Ancient Agora of Athens

Welcome to the Ancient A-go-ra, a site that has a better claim than anywhere else to be the 'cradle of the Western world.' For over a thousand years, this sprawling marketplace was the political, judicial, and economic heart of…

Overlooking the A-go-ra from its elevated position on Ag-o-rai-os Ko-lo-nos hill is the Temple of He-fays-tos. Constructed in the mid-5th century BC during the Age of Pericles, it is the best-preserved Greek temple in the world,…

Below the temple lies the southwest corner of the A-go-ra, the hub of Athenian democracy. Here you can find the ruins of the Bou-leu-te-ri-on, the council chamber where the Bou-le met. …

Adjacent to the council chamber is one of the most distinctive buildings in the A-go-ra: the Tho-los. This circular structure served as the headquarters and dining hall for the 50 councilmen who were on active duty at any given…

On the east side of the A-go-ra stands the most impressive modern reconstruction on the site: the Stoa of Attalos. Gifted to the city in the 2nd century BC by King Attalos II of Per-ga-mon, this massive two-story structure was…

In the center of the A-go-ra's open plaza stood the O-de-on of A-grip-pa, a large indoor theater built around 15 BC by Marcus A-grip-pa, the son-in-law of Emperor Augustus. This enormous building could seat up to 1,000 spectators…

Cutting diagonally across the A-go-ra is the Pan-ath-e-na-ic Way, the most important road in ancient Athens. This ceremonial path served as the route for the great procession during the Pan-ath-e-na-ic Festival, the city's most…

As you complete your journey through the Ancient A-go-ra, take a final look at the Temple of He-fays-tos and the reconstructed Stoa of Attalos. You have walked the same ground as the men who 'laid the foundations for Western…