Stoa of Attalos
Stoa of Attalos is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Athens audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~90 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type museum
- Suggested visit ~90 min
- Athens Athens guide
About Stoa of Attalos
A foreign king's marble shopping arcade, rebuilt from scratch in the 1950s and now the Agora museum, the one building on the site you can fully walk through.
The Stoa of Attalos is a large two-storey covered colonnade on the east side of the Ancient Agora, originally given to the city by King Attalos II of Pergamon, who ruled from 159 to 138 BC. Built of Pentelic marble and limestone, it measured 115 by 20 metres. Each storey carried a double colonnade fronting a row of 21 back rooms that served as shops, 42 in all, and the column orders were mixed, with Doric outside and Ionic inside on the ground floor, and Ionic with Pergamene palm-leaf capitals above.
The building seen today is a full-scale reconstruction, built by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens between 1952 and 1956 and funded largely by a gift from John D. Rockefeller Jr. It was one of the first complete reconstructions of an ancient building in the city, rebuilt on the original footprint. The reconstructed stoa houses the Museum of the Ancient Agora, whose displays are largely connected with the workings of Athenian democracy.
Did you know? The Stoa was a foreign king's gift to Athens. Attalos the Second of Pergamon paid for the entire two-storey marble building and presented it complete to the city, shops and all.
How long should you spend at Stoa of Attalos?
Plan about ~90 min at Stoa of Attalos. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Stoa of Attalos worth visiting?
Stoa of Attalos is one of the 35 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Athens, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in Athens
Sources and further reading
Where to check the facts about Stoa of Attalos and read more:
Day 1 of the Athens in 2 days itinerary →Day 1 of the Athens in 3 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Stoa of Attalos
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