Navigating the Athens metro was not difficult at all. As guided from the metro map below,
source: http://h2s2015athens.org/transportation.html |
Archaeological artifacts are on display as you exit the Akropoli metro station. Strolling towards the Acropolis museum, we caught our first glimpse of the Parthenon. The breathtaking sight would do for the time being since we were saving a visit to the Parthenon for another day.
A view of the Acropolis from the street below |
First, we took a look at the amazing "new" Acropolis museum. It was built over the remains of an archaelogical site. Admission fee is 5 Euros. On the second floor, there is an outdoor restaurant where one could enjoy a meal with a panoramic view of the Acropolis.
Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece |
Acropolis Museum in Athens, Greece |
The museum presented a short film detailing the history of the Parthenon which had been a temple, mosque and church over the centuries. The marbles that had adorned the Parthenon are displayed in an all airy glass paneled sunlit room overlooking its former home.
Acropolis Museum |
Acropolis Museum overlooking the Parthenon |
Some pieces of the marble are absent. Some of these missing pieces are the ones "purchased" by Lord Elgin and are housed currently in the British Museum. In its place, these missing pieces are substituted by "plaster" replicas as shown here:
Parthenon marbles on the right panel. The left panel is a plaster replica. |
We had to resort to using our imaginations to picture how all these elegant marbles had fitted together and adorned the Parthenon in its golden days.