The Acropolis of Athens, Part IV

Let's rewind a little bit and see some of the other parts of the Acropolis that we saw as we walked counter-clockwise around the Parthenon.

We'll start on he southeast corner of the Acropolis.  From here we could see the Acropolis Museum.  This is not actually on the hill of the Acropolis, but it in town below the hill.  

Opened in 2009, most people refer to this as the New Acropolis Museum.  Unfortunately, since we were in Athens on Mondays both on the front and back ends of our trip, and the New Acropolis Museum is closed on Mondays, we did not get to tour it.  I have heard and read that it is not-to-be-missed if you're in Athens.  I guess we'll have to go back...

Just in front of the New Acropolis Museum, and on the Acropolis, is the Theatre of Dionysus.

In its prime, this theater seated 17,000 people! This theater will be partially restored along with the current Acropolis restoration project, and this portion is expected to be complete by 2015.

(In the bottom right corner of this photo, you will notice more of the puzzle pieces that are part of the Acropolis restoration project.)

As we reached the east-most point of the Acropolis, we spied the Temple of Olympian Zeus, where we had been earlier that morning.  I like the perspective this photo provides, as you can see the full property, including the Arch of Hadrian (just left of center in this picture).

On the east end of the Acropolis, the Greek flag flies. This is a popular vantage point that overlooks the Plaka in Athens.

  
From the end of the wall you see on the left of the photo above, I took some pictures of the Plaka below.  The roof gardens are amazing, and one of those is where we had eaten dinner the evening prior.

Next we came to the Erechtheion on the north side of the Parthenon.

 This temple is dedicated to Athena and Posseidon.

Here's your obligatory up-close-and-personal photo of an olive tree.  When in Rome Greece...

On the right side of the above photo, we get a glimpse of my favorite part of the Erechtheion:

The Porch of the Caryatids.

I love this feature for several reasons.  First, it brings back memories of my high school studies of Greek Mythology.  Caryatids are structural columns designed in the likeness of women, usually muses.

These particular caryatids aren't the originals. That's the second interesting thing about this porch.  Originally, there were six caryatids.  But in 1801 something happened to one of them. Remember my story about Lord Elgin?  Yes, he's back.  He decided in that year to take one of the caryatids to his Scotland home, and it was later sold.  So you get one guess as to where it is now.

That's right.  The British Museum.

The other five original statues are in the New Acropolis Museum.  These six in the photo above are all replicas.

And now, we've come full circle at the Acropolis of Athens.  We are back standing just above the Propylaea.  You can see the Philopappus Monument in the distance on the left, a small bit of Athens ahead, and the Saronic Gulf in the distance.

We would be headed toward the Saronic Gulf later that evening.  I was getting pretty excited!