Acropolis vs Parthenon: Differences and Similarities to Know Before Visiting | Santorini Secrets
Acropolis vs Parthenon: Differences and Similarities to Know Before Visiting
There is usually confusion when researching the Acropolis vs the Parthenon, as people often don't know what the difference is ...
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Published: October 9, 2024•Updated: July 7, 2025•By Pavlos Inglesis•3 min read•
AthensGreece
There is usually confusion when researching the Acropolis vs the Parthenon, as people often don’t know what the difference is between these 2 and make this very simple mistake.
I was born in Athens and lived there most of my life, and even my parents were also born a few hundred meters away from the famous temple of the Parthenon. I am explaining below what the differences are between the Parthenon and the Acropolis.
I will make it as simple as possible to get it out of the way before I explain a bit about the monument’s history and why it looks like this today:
Acropolis vs Parthenon
Acropolis is a rocky natural hill in the middle of the city of Athens that is home to a lot of ancient temples, ancient theatres, and monuments that date back 3000 years BC.
The Acropolis is the name of the hill that is located in the center of the city of Athens (others call it just a “rock” in Greece), where all the monuments are situated, including the Parthenon, which is the largest temple in this complex.
This is a video of my recent visit to the Acropolis, entering from the (best) South Slope Entrance, along with a full overview of all surfaces and staircases that you will meet as you go up.
The Acropolis is called the “holy rock” in Greek even today (“ιερός βράχος”). So, the Acropolis is the hill, and the Parthenon is the largest temple of Athens that sits in the middle of this archaeological complex.
This is the main Parthenon and Acropolis difference
The word “Acropolis” in Greek comes from 2 words: acro (edge) + polis (city), and it is the word that was used in ancient Greece to describe the fortress of any city
The rock of the Acropolis is flat at its top, which made it ideal to be used as a natural fortress for the city of Athens since 3000 BC.
There are several natural water sources around the hill, which also made it perfect for people to use in the past for any reason
Before the famous temple and the surrounding buildings were built, the hill was hosting the house of the governor of the city and a few other residences
Acropolis Hill with its buildings from a photo of 1852Yes, this was the glorious interior of the Parthenon temple with one of the most impressive golden statues of the known world at the time. None of it survives today… Back in 1657, a Venetian bomb attacking the Ottomans who were at the time in the Parthenon temple exploded and destroyed a large part of it. This is considered one of the greatest disasters of an ancient monument in human history… After the great explosion in 1657, the Ottomans built a new mosque literally inside the Parthenon temple, around 1680.
Tags:AthensGreece
Last updated: July 7, 2025
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AUTHOR
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Pavlos Inglesis
Born and raised in Athens
Native Greek islander and local guide with deep knowledge of Greek culture, history, and traditions. Pavlos provides authentic insights into the real Greece beyond the tourist facade.
Local CultureGreek HistoryTraditional CuisineIsland Life
