Imagine you're standing on a tall hill in ancient Athens, Greece.

The warm sun shines on white marble buildings and the wind carries the sounds of people

talking about art, politics, and philosophy.

Below you is a busy city, but up on this hill, everything feels calm and important.

This special place is called the Acropolis, and it's been standing there

for thousands of years, watching over the city like a proud guardian. The Acropolis is one of the most

famous landmarks in the world. The word Acropolis means high city in Greek. In ancient times,

it was common for cities in Greece to be built around a hill. The hill

was easy to protect from enemies and made a great place to build temples for the gods, but the

Acropolis in Athens is the most well known and holds a special place in history. Over 2400 years ago,

the Acropolis became the center of Athenian life.

Around 447 BCE, the people of Athens started building the most famous structure on the hill,

the Parthenon. This giant temple was made to honor Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war,

who the city of Athens was named after. The people believed Athena

watched over them and helped protect their city. The Parthenon is made out of marble and has tall

columns all around it. Inside there used to be a huge statue of Athena that was 40 feet tall and

made of gold and ivory. The statue was created by a famous

sculptor named Phidias. Although the statue is no longer there today, the building itself still stands

and is a symbol of the great achievements of the ancient Greeks. Besides the Parthenon, there are other

amazing buildings on the Acropolis. One of them is

called the Erectheon. It's a unique temple with an unusual design. One side of this temple has

six columns that were carved in the shape of women. These figures are called the Cararyatids. Instead of regular stone pillars, the

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