Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±

Temple of Hephaestus at Ancient Agora, the best preserved Doric temple in Greece.

Temple of Hephaistos

Athens

LoginSave

On the western edge of the Ancient Agora, the Temple of Hephaistos, god of the forge, was surrounded by foundries and metalwork shops. It was one of the first buildings of Pericles' rebuilding program and is one of the best-preserved Doric temples in Greece.

Built in 449 BC by Iktinos, one of the architects of the Parthenon, it has 34 columns and a frieze on the eastern side depicting nine of the Twelve Labours of Hercules.

In AD 1300 it was converted into the Church of Agios Georgios. The last service held here was on 13 December 1834, in honour of King Otto's arrival in Athens.

In 1922 and 1923, it was a shelter for refugees from Asia Minor. Iconic photos from that period show families hanging laundry among the pillars, and white tents set up all along the temple's base.

Contact

Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¼´Ê±¿ª½±'s must-see attractions

  • ATHENS, GREECE - OCTOBER 19, 2016: The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens in Greece. 572766724 acropolis, ancient, archaeological, archaeology, archeology, architecture, athena, athens, attraction, building, capital, city, civilization, classical, culture, europe, european, exterior, greece, greek, heritage, history, inside, interior, landmark, modern, museum, new, parthenon, sculpture, site, tourism, travel, view

    Acropolis Museum

    0.63 MILES

    This dazzling museum at the foot of the Acropolis' southern slope showcases its surviving treasures. The collection covers the Archaic period to the Roman…

  • Parthenon.

    Parthenon

    0.4 MILES

    Designed to be the pre-eminent monument of the Acropolis, the Parthenon epitomises the glory of Ancient Greece. Meaning 'virgin's apartment', it's…

  • Erechtheion Temple (or Erechtheum) with the figures of Caryatids at the archaeological site of Acropolis in Athens, Greece at sunset. It was dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon. Golden soft light; Shutterstock ID 2144514097; your: Erin Lenczycki; gl: 65050; netsuite: Digital; full: Digital 2144514097

    Acropolis

    0.39 MILES

    The Acropolis is the most important ancient site in the Western world. Crowned by the Parthenon, it stands sentinel over Athens, visible from almost…

  • Greece, Attica, Athens, ancient grave yard Kerameikos, old columns antiquity, archaeological excavation, archaeological site, athens, attica, column, difference, divers, grave yard, historical, landmark, remains, stone, stony, travel destination, various Old columns in the ancient grave yard at Keramikos Archaeological Site.

    Kerameikos

    0.28 MILES

    This lush, tranquil site is named for the potters who settled it around 3000 BC. It was used as a cemetery through the 6th century AD. The grave markers…

  • Odeon of Agrippa statues in the Ancient Agora of Athens, Greece 637930866 Triton, Travel, People Traveling, Ancient Civilization, Tourism, Looking At View, Cloudscape, Giant, Antiquities, Mythology, The Ancient Agora, Art, Stone Material, Statue, Sculpture, Archaeology, Speculative Being, Greek Culture, Number, Roman, Classical Greek, Ruined, History, Ancient, Old, Cultures, Famous Place, Architecture, Travel Destinations, Tourist, Roman Forum, Acropolis - Athens, Athens - Greece, Attica - Greece, Greece, Europe, Animal, Marble, Cloud - Sky, Architectural Column, Monument, Old Ruin, Cityscape, agrippa, odeion, God, Odeon Cinemas

    Ancient Agora

    0.1 MILES

    The Agora was ancient Athens' heart, the lively hub of administrative, commercial, political and social activity. Socrates expounded his philosophy here;…

  • ATHENS, GREECE - APRIL 8, 2011: Statue of hunter on the horse killing lion in Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens; Shutterstock ID 1701764272; your: Erin Lenczycki; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 1701764272 ancient, art, athens, building, carving, culture, decoration, detail, greece, heritage, history, horse, hunter, landmark, late antique, lion, monument, old, relief, religion, religious, roman, sculpture, statue, stone, temple, tourism, travel, warrior

    Byzantine & Christian Museum

    1.27 MILES

    This outstanding museum, based in the 1848 Villa Ilissia, offers exhibition halls, most of them underground, crammed with religious art. The exhibits go…

  • G2NPXM Traditional Greek costumes on display at The Benaki Museum, Athens, Greece G2NPXM Benaki, museum, costumes, clothes, clothing, Athens, Greece, Greek, art, arts, capital, cities, city, traditional, costume, craft, crafts, cultural, heritage, culture, design, designs, display, dress, embroidery, museums, needlework, sewing, Attika

    Benaki Museum of Greek Culture

    1.04 MILES

    In 1930 Antonis Benakis – a politician's son born in Alexandria, Egypt, in the late 19th century – endowed what is perhaps the finest museum in Greece…

  • Ceramic vase like hedgehog in National Archaeological Museum, Athens, Greece. Remains of famous Ancient Greek culture. Old artifact, historical dishes, crockery and pottery. Athens - May 7, 2018; Shutterstock ID 1522798868; your: Erin Lenczycki; gl: 65050; netsuite: digital; full: poi 1522798868 amphora, ancient, animal, antique, antiquity, archaeological, archeology, art, artifact, athens, civilization, clay, crock, crockery, culture, dish, europe, exhibition, exposition, famous, fix, greece, greek, hedgehog, hellenistic, historical, history, indoor, jar, landmark, museum, mycenae, mykines, national, old, ornate, peloponnese, pitcher, pot, pottery, roman, showcase, sightseeing, tableware, tourism, tourist, travel, vase, ware, zoomorphic

    National Archaeological Museum

    1.11 MILES

    Housing the world's finest collection of Greek antiquities in an enormous neoclassical building, this museum is one of Athens' top attractions. Treasures…

View more attractions

Nearby Athens attractions

1. Ancient Agora

0.1 MILES

The Agora was ancient Athens' heart, the lively hub of administrative, commercial, political and social activity. Socrates expounded his philosophy here;…

2. Herakleidon Museum Building B

0.11 MILES

This eclectic private museum, split over two locations, examines the interrelation of art, mathematics and philosophy, explored through rotating exhibits…

3. Museum Alex Mylona

0.14 MILES

The permanent collection here is superminimalist sculpture and paintings by Athenian grande dame Alex Mylona, who died in 2016. The creatively refurbished…

4. Agora Museum

0.15 MILES

Within the Ancient Agora, this museum is packed with archaeological finds, but can get uncomfortably crowded if a tour group is cycling through. It is set…

5. Herakleidon Museum Building A

0.16 MILES

The smaller section of this private museum devoted to ancient Greek technology occupies a restored mansion. It has an exhibition on automata, featuring an…

6. Agios Athanasios Church

0.17 MILES

This church has gone through several incarnations over the centuries and sits on the site of a former ancient monument. Just down the street is the oldest…

7. TAF

0.18 MILES

Whether you want a shot of art, a clever design morsel or a refreshing drink, stop in at TAF, a just-barely updated complex of 1870s brick buildings. The…

8. Holocaust Memorial

0.19 MILES

Greek-American sculptor Deanna Maganias' concept for the city's memorial to the victims of the Holocaust is a fragmented Star of David, made from Egyptian…