Parthenon in Greece

One of the most recognized and oldest standing structures in the world is the Parthenon in Greece. Built thousands of years ago, this incredible, classical piece of architecture is one of the icons in the world. For those growing up reading Greek mythology or watching movies regarding the Greeks, the Parthenon is every bit a character as the mythical beasts that surround it. If you are interested in the Parthenon, the Smithsonian Magazine is offering an interesting article on this structure.

Built More Than 2,000 Years Ago
The Parthenon was built from 447 B.C. to 432 B.C. by master architects named Calicrates and Ictinus. Originally built for Athena- the goddess of Wisdom, the Parthenon later became a Christian church, a mosque and even a weapons depo during the war between the Ottoman Empire and Venice. While the Parthenon still stands today, it is undergoing a massive renovation for more than 30 years to not only rebuild any damaged or worn out parts of this great structure, but to bring it back to its original former glory.

Read More About the Great Greek Parthenon
For those fascinated with the Greek Parthenon, the Smithsonian Magazine offers an intriguing article on the subject. To read it please visit our main website at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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Greece's Great Parthenon

If you grew up reading Greek Mythology, loved watching movies about Greek gods and warriors or enjoyed the Greek theatrical classics, one monument that seems to make an appearance in plenty of story lines is the Parthenon. The Parthenon is perhaps the most popular Greek architectural landmark and while many buildings have taken design cues from it, the Parthenon is one of the world’s classic structures. Incredibly, this monumental achievement was created over two thousand years ago and miraculously has survived to this day. For those that are fascinated by the great Greek Parthenon, the Smithsonian Magazine offers a fantastic article regarding this structure at its website.

The Infamous Greek Parthenon
The Greek Parthenon is truly a one of kind structure and obviously considered to be an architectural masterpiece. After thousands of years, this magnificent edifice still stands and while some of the structure has decayed almost to the point of disrepair, a little over 30 years ago the nation of Greece put forth a comprehensive plan to completely restore this monument to its original grandeur and beauty. The goal of this restoration is to bring back the Parthenon to its original form as close as possible. Obviously, this type of restoration has taken decades and still continues. In addition, it also relies on a wide variety of skilled labor and artisans; however the payoff will be incredible.

In the Beginning
The Parthenon is one of the oldest monuments from ancient Greece and the ancient world. While it still stands at well over 2,000 years old, you can just imagine how impressive it was when it was first built. The Parthenon was actually constructed as a temple to worship the goddess of wisdom- Athena. It was built during the years 447 B.C. to 432 B.C. by two of the day’s foremost architects- Calicrates and Ictinus. While it took less than 2 decades to build, it amazingly still stands today.

The Incredible History of the Parthenon
The Parthenon has stood the test of time, however throughout its history it came close to being destroyed. At about 400 AD with the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Parthenon became a Christian Church. For about 1,000 years it stood as one of the most famous churches in Europe. As the Ottoman Empire grabbed hold of the region, the Parthenon became a mosque in 1400. Incredibly years later, during the war between Turkey and Venice, the Parthenon became a weapons depo and still has bullet holes on her façade. Today, the Parthenon is being fully restored into its past glory. For those interested in this masterpiece, you can read about the intricate restoration process in our magazine at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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The Great Greek Parthenon

If you grew up reading Greek mythology or watching movies about Greek legends and gods, you have probably seen the Parthenon as a central location depicted. The Greek Parthenon is an architectural masterpiece and one of the last remaining structures from the Ancient World. Well over 2,000 years old, amazingly the Greek Parthenon still stands today, however close to disrepair a little over 30 years ago, a huge restoration project began.

The Greek Parthenon was built during the years of 447 B.C. and 432 B.C. by two architects by the name of Calicrates and Ictinus and while it took less than two decades to build, it still stands today. The Parthenon was originally built as a temple to the goddess of wisdom- Athena. However, over the years, the culture and religion of the area has changed several times. First it became a Christian church in the year 400 as the Roman Empire came to a close. In 1400 A.D. as the Ottoman Empire took hold of the region and culture, it became a mosque. It was also used for other purposes, such as a weapons depo during the Turkey- Venice War. However, today it still stands and is being renovated to its original beauty.

For those that are interested in the Greek Parthenon, the Smithsonian Magazine is featuring an interesting article on the subject. To read it, please visit our main website at: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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Parthenon: Temple of Greece

The Parthenon is one of the most well known structures in the world. Built in Athens, Greece on Mt. Olympus over 2,000 years ago, the Parthenon still stands today. Throughout the millennia, the Parthenon stood through wars, leadership and the changing ideology.

