Parthenon in Athens

Erected during the first half of the 5th Century BC, the Parthenon boasts an elaborate statuary and par excellence Doric order architecture. Built of Pentelic marble, the temple was where the famous sculpture of Athena was held. The timeless masterpiece by Pheidias marked the location where the Great Panathenaea procession ended. The scene runs along all the four sides of the building and includes the figures of gods, beasts and approximately 360 humans. The decoration represents an interesting blend of Doric metopes and Ionic friezes. The cella, being the core part of the structure, is particularly worth seeing.

The temple's pediments are adorned with mythological scenes depicting the birth of Athena, as well as the deity's fight with Poseidon. The Parthenon's religious role was retained all the way through the Byzantine rule when it was converted into a Latin church, whereas under the Ottoman rule it was converted into a Muslim mosque. Towards the end of the 17th Century, the site was employed as a powder magazine, with an explosion having demolished a great portion of the monument.

In the early 19th Century, however, the site was completely reduced to ruins after the local British ambassador looted the statuary and all of the decorations that could be dismantled, such as friezes, metopes and pediments. He then relocated the loot to England and divested it to the British Museum for a significant sum. Thus, if wishing to view the Parthenon's interior, one should also consider a visit to London.