Ancient Agora of Athens

Αρχαία Αγορά

The political, commercial and philosophical heart of ancient Athens, where Socrates taught. Highlights include the Temple of Hephaestus, the best-preserved ancient Greek temple in Greece, and the reconstructed Stoa of Attalos, which houses a museum.

The Ancient Agora lies on the northwest slope below the Acropolis and from the 6th century BC has been the heart of the Athenian city-state. The Assembly first met here, and the Council of Five Hundred, law courts, the mint and temples surrounded the central square, where merchants, politicians and philosophers gathered. Socrates debated people here and drank the hemlock in the prison nearby, while Plato and Saint Paul also taught here. The site is vast, shaded by trees and far quieter than the Acropolis. Highlights include the Temple of Hephaestus (Hephaisteion) on the hill to the west, built in 415 BC and dedicated to the god of craftsmen. It was converted into a church in the 7th century, which is why it is the best-preserved ancient Greek temple in Greece, with 34 Doric columns and an almost intact roof. The Stoa of Attalos on the east side is a 2nd-century BC colonnade gifted by the king of Pergamon. It was rebuilt in its original form in the 1950s by the American School of Classical Studies, making it the only fully restored ancient Greek stoa. It houses the Museum of the Ancient Agora, which displays ostraka used in ostracism, ancient voting machines, children's toys and trade tools, the best introduction to how Athenian democracy worked. Also in the square are the giant statue from the Odeion concert hall, the ruins of the Bouleuterion (council chamber) and the circular Tholos, the executive committee's headquarters. In the southeast corner stands the 11th-century Byzantine Church of the Holy Apostles. Admission is about 10 euros (5 euros in winter) and is included in the Acropolis combined ticket. The site has two entrances: the north one on Adrianou Street, near Thiseio metro station, and the south one near the Acropolis, which you can reach by walking down from the Acropolis via Areopagus Hill. The Kerameikos cemetery and the Roman Agora are also included in the combined ticket. Getting there: take Metro Line 1 to Thiseio station or Line 1 or 3 to Monastiraki station, then walk 5 minutes. The cafés on Adrianou Street have terraces facing the temple and the Acropolis, making them a good place to rest.

Ancient Agora of Athens

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