There are many hills in the Attica basin, such as Ardettos, the Pnyx and Lycabettus, which, for example, has a height of 277 meters above sea level and 70 metres taller, at its peak, than the surrounding area. Since ancient times, it has had all those elements needed to become the centre of a settlement and it did indeed develop as the centre of a great city. Throughout the 6,000 years of recorded history, the Sacred Rock of the Acropolis of Athens has been used as a dwelling place, a temple, a fort and a symbol.

Acropolis means the edge of the city, the place which stands out most. Most -if not all- ancient cities, in mainland Greece, as well as on the islands and in Asia Minor and Magna Graecia (Southern Italy and Greece), had an "acropolis", where their temples were usually situated in historical times. The Acropolis of Athens, in the form it had attained in Classical times, is considered throughout the world to be a symbol of beauty and of the grandeur of the intellect in its loftiest manifestation.

At its lengthiest point, the hill is 270 meters and, at its widest, 156 meters. It is of an irregular shape and the walls built on it at various times have created a polygonal shape. It is accessible only from the western face and this is where the ascent to the peak has always begun. Pausanias characteristically noted that the "Acropolis has one entrance; the space does not allow for a second because the whole rock is too steep and walled all around.

The slopes of the rock of the Acropolis are also irregularly shaped and contain several caves, both large and small. On its north-western face there are caves dedicated to Apollo, Zeus and Pan. A cave on the north face, one that is both high-ceilinged and deep, is associated with Aglauro and contained a spring in the latter half of the 13th century BC. There is a large round cave to the east of this last, in which the sanctuary of Aphrodite and Eros was created and finally, one on the south face, where the monument of Thrasyllus was fashioned.

Before going to the Acropolis take a look at some Acropolis Pictures to have an idea of what you are about to see. An Acropolis Map would be a useful tool as well and a low-rate list of Athens Acropolis Hotels for quality accommodation in Greece is always handy.

Author's Note: Hello world!.. My name is Stella and I live in Greece. Travelling is my passion, learning new things is my vice and meeting new people my need! My goal here is to share with you my experiences and inspirations. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!