The Parthenon’s Construction
The Parthenon was originally constructed as a temple to Athena, the goddess of wisdom. It was built in a relatively short period of time during the years 447 B.C. and 432 B.C. The two architects that created this beloved structure were Callicrates and Ictinus. While the Parthenon has stood throughout the years, it has fallen into disrepair. A little over 30 years ago, Greece commissioned the complete restoration of this structure.

A Complete Restoration
Not just a renovation, but a complete rehaul of the structure to bring it to its natural beauty. A team of craftsman, architects, researchers and laborers have been working on the Parthenon for over 30 years to ensure that this structure is as authentic as possible.

Read More About the Parthenon
To read more about this fantastic structure- the Parthenon, the Smithsonian Magazine has an interesting article on the subject. You can view it by visiting our main website at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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The Restoration of the Greek Parthenon

Many students are fascinated with Greek mythology. The stories, characters and landmarks offer an insight into what the ancients were thinking. Another great reason many love Greek mythology is that many of the architectural masterpieces and landmarks that were written about millennia ago are still standing- a case in point the magnificent Parthenon.

The Great Greek Parthenon
The Parthenon is a one of a kind structure and one of the world’s original architectural masterpieces. It is amazing that this structure still exists being built over two thousand years ago. Today, this masterpiece is currently going through a comprehensive restoration that will not only repair this great edifice, but bring it back to its former glory. The goal of the restoration taking place is to not only to repair the Parthenon, but to rebuild it to as close as possible to its original form. This not only takes a lot of skilled labor, but plenty of research and some of the best artisans and architectural geniuses the world has to offer.

The Parthenon’s Beginnings
The Parthenon is one of the oldest structures left standing from ancient Greece and the ancient world. As impressive as it is today, you can just imagine the awe it inspired over 2,000 years ago when it was built. The Parthenon was constructed as a temple to the goddess of wisdom- Athena during the years 447 B.C and 432 B.C by two incredible architectural geniuses Callicrates and Ictinus. In only a few years, they built this masterpiece which incredibly still stands after thousands of years.

The Parthenon & its History
While the Parthenon was originally created as a temple for Athena, the goddess of wisdom as the years passed, the Parthenon’s role changed as well. At about 400 A.D. the Parthenon became a Christian church. Since the area was heavily Christian, the Parthenon stayed unchanged in this role for the next 1,000 years, however at about 1400, with the Ottoman Empire taking hold of the area and culture, the Parthenon became a mosque. Years later, the Parthenon would again be utilized for a different purpose, this time as a weapons depo during the war between Turkey and Venice. Thankfully, the Parthenon still stands today and while weathered by time and some damage over the millennia, during the last three decades, it has undergone a comprehensive restoration to bring this masterpiece back to its former glory.

To read more about the Parthenon, the Smithsonian Magazine has a fascinating article on the subject. You can read it today at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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The Magnificent Greek Parthenon

One of the great architectural masterpieces ever created is the Parthenon in Greece. For those that enjoy Greek mythology, one of the joys of reading mythology is that many great tales mention these incredible landmarks that are still standing. The Greek Parthenon is one of the most well known and recognizable structures in the world today and while one of the oldest still standing, a 30+ year renovation is taking place to completely restore this structure to its original glory.

The Parthenon was built for the goddess of wisdom- Athena. Built upon the tallest hill in Athens- the Acropolis over 2,000 years ago it is literally a miracle that it stands today. While it was built in a few short years between 447 and 432 B.C. it has been utilized by many for different purposes. First as a temple for the Greek goddess Athena, second as a church for almost 1,000 years, third as a mosque during the Ottoman empire and then used by Turkey as a weapons depo during a war with Venice. It is amazing that throughout its history, it still continues to stand.

The Renovation of the Parthenon
For those interested in the Parthenon, a complete restoration is taking place. The Smithsonian Magazine has written an article on the incredible work that has gone into this restoration and you can read all about it on our site. Simply follow the link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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The Great Greek Parthenon

Greek culture has given the Western World an extraordinary amount of art, literature, architecture and philosophy. While many have read the great Greek myths and enjoyed learning Greek philosophy, one of the most fascinating aspects about this culture is that many of the great landmarks written about still stand today. One of these impressive landmarks which still bring awe to the masses is the Parthenon. The great Greek Parthenon is truly a masterpiece, not only in its architecturally pure form, but in its ability to inspire.

In the Beginning
The Parthenon is one of the oldest structures in the world left standing. As it is impressive today, it was an incredible monument over 2,000 years ago when it was first designed and built. Originally constructed as a temple for the Greek god of wisdom Athena. The Parthenon was built on the most majestic mountain in Athens- the Acropolis. It was constructed in only a few short years between 447 B.C. and 432 B.C.

