acropolis: our first unesco heritage site
Reaching the Acropolis involved walking up an unsealed ramp with rather steep inclines. We had just come off a 30-odd hour flight from Sydney and we were exhausted but the adrenaline kicked in as we caught glimpses of the Acropolis. The intention was not to visit it straight away but seeing it there, high in the sky, we were compelled to visit. Thus became the first UNESCO Heritage Site we have ever visited together. And it just took our breath away. Getting to the top did not disappoint except maybe the throngs of other travelers there. What we saw was so surreal – walking amongst so much history – so much Greek history that we had learnt about in high school.
The Acropolis of Athens is situated on a flat-topped rock approximately 156 metres above Athens and covers about 3 hectares. It was around the 5th century BCE that the most important buildings were built such as the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion.
The Parthenon is probably the most well-known piece of architecture within the Acropolis. It was the main temple dedicated to the goddess, Athena. Over the thousands year of its existence, it has acted as a Roman Catholic church, a Greek Orthodox Christian church and an Islamic mosque. In the 19th century, the Parthenon lost some of its marble sections, which is now housed in the British Museum.
We look back on our photos from 2006 and with our really small memory card, we couldn’t take many photos but of the ones we took, these are worth sharing 🙂 We are SO inspired to visit Greece again and see even more of this country’s beauty and history!
wise monkeys abroad 
March 22, 2014 at 4:39 pm
I love old things! We visited Greece back in the mid-80s–a memorable trip!
March 22, 2014 at 5:17 pm
History is simply so fascinating! We love all the old stuff too!
March 21, 2014 at 1:37 am
stunning shots – and the blue skies in a few of these shots really adds to the mood – must have been a fun visit. 🙂
March 21, 2014 at 6:40 am
Thank you! These photos were from 2006 – that year Europe had a crazy summer heat wave so skies were blue but it was really hot too 🙂
March 20, 2014 at 10:28 am
Beautiful! We were lucky enough to watch an opera in the Odean of Herodes Atticus amphitheatre – it was such an amazing experience! I would love to go back as well 🙂
March 20, 2014 at 11:15 am
Oh wow!! How lucky were you to be able to see that – can only imagine how unreal that would’ve been! Hope you get to go again one day as we hope we do too 🙂
March 20, 2014 at 7:08 am
It’s fascinating to imagine what it was like back in the day!
March 20, 2014 at 7:18 am
Absolutely!! Wish we could have been a fly on the wall or have a time machine to see whether the historians are right 😉
Have a great weekend ahead!
March 20, 2014 at 3:53 am
Now that’s one place I really want to visit in this lifetime! Lucky you!!
March 20, 2014 at 6:07 am
Hope you do get there one day! We would really love to go back!
March 21, 2014 at 4:41 am
Amen to that! 🙂
March 19, 2014 at 11:07 pm
Wow the acropolis brings the past into the present
March 20, 2014 at 6:06 am
🙂 History is just so fascinating!
March 19, 2014 at 10:54 pm
All these ancient monuments are really so mesmerising. I remember how i couldn’t stop exploring Rome. So much to see in this world. My husband recently visited cairo on work and he can’t stop talking about the pyramids! I am so dying to visit too. I guess, I should make a bucket list like yours’ and start ticking them off. Otherwise , I don’t see myself making it anywhere 😦
March 20, 2014 at 6:04 am
Ohhh yes! We would love to see Egypt too 🙂 – the list is never ending, right? The more we read and travel and talk to people, the more we realise we are yet to see!
March 19, 2014 at 9:18 pm
The Acropolis is really awe inspiring that’s for sure.
March 19, 2014 at 9:25 pm
We simply love ancient history and just love picturing what life would’ve been like! Just simply can’t truly imagine it 🙂
March 19, 2014 at 9:26 pm
So very different to the world we live in now huh?
March 20, 2014 at 6:01 am
Completely different! 🙂