Parthenon
On Gingerguide's self-guided Athens audio tour, Parthenon is a stop worth about ~60 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Athens Athens guide
About Parthenon
The temple of Athena that crowns the Acropolis, a Doric masterpiece with almost no straight lines, its every column subtly curved to trick the eye into seeing perfection.
The Parthenon is a Doric temple on the Acropolis, dedicated to Athena Parthenos. Its name derives from parthenos, Greek for maiden or virgin, originally the name of a room within it. Begun in 447 BC, the building was completed in 438 BC and its sculptural decoration finished in 432 BC. The architects were Iktinos and Kallikrates, and the sculptor Pheidias directed its sculptural programme. About 69.5 metres long and 30.9 wide, it is ringed by 46 outer Doric columns.
The temple once housed Pheidias's colossal gold-and-ivory statue of Athena Parthenos, later lost. It is famous for its optical refinements: the columns swell and lean inward and the platform curves upward, so that the building appears perfectly straight. In 1687, during a Venetian siege, a mortar round ignited Ottoman gunpowder stored inside and destroyed its centre. Between 1801 and 1812, agents of Lord Elgin removed about half of its surviving sculptures, now in the British Museum.
Did you know? The word Parthenon originally named just one room inside the temple, the chamber of the parthenos, or maiden. Only later did the name spread to describe the entire building now known worldwide by it.
How much time do you need at Parthenon?
Around ~60 min works well for Parthenon — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Parthenon?
Yes — Parthenon made the cut as one of 35 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Athens. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Athens
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Parthenon and read more:
Day 1 of the Athens in 2 days itinerary →Day 2 of the Athens in 3 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Parthenon
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