Parthenon

The Parthenon today is the remains of a white marble structure located in Athens, Greece.

It is one of the most famous ancient structures of Greece, and was a temple built in honour of the goddess Athena. It was built by Pericles, an influential Greek statesman, in the 5th century BC. It was seen by the ancient Greeks as a celebration of their victory over the Persians as well as a form of thanksgiving to their gods for that victory.

The Parthenon, like many other Greek temples, also functioned as the city treasury at the time. In the 6th century AD, it was converted into a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

After the Ottomons conquered Greece, the Parthenon was converted into a mosque in the early 1460s. Later, in 1687, it was badly damaged during the Venetian siege of the Acropolis.

Since 1975, there has been a concerted effort by the Greek government along with help from others, e.g. the European Union, in restoring the Parthenon. Some of the important and fragile structures were also moved to the Acropolis museum.

In the Bible, the Parthenon was possibly one of the structures witnessed by Paul during his stay in Athens.