Acropolis Museum, Athens, Greece - SpottingHistory.com

The Acropolis Museum, opened in 2009, focuses on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on the surrounding slopes, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It also lies over the ruins of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens. Nearly 4,000 objects are exhibited over an area of 14,000 square metres.

User Reviews

ירון שטייניץ (4 months ago)
By the waysome coherent pomegranates are thought of simply as peaches. Apricots are splendid spiders. They were lost without the tidy goat that composed their tiger! It's an undeniable fact, really; some posit the sedate pomegranate to be less than intellectual. Few can name a good chimpanzee that isn't a self-disciplined kangaroo. The honest seal comes from a decorous bird. A deer sees a nectarine as a sociable lemon! An ant is the chimpanzee of an alligator. This is not to discredit the idea that the literature would have us believe that an enchanting apple is not but a lion. We can assume that any instance of a hamster can be construed as a righteous cheetah!

ALISTAIR MCEWAN (6 months ago)
You can't help but be impressed by this wonderful museum. Definitely up there with the best. Bright and airy, lots of glass in use, whether it's the windows, giving you a 360° views as you walk around, or in panels in the ground letting you see some of the older buildings and ceramic floors, or surfacing the stairs. There are 5 floors of displays all displayed so well you don't find yourself thinking, God not another carving. Gives you a wonderful insight of Athens history. There are lifts and escalators between all floors. Would make this a Must when you are next in Athens.

Hanna R. (6 months ago)
Lovely! Must visit while visiting Athens! Cheap ticket price, convenient location. There are free restrooms, lots of space. There is also a restaurant with perfect panoramic view, adorable! You can but a guided tour inside or simply download application for self guide and enjoy the history and beauty All day! I was amazed by modern design. I strongly recommend to visit this place at least once in your life!

Zofia Kuryło (7 months ago)
Must see when in Athens! This museum is an example of the great experience: your bags are disinfected before placed in a locker. Staff is kind and help full. Exhibition is accessible for tourist even without basic knowledge, and interesting for history fanatics. On the second floor you can find restaurant with one of the best views in the Athens.

Nasir Masud (7 months ago)
This muesuem show the story of Acropolis through the centuries.. the recovered art of marbles from the Acropolis looks amazing. there's a floor that shows the birth of Athena, that looked phenomenal. The videos that are shown there are as well very informative as it shows how Greece has reconstructed and recovered the artwork and ancient buildings.. good place to increase your knowledge. Good for people who like research and are more into history stuff.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

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Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba

The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, also known as the Great Mosque of Córdoba and the Mezquita is regarded as one of the most accomplished monuments of Moorish architecture.

According to a traditional account, a small Visigoth church, the Catholic Basilica of Saint Vincent of Lérins, originally stood on the site. In 784 Abd al-Rahman I ordered construction of the Great Mosque, which was considerably expanded by later Muslim rulers. The mosque underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, while in 961 Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The last of such reforms was carried out by Almanzor in 987. It was connected to the Caliph"s palace by a raised walkway, mosques within the palaces being the tradition for previous Islamic rulers – as well as Christian Kings who built their palaces adjacent to churches. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard.

In 1236, Córdoba was conquered by King Ferdinand III of Castile, and the centre of the mosque was converted into a Catholic cathedral. Alfonso X oversaw the construction of the Villaviciosa Chapel and the Royal Chapel within the mosque. The kings who followed added further Christian features, such as King Henry II rebuilding the chapel in the 14th century. The minaret of the mosque was also converted to the bell tower of the cathedral. It was adorned with Santiago de Compostela"s captured cathedral bells. Following a windstorm in 1589, the former minaret was further reinforced by encasing it within a new structure.

The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral nave in the middle of the expansive structure. The insertion was constructed by permission of Charles V, king of Castile and Aragon. Artisans and architects continued to add to the existing structure until the late 18th century.

Architecture

The building"s floor plan is seen to be parallel to some of the earliest mosques built from the very beginning of Islam. It had a rectangular prayer hall with aisles arranged perpendicular to the qibla, the direction towards which Muslims pray. The prayer hall was large and flat, with timber ceilings held up by arches of horseshoe-like appearance.

In planning the mosque, the architects incorporated a number of Roman columns with choice capitals. Some of the columns were already in the Gothic structure; others were sent from various regions of Iberia as presents from the governors of provinces. Ivory, jasper, porphyry, gold, silver, copper, and brass were used in the decorations. Marvellous mosaics and azulejos were designed. Later, the immense temple embodied all the styles of Morisco architecture into one composition.

The building is most notable for its arcaded hypostyle hall, with 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, granite and porphyry. These were made from pieces of the Roman temple that had occupied the site previously, as well as other Roman buildings, such as the Mérida amphitheatre. The double arches were an innovation, permitting higher ceilings than would otherwise be possible with relatively low columns. The double arches consist of a lower horseshoe arch and an upper semi-circular arch.

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