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Acropolis Hillfort

Acropolis of Athens from orator's podium

The Acropolis in Athens was once a hillfort. If you go to the museums of Athens, you shall see from their dispthat the structure atop this hilltop developed overtime. There is a model of how it began as a hillfort, and through the centuries, became more of ceremonial site eventually seeing the glory of the Parthenon built atop it. 

The rock the Acropolis complex sits on, itself rises 150 metres above sea level. When you trek up here along the path from the modern tourist shops and sites below you get a great view of Athens, and Pireus port, and the isles in the bays on the horizon beyond. It seems there were people who lived up here, using what is here for thousands of years, whether some used it as a defensive site I am unsure, but it would be strange if it's attributes were not used to some extent. For sure though, in the Mycenaeans era, a palace was built atop here, and a defensive wall around the perimeter, using the contours of the hill,  The wall was 760 metres along and at points 10 metres high, and used stonework. The Mycenae I should say were in Greece in 1600 BC to 1100BC. I say you could term this a kind of hillfort. Apparently this was was in use to the 5th Century BC., It seems the site was a major site to hold for the area, in times of trouble or coupe tries, even for the Athens communities that were developing below in the 1st millennium BC. So just like how hillforts according to many sources were not just at times forts on hills, but places to flee to in crisis.  Also half way through that millennia temples were being built here, and the site was moving towards being a religious centre as well. Indeed in later millennia and centuries it had many uses, from ceremonial site to ruins and today the greatest tourist attraction in Athens. I do not believe it is right to call it today a hillfort, primarily, but that it has been a hillfort at a time. 

Most hillforts never carried on being such great sites, possibly Edinburgh Castle, and Bratislava castle did, but the vast amount turned into more remote parts of the geography of their areas, left to be. This is a example where it was built over and was always a centre of something whether political, noticeable ruin, and more lately a top world, tourist site here. The Akropolis of Athinia is another way you can spell it, it sounds a little bit Greek, and some use those spellings, as they feel they sound more like it, but most use Acropolis and Athens, The Acropolis used to have a great statue of the goddess Athena after who the city was named, but though it does not stand there now, it does in memory and story. It was known as the Athena Promachos, and was 30 metres tall, so pretty impressive. There were lots of things about gods and goddesses, Nike, Heracles, Posiedon, Zeus, and more. Plus stories of battles with competitors like the Amazons, and other Greeks, so amazing mythology. 

Surprisingly it is not the highest point in Athenia, that honour belongs to Tourkovounia, at 373 metres, with Lycabettus the second The reason the Acroplis, is so down the list is it is only 156 metres high, though I felt it was steep enough and high enough for me, when walking up from Athens. Though I have climbed many hills, ,much higher, with many of them, I often find the start the hardest. So this is like the start of a high hill, I say. Apparently Acropolis means High city. 

When atop this site myself, I could see much of Athens, and even isles in the bay, plus Pireus so a commanding site, very suitable for defence, as a viewpoint, and power projection. With tourists flocking from across the world to this great site, led by guides, or going up on their own, or led by family members together. I bought myself a model of it when in Athens, just below, so it is a rare hillfort, although dominated by the Parthenon, so in a sense I have model of a dash of a hillfort.. It has to be said, the friezes, and all that and the building the Parthenon itself are what attracts people, but it's hillfort history is something this site was built upon. So that is my page on facts on the Acropolis. 

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