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/

Forbidden City, Phantom of the Opera, Glacier National Park, Quincy Jones, Diane Arbus, Parthenon