Temple of Hephaestus

Near the renowned Agora in Athens, on top of the diminutive Agoras Kolonos hill, lies this exquisite Greek temple. The largest and best-preserved old temple in the world is the Temple of Hephaestus.

Visiting the temple first thing each day is particularly special since it looks very lovely and serves as a reminder of the sophisticated society of the Ancient Greeks. The temple was a center of worship from the 7th century BC until 1834, which explains why it has been so beautifully kept for so long.

Athena, the goddess of crafts and pottery, and Hephaestus, the god of fire and metalworking who created the legendary shield of Achilles, were revered in the temple. It's interesting to note that several tiny metal and ceramic workshops are in ruins near the temple.

The temple's eastern and western halves were finished about 445–440 BC and 435–430 BC, respectively. Between 421 and 415 BC, it took several years to erect the enormous marble ceiling. After that, the edifice was elaborately ornamented with statues and opened to the public in 415 BC.

The temple has six columns at the shorter ends in the south and the north, and 13 columns along the longer sides in the west and the east. There was also an internal Doric portico made up of additional columns that formed an.

A substantial pedestal with two enormous bronze statues of Athena and Hephaestus stood at the colonnade's conclusion. There were numerous other statues all over the temple, and archaeologists have discovered that both Pantelic and Paran marble from the island of Paros were used in their construction.

In 1834, Athens was chosen as the nation's capital, and the Royal Edit was first published in the temple. Soon after, Otto I, the first king of Greece, had his first official welcome at the shrine.

Following its designation as an ancient monument in 1934, substantial archeological digs were conducted. It's interesting to note that several famous structures have since been based on or inspired by the Temple of Hephaestus in the UK, Sweden, the USA, and Malta.

Helpful tips for Temple of Hephaestus:

• A short distance from Syntagma Square, Athens' central square, and not far from the Acropolis, the Temple of Hephaestus is located on the northwest side of the Agora and other remains. The closest Metro stations are Thissio (Lines 1 and 3) and Monastiraki (Line 1)
• It is simple to combine a trip to the Temple of Hephaestus with trips to Hadrian's Gate, the Acropolis Museum, the Acropolis, and the Botanical Gardens.
• It is advised that visitors visiting the Temple of Hephaestus wear flat, cozy shoes because there are steps to climb.