Ancient Agora

The Ancient agora or market-pl;ace was the prime public face of Greek life. It was excavated by the American School of Classical studies in the 1930s and there are a very fair amount of ruins to mooch around, all under the gaze of the Acropolis.

 

In the 1950s, they  had no hesitation in rebuilding the Stoa of Attalos, the shopping centre, on its original base. Which is terrific as it really gives an impression of what the place would have been like. In addition to housing a museum.

 There is a small byzantine church in the precinct, notable if only to show the artistic degeneration from Ancient times.

 

But the most picturesque part of the site is up the hill to the Hephaesteion, the best preserved temple in Athens.

Statue of Hadrian. Alas headless.