The Master Architects
During the 440’s B.C. Athens citizens hired two master architects that would design and build this incredible masterpiece. These two Parthenon architects: Callicrates and Ictinus were some of the most gifted and talented architects the world has ever seen to build such a magnificent temple in a short period of time that has literally stood for thousands of years.

The Parthenon Through the Ages
The Parthenon not only gets its reputation from the majestic beauty it bestows, but the length of time and history it has witnessed. Incredibly, against long odds, the Parthenon still stands today. At first a temple for Athena, it soon became a Christian church in 400 A.D., however 1,000 years later as the Ottoman Empire took control of the region, the Parthenon became a Mosque. Incredibly the Parthenon was even used as a weapons depo during the war between Venice. However, throughout the years and the many different faiths the Parthenon still stood strong.

Read More about the Greek Parthenon at Smithsonian Magazine
The Parthenon has been going through a meticulous restoration process over the last 30+ years. For those that have always been fascinated with this structure and the history and myths behind her, the Smithsonian Magazine offers a fascinating article. To read more, please visit our site at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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The Magnificent Parthenon

Greece is said to be the cradle of Western thought and civilization. With such accomplishments such as the first democracy, theater, Olympics and fine architecture it is no wonder that our society still holds the Greeks in such high regard. While Greek art and architecture are renown, one prominent landmark continues to impress- the Parthenon.

The Parthenon was built as a temple to the god of wisdom- Athena. It was constructed over 2,000 years ago between 447 B.C. and 432 B.C. It sits high atop one of Athens great hills which is called the Acropolis. Once a place for Greek kings, over the years it was used as a church, a mosque and even a weapons depo during the war between the Ottoman Empire and Venice. While it continues to stand, it has undoubtedly been damaged throughout the years. However a little over 30 years ago, work began on its complete restoration. The restoration process will be a complete overhaul of the structure and return it to its former, original design and beauty.

For those that love Greek culture and architecture, the restoration of the Parthenon is quite exciting. To read more about this amazing structure and the restoration process, please visit Smithsonian Magazine’s main website at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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Greece’s Incredible Parthenon

If you read lots of Greek mythology in school, you might be pleased to learn that many of the monuments that the Greek’s refer to are still standing. One is the Parthenon. The Parthenon was built over 2,000 years ago and it still continues to make an incredibly powerful impression on those that lay eyes on this architectural achievement.

The Parthenon was built about 2300 years ago and incredibly it stands to this day. While it has endured close calls to its destruction, today, it is being renovated and restored to bring back this monument to its original design- a magnificent temple for the goddess Athena.

Incredibly, the Parthenon has served many empires and many causes. It was originally the temple for Athena- the goddess of wisdom and then became a church; it was even a mosque during the Ottoman Empire and unfortunately an ammunition depo during a war between Turkey and Italy. However, today, the finest engineers, architects, artisans and laborers are working hard for the last 30 years to totally restore this temple to her former grace.

For more interesting details and to read the Smithsonian Magazine article on the incredible Parthenon, please visit our main website today at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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Parthenon of Acropolis

For those that love to read about Ancient Greece, some of the fantastic monuments that were written in detail long ago still exist. One such monument that is still incredibly beautiful today as it was more than 2,000 years ago is the Parthenon.

The Parthenon was built more than 2300 years ago and while the original monument that is still standing has gone through trials and tribulations, a complete restoration is currently taking place to bring back this original temple to the goddess Athena all her magnificence.

The Parthenon has been used as a temple for the Greek goddess, as a church, a mosque and even as an ammunitions depo. Thankfully, it was never totally destroyed. Over the past 30 years a comprehensive restoration is taking place to ensure that the Parthenon is brought back to her original glory. The Parthenon is architecturally perfect and a site to behold. While certain parts of this structure are covered in tarps during restoration, it won’t be long until the restoration is complete.

For those that are fascinated by the Parthenon, the Smithsonian Magazine has an interesting article on this structure and the ongoing restoration. Please visit our main website at the following link to read it: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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Ancient Greece: The Parthenon

If you love reading about the ancient world or traveling to the Mediterranean region, one of the most recognizable structures that should not be passed up is Greece’s Parthenon. The Parthenon is known throughout the world for its elegant, but scarred white columns and its preeminent location atop the great mountain in Athens. While many architects consider the Parthenon perfect, today the building has been stripped down to its bare shell in order for it to undergo a complete restoration which is now more than 30 years into the process.

