Acropolis of Athens
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
Photo: western face of the Parthenon
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The Acropolis of Athens is the best known acropolis (Gr. akros, akron,edge, extremity + polis, city, pl. acropoleis) in the world. Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification.
The Acropolis was formally proclaimed as the pre-eminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments on 26 March 2007. The Acropolis is a flat-topped rock that rises 150 m above sea level in the city of Athens, with a surface area of about 3 hectares.
Within the tradition of Western Civilization and classical revival the Acropolis, from at least the mid-18th century on, has often been invoked as a key symbol of the Greek legacy and of the glories of Classical Greece.
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