They began investigating the condition of their crown jewel and meticulously excavated the entire site in the late nineteenth century. Preserving the AcropolisĪfter the Greek War of Independence in 1822, the Acropolis was returned to the Greeks in disrepair. The Greek government strongly disapproves of the artifacts remaining in the hands of the British and feels the sculptures should be returned to Athens.

In 1801, hoping to save the Parthenon’s architectural magnificence, the seventh Earl of Elgin, Thomas Bruce, began removing its sculptures with permission from the occupying Turkish government.Įlgin eventually removed over half of the Parthenon’s sculptures, known as the Elgin Marbles, and sold them to the British Museum where many still reside today. Historians believe the Mycenaeans built a massive compound surrounded by a great wall (almost 15 feet thick and 20 feet high) on top of the Acropolis to house the local ruler and his household. There’s no recorded history of what happened at the Acropolis before the Mycenaeans cultivated it during the end of the Bronze Age. The Acropolis’ flat top is the result of thousands of years of construction beginning as far back as the Bronze Age. Made of limestone rock that dates to the Late Cretaceous period when dinosaurs still roamed the earth, the Acropolis is located on the Attica plateau of Greece and includes four hills: 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. Today, it is a cultural UNESCO World Heritage site and home to several temples, the most famous of which is the Parthenon. It has withstood bombardment, massive earthquakes and vandalism yet still stands as a reminder of the rich history of Greece.

Over the centuries, the Acropolis was many things: a home to kings, a citadel, a mythical home of the gods, a religious center and a tourist attraction. Located on a limestone hill high above Athens, Greece, the Acropolis has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The Acropolis of Athens is one of the most famous ancient archaeological sites in the world.

Almost over the hill