The Construction of the Parthenon
The Parthenon is an enormously impressive structure built originally as a temple for the Greek goddess of wisdom- Athena. The Parthenon is believed to be constructed between 447 B.C. and 432 B.C. The Parthenon sits atop the highest hill in Athens called Acropolis. This area was once the home of kings of Greece, however once Greece changed its government to that of citizens instead of kings, the Greeks decided to build a temple to honor their goddess. Amazingly, the Parthenon was built in such a short period of time- an amazing feat in its own right.

The Two Genius Architects of the Parthenon
In the 440’s B.C., the citizens of Athens hired two architects to create and build the new Parthenon. These architects were Callicrates and Ictinus. Obviously, both were gifted and they created one of the finest temples (or for that matter any structure) the world has ever seen. While the temple has stood for millennia, over the years it has changed from a temple for the patron goddess Athena to a Christian Church in 400 A.D. to a mosque during the Ottoman Empire in 1400 A.D. It was even used at one point during the war with Venice to store ammunition. While the temple has been taken over by many different faiths, thankfully it was never totally destroyed.

The Parthenon Still Stands Today Atop the Acropolis
The Parthenon has stood for thousands of years and during this time it has been shot at, stripped down and even looted. And while it is only a shell of its former glory, it is being renovated today to replicate as closely as possible what this magnificent temple looked like when it was first built. To read more about the Greek Parthenon and its fascinating history, the Smithsonian Magazine is featuring an excellent article regarding the Parthenon and the current restoration. You can visit our main site today to read the article at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com

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History of the Parthenon

Greece’s famous Parthenon is one of the most instantly recognizable structures in the world. With its scarred, but still-elegant white columns and imposing position on top of a rocky Athenian hill, many modern architects consider the Parthenon to be architectural perfection. And even though the building itself has been stripped down to a shell of its former self, the Parthenon is as endlessly impressive today as it was thousands of years ago. Anything with this much history would have to be impressive.

The Parthenon was built as a temple to the Greek Goddess of wisdom, Athena, between 447 and 432 B.C. The ancient Greeks chose to build the Parthenon on the tallest hill in Athens, called the Acropolis. In the past, the kings of the city lived on the Acropolis, and it was the first place the citizens went to protect themselves in times of war. But after the Athenians changed their system of government, there were no kings… and no need to for a home for them on the hill. So in the 440s B.C., the Athenians decided to build a temple there to honor their patron goddess.

The people of Athens hired two architects to design the new temple, Callicrates and Ictinus. These were two men of unbelievable genius, and they designed a building of incredible majesty and beauty. To this day, the current renovators of the Parthenon can’t quite understand how two ancient Greek architects achieved such a marvel of architecture. Whole pieces of the building were designed to create optical illusions, such as floating floors and falsely-straightened columns.

Time Takes its Toll
Upon its completion, the Parthenon stood on the hill honoring Athena for almost a thousand years. Then, in about 400 A.D., the current king sent out an edict that all must convert to Christianity, and the Parthenon was turned into a Christian church. Unfortunately, transforming the temple into a church required huge changes to be made, and the Parthenon was never the same.

The Parthenon continued to act as a Christian church for another 1000 years until 1400 A.D., when the Ottoman Empire took over Greece. The Ottomans converted the Parthenon into a mosque (making few structural changes, fortunately), and 200 years later, used it as a storage space for ammunition during a war with Venice. This didn’t turn out to be a good choice-- soon after storing their ammunition there, a fire caused a huge explosion, doing a lot of damage to the Parthenon’s carvings and marble roof. Since then, the building has been shot at, looted, and generally stripped down. Today, the Parthenon is a shell of its former self. Currently, renovations are taking place that will restore this amazing historical building to its former glory. To read more about the Parthenon and its history, visit the Smithsonian Magazine website at: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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The Ancient Parthenon

The Parthenon is one of Greece’s most popular piece of architecture and while it has stood for millennia, it continues to inspire the thousands that visit it each year. While time and weather has had its effect on this Greek monument, a full restoration is now taking place to not only repair this once great temple, but to restore it fully to it original grandeur.

The Parthenon was built in the 5th century BC in honor of the goddess Athena. While it took only 8 years for this masterpiece to be built, the restoration process is moving along at a much slower pace. In fact, the restoration of the Parthenon has been on going for 33 years. Why so long you may ask? Well, restoring this monument is not as easy as building it. The goal is to restore this monument as closely as possible to the original. A whole team of architects, archaeologists, civil engineers and craftsman are hard at work and hopefully within a few years, the tarps will come off and the Parthenon will once again be viewed in all her glory for several more millennia.

