The Ancient Agora of Athens

The Ancient Agora was the marketplace and the beating civic heart of classical Athens, where citizens gathered, traded, argued and where philosophers like Socrates taught. Today its shaded ruins spread below the Acropolis, dominated by the Temple of Hephaestus, one of the best-preserved ancient Greek temples anywhere, and the reconstructed Stoa of Attalos, which houses the site museum.

What to look for

• The Temple of Hephaestus - one of the best-preserved Greek temples.
• The Stoa of Attalos - the reconstructed colonnade and its museum.
• The ruins of the marketplace - the foundations of the civic buildings.
• The birthplace of democracy - the ground where Athenian citizens gathered.

When to go

Spring and autumn for mild weather; unlike the bare Acropolis, the Agora has some shade among the trees and ruins. It is included in the combined Acropolis ticket, so allow time for both.

Good to know

The ruins are fragmentary and take imagination or a guide to bring alive, beyond the intact Hephaisteion temple. It is quieter and greener than the crowded rock above.

Nearby

The Acropolis rises above; Monastiraki and the Plaka surround it with markets and tavernas.

Key facts