The Parthenon is one of the most recognized Greek landmarks.
The Parthenon is a symbol of the pinnacle of Greek culture as well as the achievements of the Mediterranean Ancient World civilization.
The Temple of the Parthenon is located in Athens, on the hill complex of the Acropolis, towering above the city.
At night, the Parthenon and the Acropolis glow in a dazzling light that can be seen from all over the city.
This square-shaped building was built in the 5th century BC by Callicrates and Ictinus, which was intended as a replacement for an old temple which had stood before.
The Parthenon or the “Temple of the Virgin” was dedicated to the goddess Athena. Inside the temple, a large statue of Athena was built along with various reliefs depicting various scenes.
Reported in World History, the Greeks had built a magnificent temple dedicated to the Goddess Athena. The temple, called the Parthenon, was built between 447 and 432 BC. This means, the age of the temple has reached nearly 2500 years.
The temple was built for various rituals of the ancient Greeks and also at the same time to accommodate the statue of the worship of the goddess Athena made by the architect Phidias. At that time, the Greeks built temples as an offering and announcing to the world that they had won the war with the Persians.
Parthenon architecture, including the Doric style architecture, is characterized by columns surrounding the Parthenon and decorative metopes mounted on top of the columns, to create a kind of ornamental boundary.
The Parthenon is very visually appealing, with its white marble construction, large sizes, and carvings that have a high and varied art.
Given the damage that’s been done, it’s amazing to see the Parthenon still in its largely intact state.
This temple was once used as both a Christian church and a mosque because of the conditions that were deemed to be still in good condition.
Unfortunately, in the year 1600, the Ottomans used the Parthenon as an ammunition store.
This is actually not a big problem. However, the arsenal once exploded causing great damage.
The Parthenon suffered further damage in the 1800s, many of the statues transported by an Englishman named Lord Elgin who had received permission from the Ottomans.
One of the famous statues called The Elgin Marbles is still a struggle between the British government and Greece.
The Parthenon continues to face threats from increasing air pollution in Athens.
Many of the columns and statues have remained after the damage, so restoration is ongoing for this highly prized cultural relic.
If you go to Greece, you can see the remnants of the splendor of the Parthenon Temple in Athens. For thousands of years, the temple has experienced various kinds of events such as fires, looting, war damage, earthquakes, and so on.
However, the remains of the Temple of the Parthenon remain one of the symbols of the Greek capital.
