{"id":4448,"date":"2016-12-21T17:53:19","date_gmt":"2016-12-21T17:53:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.visionpubl.com\/en\/?p=4448"},"modified":"2016-12-21T17:57:40","modified_gmt":"2016-12-21T17:57:40","slug":"erechtheion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.visionpubl.com\/en\/cities\/athens\/erechtheion\/","title":{"rendered":"Erechtheion"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Erechtheion<\/b>\u00a0is an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens, in Greece.<\/p>\n

The temple takes its name from Poseidon Erechtheus<\/em><\/strong>, the mythical king of Attica, but it is actually the Temple of Athena Polias<\/strong> (guardian of the city) and it is also the place of worship of other very ancient deities of Athens.<\/p>\n

The wooden statue of worship of Athena<\/strong> stood in one part of the cell; the other was divided into three areas and contained the altars of Poseidon<\/strong> and Erichthonios (the half-man, half-serpent son of Hephaistos and Mother Earth, who was protected by Athena), Hephaistos<\/strong> and the Attic hero Boutes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

In the small precinct devoted to the nymph Pandrosos, situated in another part of the temple, grew the olive tree sacred to Athena<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A stairway led from the precinct of Pandrosos to the tomb of Kekrops<\/strong>, the mythical king of Athens.<\/p>\n

The temple<\/strong>, built in the last twenty years of the Vth century BC over the remains of two older temples has an unusual design<\/strong> compared to the usual design of Greek temples, since it is designed to house several cults, and it is also unusual for its position in a very craggy part of the Acropolis.<\/p>\n


\nPhoto credits\u00a0by Carole Raddato<\/a>, under Creative Commons BY-SA-2.0.<\/p>\n

The central body<\/strong> consists of the cell, which is divided into two sectors and preceded by an Ionic colonnade consisting of six columns. Behind the cell is the precinct of Pandrosos.<\/p>\n

On the north side there is a portico containing an altar<\/strong>. Here, according to tradition, Poseidon<\/strong> is supposed to have pointed his trident<\/strong> and made a fountain of pure water spring up, on the occasion of the contest with Athena for the possession of Attica.<\/p>\n

On the east side is another portico, known as the Porch of the Caryatids<\/strong>: in place of the columns are six statues of girls, holding up the architrave.<\/p>\n

Due to pollution, the statues have been replaced with plaster casts: the<\/strong> originals are kept in the Acropolis Museum<\/strong>, with the exception of one, which is in the British Museum in London.<\/p>\n

\n
\"Athens<\/div>\n

Do you want to know more about the Acropolis<\/strong> and the history of\u00a0Athens?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Check out our guidebook to Athens<\/a>, with detailed history and Past & Present images of the Acropolis<\/strong>, the Parthenon<\/strong>, the Propylaea<\/strong> and all the greatest historical and archaeological sites of the greek city.<\/p>\n

Check out our Athens Guide Book now<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

How to get to the Erechtheion<\/h2>\n