The Ancient Agora was the center of Athenian political and economical life from around 600BC until 267AD.
This is an overview of the Ancient Agora from the Acropolis. The long red roof to the right is the Stoa of Attalos and the temple to the left is the Temple of Hephaestus. It is the district of Monastiraki behind the Agora.
This is a look over the ancient Agora from West towards East with the Plaka district beginning in the background.
The long red roofed building, The Stoa of Attalos, was reconstructed in 1953-1956 after an entire section of Athens was removed from the area to uncover the Ancient Agora. It was in ancient Athens what a mall is today - a lot of small shops together in a shopping arcade.
The Temple of Hephaestus was built in 449BC. It is the best preserved Greek Doric temple with its 36 columns, and a well preserved frieze on the Eastern side of the temple. Hephaistus was the god of metallurgy, and the temple was surrounded by forges, foundries and metalshops.
The Ancient Agora as we know it today has been through several destructive attacks through the years. The Persians sacked it in 480BC and it was finally abandoned when a Scandinavian tribe called the Heruli destroyed it in 267AD.
This headless statue is a famous sculpture of Emperor Hadrian which - although somewhat battered by time - still stands in the Ancient Agora just West of the Temple of Hephaestus.
Next - The Temple Of Olympian Zeus
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