The Ancient Agora is after the Acropolis Hill with the Parthenon the most important archaeological site to visit in Athens, Greece. For around 800 years, this square surrounded by monumental buildings was the political, commercial, and cultural center of Athens.
Highlights of a visit to the Ancient Agora of Athens include the beautifully preserved Temple of Hephaistos and a small but interesting museum in the reconstructed Stoa of Attalos. The rest of the archaeological site is mostly only the foundations of former monumental buildings. Some played a very important role in the development and functioning of democracy. Add an audio guide to entry tickets or book a guided tour to understand the importance of this site.
Ancient Agora of Athens
The Ancient Agora of Athens is an archaeological site with a small museum at the former heart of Athens. It was for nearly a millennium the cultural, commercial, academic, and governmental center of Athens. All roads to Athens led here.
For centuries, from the 6th century BCE onwards, this open space was surrounded by monumental buildings including temples, stoas, statues, monuments, and governmental offices. It acquired its final form, before being destroyed, in the 2nd century AD under Roman rule.
The Agora was destroyed and plundered several times through the centuries. First by the Persians in 480 BC, which led to a Greek revival and the construction of the current Parthenon on the Acropolis that still towers over the Agora. The Romans under Sulla pillaged the Agora in 86 BC before rebuilding and expanding several buildings. The Agora never fully recovered from the destruction by the Herulians in AD267. It was largely abandoned after the Slavs attacked in AD 580.
A Byzantine neighborhood developed here from the 10th century onwards. (The Church of the Holy Apostles survived from this period.) The Venetians destroyed the area in 1204 and it suffered some damage in the Greek War of Independence (1826-27).
Archaeological excavations and the clearing of modern housing from the Agora progressed from the mid-19th century onwards.
As with so many ancient archaeological sites, not much has survived to the present. It requires a lot of imagination to understand how the site functioned. A good guide, audio guide (included in many tickets), or guided tour is essential to appreciate the site.
Visit the Ancient Agora of Athens Archaeological Site
After passing the ticket gate at the Ancient Agora, use the information board for a good survey of the site. Of all the classical buildings on the map of the Agora (from AD 150) only the Temple of Hephaistos survived in recognizable form.
The large Stoa of Attalos is a 1950s reconstruction to house the museum. It is also easy to identify the Panathenaic Way. This diagonal road through the square was the processionway to the Acropolis and Parthenon.
The entrance to the museum building is at the far end along the Panatheanic Way. I would visit the museum first but it doesn’t make much of a difference if the site is explored first.
Visit the Museum of the Ancient Agora of Athens
The Museum of the Ancient Agora of Athens is in the two-story, double-colonade Stoa of Attalos. The American School of Classical Studies built it in the 1950s to house the archaeological discoveries of the Agora site.
The new building closely followed the designs of the original 2nd century BC stoa built by Attalos II, King of Pergamon. It was a commercial center with 21 shops on each floor and space for meetings and simply hanging out.
The open gallery area has 45 Doric columns on the outside and 22 Ionic columns in the center. Several larger sculptures and decorations are displayed here (and on the second floor) but as is usually the case, the best works are in the National Museum of Archaeology. The open gallery is particularly photogenic in the late afternoon.
Exhibitions of the Ancient Agora Museum
The main permanent exhibition of the Ancient Agora is on the ground floor of the stoa. This long rectangular hall uses the space of ten shops. The display cases are mostly chronological and thematic.
The oldest items are vases, figurines, and weapons found in graves and wells from the Neolithic, Bronze Age, and Mycenaean periods. More numerous and important are the items from the Classical and Late Classical periods. Note particularly the exhibits related to Athenian democracy and civic governance.
Some interesting displays include:
1st cent. B.C
In the manner of the archaic kouroi
A smaller space on the second floor (not always open) has temporary exhibitions, sculptures, and interesting models of the Agora. The second floor also gives good views of the archaeological site.
The only toilets of the archaeological site are on the ground floor near the stairs.
Visit the Archaeological Site of the Ancient Agora in Athens
Slightly uphill from the museum is the Church of the Holy Apostles. This typical Greek-cross church was erected around AD1000. The cupola interior has a Christ Pantocrator. O