Today you can still see an almost complete building from the outside. Even the roof is almost completely intact. I thought it was very impressive to walk around the temple and actually experience these dimensions.
This visit has impressed me more than visiting the Acropolis. The place was wonderfully quiet, no crowds flooded through the grounds and you could really gather a lot of knowledge and experience the past.
At the heydey of the complex, many sacred buildings were located at the Agorá. Today, only a few remains are visible, and various information panels help the visitor understand the importance of the buildings and its original appearance.
One of these buildings is still very well preserved and left us particularly impressed:
Temple of Hephaestus in the Agorá of Athens
The temple of Hephaestus is one of the better preserved Greek temples. Construction began as early as 449 BC at what were then the western outskirts of Athens. That was also the area where metal processing and foundries were located. Therefore, the temple was consecrated to Hephaestus, the god of blacksmithing. The temple complex stands on a small hill on the western edge of the Agorá of Athens. The construction is 13.71 meters wide and 31.78 meters long. A total of 38 columns, 6 on each front side and 13 on the long sides, characterise the appearance of the temple today. In contrast to many other temples, there are hardly any sculptures on the outer front.
Today you can still see an almost complete building from the outside. Even the roof is almost completely intact.
I thought it was very impressive to walk around the temple and actually experience these dimensions. This visit has impressed me more than visiting the Acropolis. The place was wonderfully quiet, no crowds flooded through the grounds and you could really gather a lot of knowledge and experience the past. In Athens, it is never far from one excavation site to the next.
We visited the Agorá of Athens almost at the end of our trip, not without getting a “What, we are going to go to another excavation site !?”. The Agorá was a market and meeting place during ancient Greek history. Here the political, economic and social life of Athens was buzzing. A wide road, the Panathenaea Road, crossed the Agorá of Athens from south-east to north-west. It was one of the main roads for the people of Athens. The street was also used as a venue for sports events and processions, spectators could follow the events on wooden stands. Even today you can see the holes for the posts of the stands in the ground.
Visitor Information
Address
Adrianou 24,
Τ.Κ. 10555,
Athens
Opening hours
From 1st of April until 31 of August
08:00 – 20:00
Last entrance to the Site at 19:30
On the 1st of September
1st to 15th September 08:00 – 19:30
Last entrance to the Site at 19:00
16th to 30th September 08:00 – 19:00
Last entrance to the Site at 18:30
1st to 15th October 08:00 – 18:30
Last entrance to the Site at 18:00
16th to 30st October 08:00 – 18:00
Last entrance to the Site at 17:30
Source: Hellenic Heritage, Last update: 2024-05-12
Entry fee
General Admission – 10.00 EUR
Non-EU Youth Ages 6-25 – 5.00 EUR
Reduced-EU Seniors Over 65 – 5.00 EUR
EU Up to 25 Years – 0.00 EUR
Non-EU Up to 5 Years – 0.00 EUR
Source: Hellenic Heritage, Last update: 2024-05-12
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