10 Best Ancient Ruins to Visit in Athens

The Parthenon is the single most iconic ancient ruin in Athens – nay, the whole of Greece and arguably Europe and the world. A symbol of the great civilization that flourished in these parts 2,500 years back, it stands tall and proud on Acropolis Hill. You can basically see it from anywhere in the city, and it has its own metro stop to boot.

Built in the 5^th century BC at a time when Athens was establishing itself at the head of an empire, the structure is remarkable for its mighty rows of Doric columns. They actually swell a little in the middle and lean inwards, all to give the optical illusion of parallel lines and rigidity. Some of the great friezes that once decorated the top of the Parthenon are on show in the nearby museum.

The Erechtheion is a mysterious secondary temple that also crowns the iconic Acropolis Hill. You'll see it standing right next to the famous Parthenon just a touch to the north, marked out by its trademark Porch of the Maidens, a series of columns that are carved into the shape of women draped in flowing dresses.

The purpose of this asymmetrical shrine is still debated by scholars, but most think it served as a focal point for the local Athenian cult to both Poseidon and Athena, the patron and namesake of the city. What's certain is that it once housed a sacred statue of Athena carved from wood. It's a little younger than the Parthenon, dating to 420 BC.

The Temple of Hephaestus has been hailed as the most well-preserved ancient temple in the whole of Greece. It stands on the north side of the Agora of Athens, the historic gathering point of the city that's now behind a protective fence on the north side of Acropolis Hill.

Prepare to be wowed by a colossal 30x13-meter structure that's ringed by rows of huge marble Doric columns. The whole thing was built in the second half of the 5^th century BC, and only completed in 415 BC during a break in the Peloponnesian War. Originally intended as a shrine to the god of metalwork and blacksmithing, it was later converted into a church by the Byzantines.

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus might be a part of the ancient Greek complex that spreads around and atop Acropolis Hill, but it actually dates from a slightly later era. It was, in fact, the Romans that raised this mighty theater building in the late 2nd century AD – some 600 years after the Parthenon.

Originally built using a mixture of Lebanese cedar and marble, it's now marked out by its half-ruined façade of arched brick windows. They lead to a restored terrace of seating that has a capacity for up to 5,000 spectators. The spot is still used for concerts – it's hosted greats like Elton John and Andrea Bocelli in the last half-century.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus was intended to be the greatest and largest temple of all time. You'll see that its builders must have done a pretty good job of fulfilling their brief – the structure looms large over the Plaka and the National Garden of Athens on the southern side of the Acropolis.

Large is putting it lightly, too. The columns – which would have once numbered over 100 in all – stand a whopping 17 meters high. The floor plan measures 72x30 meters. Sadly, only fragments of this formerly glorious building remain, though there is still one corner of Corinthian marbles to wonder at.

The Roman Forum of Athens, also known as the Roman Agora, is the area where the economic activity of the city shifted after Greece came under the control of the Roman Empire. It sits between the bustle of Monastiraki and the charming Plaka area, overlooked by the outline of the Parthenon on high.

Sadly, much of the Roman Forum is now in ruins. However, you can still see the floorplan of temples and theaters that were built during the reign of Augustus – that's 2,000 years back. There were also significant later additions, in the form of Byzantine churches and Ottoman mosques.

The Archeological Site of Sounion sits in a seriously dramatic location. You'll need to leave behind the buzz of the Athens downtown and venture south along the rugged Attican peninsula to its very pinnacle. The journey takes about an hour but there are organized tours that go at sunset, which will reward with visions of the light fading across the Aegean.

The piece de resistance of this oft-overlooked dig site is the half-ruined Temple of Poseidon. It was constructed in the middle of the 4th century under Pericles, the same leader who instigated the building of the Parthenon. As the name and the location – the top of a sheer-cut cliff above the sloshing waves – imply, the shrine was dedicated to the god of the sea.

The Themistoclean Walls of Athens have to be one of the most audacious building projects of the ancient age. However, only fragments of them remain today. You can see them in and around the bustling port area of Piraeus, a 30-minute metro ride from the city centre, as well as in Kerameikos and on Philopappos Hill.

The Themistoclean Walls extended the whole way around the old city and down to the port neighborhoods, where the much-feared Athenian naval fleet was harboured. After Athens lost the Peloponnesian War in 404 BC, they were forced to destroy their bulwarks.

Philopappos Hill played a super-important role in the development of western civilization as a whole. This soaring mound on the western side of the Acropolis was where democracy was invented and first put into practice.

Today, you can see the paved square where up to 6,000 Athenian citizens would have come to express their views in open assemblies. And there's more – the mighty Philopappos Monument crowns the hill, remembering a Roman prince who served as one of the magistrates of Athens around the turn of the 1^st century AD. Here, it offers one of the finest broadside views of the Parthenon.

The Ancient Agora of Athens is the kernel of what was once the old city. It nestles just under the great temples of Acropolis Hill, putting it within easy walking distance of other must-see landmarks and the charming districts of Plaka and Monastiraki.

This is where day-to-day life would have centered some 2,500 years back. A patchwork of stoas – covered porches that provided shade – and temples, market spaces and squares, the agora was where people came to shop, talk, and join religious festivals. It's likely that the famous philosophers of Athens would also have spoken on the corners here, surrounded by marble workers, weavers, blacksmiths, and more.