The Parthenon

[[The Parthenon]]

The Parthenon is one of the most famous buildings in the world. It was built circa 447-438 BC in Athens, and once housed a 12m tall statue of the patron goddess, Athena Parthenos.

It looks like it's in ruins today (and it is), but considering what it's been through - vandalism by Christians (who regarded some of the decorative images as pagan), a gunpowder explosion (when it was used to store ammunition), and the removal of its statues by Lord Elgin, it's actually in pretty good shape!

Many of the marbles, for example the metopes and pedimental figures, are in the British Museum. Some are in Athens, in the Acropolis Museum, which is well worth a visit.

Today tourists are often disappointed by the fact that the Parthenon is covered in scaffolding, as it is in this picture.

The scaffolding is due to the restoration and preservation of the remaining structure, and due to the painstaking nature of such work, the scaffolding is likely to be there for a long time to come.

Yet this is no reason to despair. The restoration of the Parthenon is one more element in its 2000 year history, and by having the scaffolding in their pictures, tourists automatically give the Parthenon a context within their photo albums. The scaffolding, in its own way, is part of the Parthenon's story.