Nikon D7200, 12-24mm f/4G lens @12mm f/8, aperture priority. |
"The elegant building known as the Erechtheion, on the north side of the sacred rock of the Acropolis, was erected in 421-406 BC as a replacement of an earlier temple dedicated to Athena Polias, the so-called 'Old temple'. The name 'Erechtheion', mentioned only by Pausanias (1, 26, 5), derives from Erechtheus, the mythical king of Athens, who was worshipped there. Other texts refer to the building simply as 'temple' or 'old temple'. The building owes its unusual shape to the irregularity of the terrain — there is a three-metre difference in height between the eastern and western parts — and the multiple cults it was designed to accommodate. The eastern part of the building was dedicated to Athena Polias, while the western part served the cult of Poseidon-Erechtheus and held the altars of Hephaistus and Voutos, brother of Erechtheus. This is where, according to the myth, Athena's sacred snake lived. The sanctuary also contained the grave of Kekrops and the traces of the dispute between Athena and Poseidon for the possession of the city of Athens." — Ioanna Venieri, Ministry of Culture and Sports |
