The Ancient Agora

Of all the historical sights in Athens, the Ancient Agora is my favorite.

Agora means market in Greek, and that is exactly what this was in days long gone. The Acropolis is fascinating and should be seen, but if you want to really get a feel for life in Athens in ancient times, the Ancient Agora is the place to see. It was the heartbeat of Athens at one time with temples, meeting centers, bath houses, council quarters, market stalls, blacksmiths, potters, and everything else you can think of that makes an ancient city function. You can walk amung the footings and partial walls of much of the ancient market and get a true feel for daily life of ancient Athenians.

How to see the Ancient Agora

Plan on at least a couple hours for the Ancient Agora because there is a lot to see. My suggestion is to work your way around the property in a clockwise direction, starting with the museum, which is not too large but it is packed with fascinating statues and artifacts. In my opinion, if you only go to one museum in Athens, this is the one to see (more on the museum below). Next, walk up the hill toward the Acropolis, which is looming over the market area, to the Church of the Holy Apostles. From there, wind your way down through the ruins of the market buildings and work your way toward the Temple of Hephaestus. When you descend from the temple, walk through the pillars and statues that remain from the many stoas (covered walkways) of the ancient market.

Museum

The museum is included with your entrance and well worth your time. It will probably take 30 – 60 minutes to go through the museum, depending on your level of interest. It is short and easy to get through, so if you really want to just get the highlights, you can get through it in 10 – 15 minutes, but if you want to really learn some fasciting history, it is worth taking an hour to really explore the exhibits. One of my favorite exhibits is the ballots used for banishing a person from the city (there might be good cause to bring that practice back!).

The museum is on two levels, but most people don’t even realize there is a second floor. The museum building has a large collonade at the front with statues, and way to the sides on the left and right of the collonade are the stairwells to go upstaires. There is a slew of busts and other statues that are really fascinating, as well as a great view of the entire Ancient Agora.

Grounds of the Agora

When you proceed up the hill from the museum toward the Acropolis (in the distance on the hill), you will come to an old church. This is a 10th century Byzantine church that was buit over the ruins of a 2nd century Roman fountain house. It is small but really quite intricate and worth the short walk. From there, you can wind your way through the grounds to see the ruins of many buildings, temples, squares, meeting houses, and businesses that were part of the every day life of the Athenians. And from everywhere on the grounds, you can look up the hill and see the Acropolis presiding over it all. It must have been quiet astounding to be living in the shadow of such an awe-inspiring structure, and its presence would have been impossible to ignore.

Temple of Hephaestus

The Temple of Hephaistos presides on the hill to the right when you walk in the main entrance, and it is stunning from afar and up close. I recommend making the clock-wise circuit of the entire property, which will bring you to the temple near the end of your visit. The views of the temple from the various angles as you approach are picturesque and you will want to stop to take the time to admire it. Once you get to the temple, you can walk all the way around the structure and see the detail of the columns and the carvings in the stone from quite close proximity. You are not allowed to enter it, but it is easy to see all the way through it from all angles. Be sure to look out over the Ancient Agora from up here as the view is amazing with all the ruins laid out in front and the Acropolis in the background.

How to Get There

The Ancient Agora is located on the northwest side of the Acropolis. The easiest way to access it is to go to Monastiraki Square, walk one block south to Adrianou, and then walk about 2 blocks west. Adrianou is passes in front of a row of coffee shops and restaurants. The entrance gate is on the south side of Adrianou.