Acropolis of Athens

The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a rocky outcrop above the city of Athens. The Acropolis was built by the original Mycenaeans as a megaron palace, with the rest of the city being built by the Ionians after the city of Athens was founded in the 8th century BC. During the 7th and 6th centuries BC, the Propylea entry gate was built, and several temples to Athena were built at the site. In 480 BC, the Persians destroyed the Acropolis during the Greco-Persian Wars, but it was rebuilt under Pericles during the "Golden Age of Athens"; he also built the Parthenon as a show of Athens' greatness. The buildings on the Acropolis were severely damaged during the 1687 Venetian siege of Athens during the Morean War, with the Ottomans unwisely using the Parthenon as an ammunition dump before it was struck by a cannonball, causing severe damage. Today, the ruins of the Parthenon and the original Acropolis are preserved for tourism and for historical research.