Parthenon (the virgin’s chamber)

The Parthenon is the Acropolis’ central monument. It took 15 years of construction to create this artwork, of Penteli-marble. It could be described as the expression of Athens’ victory over the Persians in 470 b.C., an expression of victory become stone. The Parthenon is based upon a fundament with three steps. The Parthenon’s frieze covers a length of about 160 m, and a height of about one metre, with 92 metopes. Time and environment damages have caused severe damages – one could say wounds. So, what challenges about the stone testimonies of Ancient splendour, is that it can be considered rather a process of healing than of seasonable renovation. Restauration, being an adventure already, therefore becomes a challenge. Therefore it might not surprise that today’s workshops have arisen just in the places where, 2500 years ago, Kallikrates and Iktinos were doing their work. Maybe, the spirit of Ancient master-builders is reflected in the cognition that less is more. The restriction to the essential can be seen in the desire to complete and to maintain instead of renewing. Only where no alternative is possible, things are carefully dismounted and new marble is introduced.

The Parthenon’s Interior

The Parthenon’s Images

During a quite lively history, the Parthenon passed from Ancient sanctuary to Christian Church and, after the Turkish occupation in 1456, to Muslim Mosque. During the isege of Athens by the Venetian, the Parthenon was used by the Turkish to store gun powder. In 1687, an explosion of the stored reserves destroyed several parts of the temple. Many of its valuable objects were sold to the British by the Turkish; among them, statues, stone boards, and metopes. First restauration works were started in 1834 under Balanos.