Temple of Hephaestus, Athens, Greece

The Temple of Hephaestus is a well-preserved Greek temple located at the north-west side of the Agora of Athens; it remains standing largely as built. It was dedicated to Hephaestus, the ancient god of fire and Athena, goddess of pottery and crafts. According to the archeologists, the temple was built around 450 BCE. at the western edge of the city, on top of Agoreos Koronos hill, and it is a classical example of Dorian architecture. The temple was designed by Iktinus, one of the talented architects who also worked on Parthenon, However, many other craftsmen worked at this fantastic temple.

The temple has 6 columns on the short east and west sides and 13 on the north and south sides. Its friezes and other decorations have been greatly damaged by earthquakes and invasions along the centuries. The temple is located in Thissio, within a short distance from the Acropolis and Monastiraki, just above the Ancient Agora and the Stoa of Attalos. It was built from Pentelic marble, while its sculptures are made of Parian marble. It has a pronaos, a cella and an opisthodomos. The temple is peripheral, with columns that surround the central enclosed cella. Both of them are decorated with friezes.

The east and west sides of the temple are shorter whereas the north and the south sides are longer. On the eastern front of the temple, there are sculptures depicting the labors of Hercules and the battle of Thesseus with the Pallentides, the fifty children of Pallas. On the west side the sculptures depict the fall of Troy.

From the 7th century A.D. till 1834, this temple was an Orthodox church dedicated to Saint George Akamatus. The last Holy Mass took place in February 1833, when King Otto arrived in Greece. In the 19th century, the temple was used as a burial place for the non-Orthodox Europeans and philhellenes. Actually, the archeological excavations revealed many graves. In 1834, King Otto ordered the building to be used as a museum where it actually remained as such until 1934. Today, this temple is one of the greatest ancient monuments in Greece. Reconstruction and excavation works are still carried out.

References:

greeka.com

User Reviews

shani eliraz (13 months ago)
This is a large site full of surprises and impressive finds. We wanted to go as the Temple of Hephaestus is the best preserved temple of its kind in Greece. What we found was a massive site, which includes both the temple and the ancient Agora (market), many building as well as the museum which showcases the finds from the site. Like many sites of its kind, it has been used for trade and worship since pre-historic times until recent history. The finds reflect this journey. The site itself is located right below the Acropolis, and on a clear day, it's size and locations offers a natural, unobstructed view of the Acropolis, above. We explored the site, it's many paths and discoveries, all steeped in local flora. It's size allows freedom of movement and exploration, and the buildings, ruins and statues are absolutely wonderful. Site entry in €10 per person (€5 between November and April). They offer a "bundle" ticket for €30 for all the archaeological sites in the city (incl. The Acropolis, which, in high season is €20 per person). Worth checking first! We were here on a Saturday of a long weekend. There was a queue that took around 10mins to go through. Getting there, though, meant going through very, very crowded areas.

Robbie L (13 months ago)
The atmosphere is amazing, the temple is surrounded by nature and some hills, with other relics of long times passed. A very magical place and definitely a must see!

Hazzy M (14 months ago)
This is an absolutely amazing place to visit on Athens. The temple is still intact and it is the only ancient temple that is still intact in Athens. Make sure to wear comfortable shoes as you need to walk uphill. The whole area is also worth seeing, it is so beautiful and lovely, and Acropolis Hill can be seen from this area!

F. Nobels (14 months ago)
Astonishing well preserved Greek temple that is worth a good visit. The state of the temple is amazing and it is so well preserved! It is really beautiful to walk around this ancient Greek temple with the acropolis and parthenon in the background. The walk to the temple requires taking some stairs.

Pong Lenis (15 months ago)
Absolutely awesome place to visit, the building’s architecture is stunning, it’s still in amazing condition. It’s very well preserved and maintained. I really enjoyed my time here and I would definitely recommend visiting the Temple of Hephaestus.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Klearchos Kapoutsis

Historic Site of the week

Beckov Castle

The Beckov castle stands on a steep 50 m tall rock in the village Beckov. The dominance of the rock and impression of invincibility it gaves, challenged our ancestors to make use of these assets. The result is a remarkable harmony between the natural setting and architecture.

The castle first mentioned in 1200 was originally owned by the King and later, at the end of the 13th century it fell in hands of Matúš Èák. Its owners alternated - at the end of the 14th century the family of Stibor of Stiborice bought it.

The next owners, the Bánffys who adapted the Gothic castle to the Renaissance residence, improved its fortifications preventing the Turks from conquering it at the end of the 16th century. When Bánffys died out, the castle was owned by several noble families. It fell in decay after fire in 1729.

The history of the castle is the subject of different legends.

Temple of Hephaestus

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Beckov Castle