Located on the southeastern slope which leads to the Acropolis, the New Acropolis Museum is the largest modern building erected so close to an ancient site. The glass hall offers panoramic views of the Acropolis and the Parthenon.
The museum houses more than 4,000 ancient works divided into the following collections:
The Acropolis Slopes
The first gallery houses the finds from the slopes. Thanks to the glass floor, the excavations can be viewed by the visitors. The objects on display are mostly made of clay and include tableware, cooking pots, jewelry containers and others.
The Acropolis during Archaic Period
The earliest building on the Acropolis was the Hekatompedon, a Doric peripteral temple. The sculptures and fragments found are on display. One of the most interesting items is the lioness pediment. This collection also comprises items from the Old Temple of Athena and votive offerings.
The Parthenon
Replicas of the metopes which once adorned the Parthenon are on display in the museum. The sculptures from the pediments can also be seen, as well as fragments of the friezes. Currently only 50 m (out of the total of 160 m) are housed in the museum. Visitors can now see the most important sculptures of the Parthenon put together.
Other Monuments of the Classical Acropolis
Items from the other monuments are also housed in the museum, including a balustrade slab from the Temple of Athena Nike and the Caryatids from the South Porch of the Erechtheion.
Other collections
Items from the Sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia, sculptures from the Classical Period and the Roman Period are also housed in the museum.
Practical info:
Metro: Line 2, Station Acropolis (the main entrance is right near the metro station)
Entrances: main public entrance is on the Dionysiou Areopagitou Street side entrance. Visitors arriving on tour buses use the Hatzichristou Street entrance and make their way to the main public entrance.
Hours: daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed on Mondays. Closed on public holidays (Jan 1, Jan 6, Mar 25, Orthodox Good Friday, Easter Monday, May 1, Whit Monday, Aug 15, Oct 28, Dec 25, Dec 26).
Tickets: from June 21 to December 31, 2009 the tickets cost €1 for all visitors. Starting with 2010 the entrance fee will be €5.
Photos of the museum can be found here
Map
Both the Acropolis of Athens and the New Acropolis Museum are pinpointed on this map:
Photo credit: dinstereo on Flickr
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