Propylaea of the Acropolis

The impressive front entrance was built in 437-432 BC, presumably by the architect Mnesicles. The Propylaea is one of the masterpieces of classical architecture. The main material used for construction was marble. However, on the Acropolis other material was not very recognized and almost all temples are built of white or gray marble. Here you can see Ionic and Doric columns. Scholars agree that it was during the construction of the Propylaea that the two styles were first used simultaneously. The central part of the structure is five gates and a central corridor, which was to become for the ancient Greeks the culmination of the sacred path. In ancient Greek architecture, Propylaea is a gate formed as a rule by porticoes and columns. The monumental gates of the Acropolis were built under the general direction of the Athenian leader Pericles, but the responsibility for the work of restoring the Acropolis itself after the Persian wars was entrusted to Phidias.