WEEK 02/52 - Acropolis, Greece

during 2nd week of our expanding adventure, we'll take a journey to a beautiful country's capital and home of democracy - Athens. i'm lucky enough to tell it is also a place where my dear friend lives, and she is the person i'd like to thank especially for this week's postcard as well. Eirini, thank you so much for supporting me with the project and cheering for me always, i cannot tell enough how thankful i am.

let's take a look at what Eirini herself wrote to us and enjoy visiting lovely Greece (it's a chance to admire beautiful and one of my personal favourite stamps as well) :)

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Acropolis

What would a visit to Athens be without going to the Acropolis to see the Parthenon? It is believed to be  the most perfect building created by the world's most advanced civilization and even though specialists have been studying it carefully for centuries, we still can't be 100% sure how exactly it was built. The Acropolis is the most accurate reflection of the splendour, power and wealth of Athens at its greatest peak, the golden age of Perikles.

The Acropolis of Athens is a flat-topped rock that rises 150 m (490 ft) above sea level, with a surface area of about 3 hectares. The hill and its monuments are universal symbols of the classical spirit and civilization – they form the greatest architectural and artistic complex bequeathed to the world by Greek Antiquity. In the second half of the 5th century BC, Athens, following the victory against the Persians and the establishment of democracy, took a leading position amongst the other city states of the ancient world. In the age that followed, as thought and art flourished, an exceptional group of artists put into effect the ambitious plans of Athenian statesman Pericles and, under the inspired guidance of the sculptor Pheidias, transformed the rocky hill into a unique monument of thought and the arts. The most important monuments were built during that time: the Parthenon, the Erechtheon, the Propylaea, the monumental entrance to the Acropolis, designed by Mnesicles and the small temple of Athena Nike.

postcard sent by lovely Eirini, thank you!

Parthenon is the greatest and finest sanctuary of ancient Athens, dedicated primarily to its patron, the goddess Athena, dominates the centre of the modern city from the rocky crag known as the Acropolis. The most celebrated myths of ancient Athens, its greatest religious festivals, earliest cults and several decisive events in the city's history are all connected to this sacred precinct. The monuments stand in harmony with their natural setting. These unique masterpieces of ancient architecture combine different orders and styles of Classical art in a most innovative manner and have influenced art and culture for many centuries.

What makes the Parthenon so facinating is that to look at it you would think that is is made up of interchangable pieces. For example the columns are stones placed on top of each other and you could replace one piece of a column with any of the others. Not true. Each piece of the Parthenon is unique and fits together like the world's biggest and heaviest jigsaw puzzle. Lines that look straight are actually not. The ancient Greeks understood the mechanics of site and that to make a line look straight it had to be tapered or curved.

Regular ticket for seeing this exquisite place is a cost of €12. It allows you to see not only the Parthenon but also Ancient Agora, Archaeological Museum of Kerameikos or Hadrian's Library. There are also free admission days like 6 March, 18 April, 18 May, 5 June, 27 September and more.