Details

Product code: EF08

The Agora was the center of Athenian democracy, where the city’s most important political functions were exercised and where both Pericles and Socrates once walked. The ruins of the ancient Agora, the exceptionally well-preserved temple of Hephaistos and the restored Stoa of Attalos may be visited in the shadow of the Acropolis at a site characterized by particular natural beauty.

The Agora was the heart of ancient Athens, the focus of political, commercial, administrative and social activity, the religious and cultural centre, and the seat of justice.
The site was occupied without interruption in all periods of the city’s history. It was used as a residential and burial area as early as the Late Neolithic period (3000 B.C.). Early in the 6th century, in the time of Solon, the Agora became a public area.

After a series of repairs and remodellings, it reached its final rectangular form in the 2nd century B.C. Extensive building activity occured after the serious damage made by the Persians in 480/79 B.C., by the Romans in 89 B.C. and by the Herulae in A.D. 267 while, after the Slavic invasion in A.D. 580, It was gradually abandoned. From the Byzantine period until after 1834, when Athens became the capital of the independent Greek state, the Agora was again developed as a residential area.

The site includes:

The Temple of Hephaestus – On top of Agoraios Kolonos hill, stands the temple of Hephaestus, broadly known as Thisio. It is one of the best preserved ancient temples, partly because it was transformed into a Christian church. According to the traveller and geographer Pausanias (1, 14, 5-6), two deities were jointly worshipped in the temple: god Hephaestus, protector of all metallurgists, and goddess Athena Ergani, protecting all potters and the cottage industries. The identification of this temple as ?Hephaesteion? (location of worship of the god Hephaestus) was ascertained by the excavations and investigations that brought to light metallurgy workshops on the wider area of the hill, thus outshining earlier opinions presuming that Theseus, Hercules or Aris (Mars) were the deities worshipped there. The temple was probably erected between 460 and 420 BC by a yet unknown architect, to whom, however, are attributed other temples of similar structure in the Attica region
The Church of the Holy Apostles of Solakis was built shortly before 1000 AD. and was partially based on a Nymphaeum of the 2nd c. A.D. It was the center of a Byzantine quarter that developed in the area. The original floor plan of the temple was cruciform inscribed, with arches on the four sides and a narthex on the west side. The dome was supported by four columns. The Holy Altar and the floor of the temple were marble. The exterior masonry preserves elaborate ceramic ornaments of horizontal serrated bands and “Kufic” designs which owe their name to the Arabic script developed in the city of Kufa. Four construction phases can be found in the building, as over the years the temple was repaired and expanded several times. It is the only medieval monument that survives in the area of the Athenian Agora. It was restored to its original form in the years 1954 – 1957. The few surviving frescoes in the central aisle of the church date from the 17th century.
The Museum of the Ancient Agora is housed in the reconstructed Stoa of Attalos, originally erected during the 2nd cent. BC as a gift of the king of Pergamon, Attalos II, to Athens.

The individual ticket can be used on any date within the applicable visit period Apr-Oct or Nov-Mar.

Address

24 Andrianou str, Athens (Google Maps)

Free admission days

6 March (In Memory of Melina Mercouri)
18 April (International Monuments Day)
18 May (International Museum Day)
The last weekend of September annually (European Heritage Days)
28 October
Every first Sunday from November 1st to March 31st

Winter season hours (1 November - 31 March)

The site is open 8:00-17:00 (Last entrance to the Site at 16.30)

Summer season hours (1 April - 31 October)

The site is open 8:00-19:30 (Last entrance to the Site at 19.00)
1st to 15th September 08:00 - 19:30 (Last entrance to the Site at 19:10)
16th to 30th September 08:00 - 19:00 (Last entrance to the Site at 18:40)
1st to 15th October 08:00 - 18:30 (Last entrance to the Site at 18:10)
16th to 30th October 08:00 - 18:00 (Last entrance to the Site at 17:40)

Other dates

Closed: 1 January, 25 March, Greek Orthodox Easter Sunday, 1 May, 25 and 26 December

More info

This ticket includes skip-the-line access
Museum Shop
Pets are not allowed inside the Museum. Guide and assistance dogs accompanying individuals with disabilities are welcome.
The Archaeological Site of the Ancient Agora is wheelchair accessible through the main entrance, at Adrianou 24 (assistance by a companion is advisable). In the area of the Temple of Hephaistos, wheelchair access is possible through the entrance at the Thiseion Square (Apostolou Pavlou Street), upon communication (210 3214824, 3210180).You can see the accessible passage here

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded. Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Ancient Agora of Athens Site and Museum Skip-the-Line Ticket