President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva have visited the Acropolis of Athens.
Athens is one of the world's oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning around 6,000 years. The city bears the name of Athena, the goddess of wisdom.
The Acropolis occupies a special place among historical landmarks of Athens, which is widely referred to as the symbol of freedom, democracy and arts. The word acropolis literally means "upper city” in Greek. The symbol of Athens, the Acropolis combines ancient civilization with modernity.
The Acropolis is located on a flat-topped rock that rises 156m. Considered one of the landmarks of the world history and culture, the Acropolis features 3,000 year old historical monuments and resembles a museum. The Athenians had always attached particular attention to the defence of the Acropolis, which was both the state and cultural center of ancient Athens. Great amounts of funds had been allocated for the reconstruction of the Acropolis, and construction work involved thousands of people.
The Acropolis` most important buildings include the Parthenon, the Erechtheion and the temple of Athena Nike, which are considered landmarks of world architecture. For example, the Parthenon is a peripteral octostyle Doric temple with Ionic architectural features. There is also the Parthenon temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. It played the role of both military and religious center of Athens.
In the lower part of the Acropolis there is the Ancient Agora, which once was the center of trade and public life in Athens. It was a favorite place of Socrates and Plato. The Agora includes a number of notable architectural monuments belonging to different periods of history, including the 11th century BC.
Reconstruction work has been carried out in the Acropolis under a large restoration program aimed at eliminating the industrial damage to environment since 1980.
With its magnificence, the Acropolis makes unforgettable impressions on tourists.
