If you’re planning on traveling to Greece, you’ll most likely be passing through Athens, the home of the most significant and well-known example of classical Greek architecture in the world: the Parthenon. The spectacular Parthenon is only one of many ancient buildings in the Acropolis, the ancient citadel that overlooks the city of Athens. The Parthenon, a Doric-style 5th century BC temple was built by Ictinus and Callicrates in dedication to Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom and War.

The 230- by 100-foot Parthenon building was originally used as a temple and treasury, having originally housed both money, important documents and valuable art. After the roof and much of the interior was destroyed in a major fire around the 3rd century AD, it remained a major site of pagan devotion until 435 AD, when all pagan temples were ordered to be closed by Theodosius II. A few hundred years later, it was re-structured and turned into a Christian church. Towards the end of the 15th century, after the Turkish takeover, it was converted into a mosque. The site had always been an important defense fortification structure for military purposes. During the 1600s, the Ottomans began to use it to store gunpowder, a decision which would lead to a major explosion in 1667.

Many reconstruction projects have taken place in the Acropolis over the past couple of centuries, the most recent one started in 1975 and is nearly complete. Very few of the original sculptures, artifacts and art pieces (including the Elgin marbles) remain in the building, however many of the artifacts are housed in the Acropolis museum, as well as other major museums throughout Europe.

If you are staying in Athens, the iconic historical site is easy to access by foot and metro. Be prepared for a bit of a hike. In the summer especially, the heat can be intense at the top of the mountain, so visitors should take precautions to stay cool. An easier and shadier route up to the top is up the Filopappou trail. There’s an excellent museum up top as well as a café, both of which offer air conditioning, not to mention awesome views and opportunities to check out spectacular artifacts.