For those interested in this incredible piece of history and architecture, the Smithsonian Magazine has an interesting article available on the Parthenon. To view it, please visit our main site at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/

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Parthenon: Ancient Greece Restored

The Parthenon is one of Ancient Greece’s most prized architectural accomplishments.  The beauty of this classic white temple located at the Athenian Acropolis is the stuff of many legends.  Originally built to serve as a shrine for Athena, the goddess of wisdom, this magnificent temple was built in 8 short years during the 5th century BC.

After thousands of years, the Parthenon still stands.  While still gorgeous and awe inspiring, after such a long period of time, this architectural marvel needs a full restoration.  With all antiquities, restoring this classic shrine is easier said than done.  While it took only 8 short years to build this edifice, it has taken about 33 years and counting to fully restore this incredible work of art.  The issue is not only renovating the temple, but fully restoring it so that it is historically accurate. 

For those visiting the Parthenon today, you will see many tarps and scaffolds, however, the restoration process is in full swing and hopefully in a full short years, the Parthenon will be once again unveiled in all her glory.

For those interested in Ancient Greece, the Parthenon is a symbol of architectural excellence that should not be missed.  To learn more about the Parthenon, its history and restoration process, please visit the Smithsonian Magazine website at the following link:  http://www.smithsonianmag.com

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The Parthenon

The Greek Parthenon is one of the classic pieces of architecture, an elegant white temple located at the Athenian Acropolis. Built as a shrine to the goddess Athena in the 5th century BC. This masterpiece took only 8 short years to build. Today, millions visit Greece and many visit this sacred site to view the beauty of the Parthenon. Unfortunately, those looking to view the Parthenon in all her glory will be somewhat disappointed as to this structure is undergoing renovation.

Renovation of the Parthenon is not that simple, in fact, it is more of a restoration, a complete makeover using the tools, materials and techniques of the ancient builders to once again create this structure displaying all of her magnificent glory.

It’s incredible that the Parthenon was built in such short a period of time when the restoration has been going on for 33 years. The main problem with restoring this gem is getting it perfect. It would be much easier to create a modern building than restoring this antiquity. And since the Parthenon was built to incredible standards, today’s archaeologists, architects, craftsmen and civil engineers want to recreate this structure as best as possible.

The Parthenon is a symbol of beauty and architectural excellence. To learn more about the Parthenon’s history and the process of restoring it, visit the Smithsonian Magazine website at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com

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Parthenon: The Beauty of Old Made New

When you imagine the Parthenon, Greece’s breathtaking temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, you probably think of an elegant, glowing white building on a hill. History and beauty and achievement in one perfect place: a shrine of man’s ability to create. Unfortunately, the visitor to Athens expecting to see the elegance and beauty of the Parthenon will be sorely disappointed. The once-iconic site is not covered in thick nets of wooden scaffolding and steel rods. The ground around it is littered with power equipment. And a giant crane has taken the sacred place of Athena-- her gold and ivory statue is nowhere to be seen.

Restoring the Parthenon
It’s amazing to think that the ancient people of Athens were able to build the Parthenon in about eight years-- especially when you consider that the modern restoration project has gone on for thirty-three. But how, with modern tools and technologies, is it taking far longer to restore the old temple than it took to build it in the first place?

The main problem with restoring the Parthenon is getting it perfect. This isn’t’ a modern building, and the restoration craftsmen aren’t creating something new-- they’re recreating something very old that was done incredibly well. Modern archaeologists, civil engineers, architects, and craftsmen don’t want only to imitate the methods of the ancient Athenians-- they want to recreate it.

The Mystery of Eight Short Years
Even when you compare the exacting standards of modern restorationists with the creative freedom of the ancient builders of the Parthenon, it’s still hard to fathom its construction. The Parthenon is considered the ultimate in architectural achievement and beauty. With its elegant curving lines and incredible attention to detail, the Parthenon is the result of true creative genius-- and took a “terrifying” amount of work to pull off. So how were the ancient Greeks able to build it in just eight or nine years?

One element of Athenian culture that probably played a key part in the quick construction of the Parthenon was naval technology. With the most navel power in the Aegean, the Athenians were likely to have a perfect mastery of the rope-and-pulley systems they’d need to move the giant marble blocks with which the Parthenon was constructed. Another even more startling reason why the Athenians were able to construct so quickly was the quality of their tools. In studying chisel marks on the Parthenon, architects are convinced that their ancient tools were actually better than our modern ones.

The Parthenon is a symbol of beauty and creative genius. To learn more about the Parthenon’s history and the restoration of this amazing landmark, visit The Smithsonian Magazine website at the following link: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/