The Acropolis is open to tourists year-round and is located in a busy area of the city of Athens. Tickets are available at the entrance, but be prepared to wait.

Where did the marble come from for the Acropolis?

Geology. Many of the hills in the Athens region were formed by the erosion of the same nappe as the Acropolis. These include the hills of Lykabettos, Areopagus, and Mouseion . The marble utilized to construct the buildings of the Acropolis was sourced from the quarries of Mount Pentelicus, a mountain to the northeast of the city.

Why was the Parthenon built on the Acropolis?

The Parthenon and other main buildings on the Acropolis were built by Pericles in the fifth century BC as a monument to the cultural and political achievements of the inhabitants of Athens.