The Acropolis has always been the point of reference for the city of Athens. A hill rising 156m above sea level, being originally a fortress in prehistoric times, developed into the most famous sanctuary of goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Some years after the destruction of the older temples by the Persians in 480 B.C., Pericles initiated an ambitious building project which included four religious buildings, the Parthenon, the great temple of Athena with the gold and ivory statue of the goddess, the Erechtheion, the temple which housed numerous cults and divine marks, the elegant temple of Athena Nike and the Propylaia, the magnificent entrance building. All temples were built of local marble and still stand on the hill expressing the advanced form of democracy attained by the city in the sphere of architecture.
