Today we took a trip into the Akropolis. I am writing this on a marble bench, looking at the pillars of the Parthenon, and trying to suppress the frustration inside me. OK, so the Parthenon is a wonderous place that some people don’t believe actually exists until they see it with their own eye, or so I’ve been told. But looking at this supposed magnificent site, I am in shock because of how little of it is original. My pictures would illustrate that it is nearly impossible to capture a section of the building without some type of scaffolding in the foreground, background, or both. So
So the Parthenon has gone through a few different religions. First it was built for the Greeks, then it was converted to a Christina church, then to an Islamic temple. They are currently restoring the Parthenon. In this process of restoration, all—or nearly all—of the original marble is being taken off site and into the museum. Yes, Elgian did take a lot of it and put it in the
It may have begun to crumble, but that is what gives it its wonder. Being at the Parthenon makes me appreciate the Pyramids of Giza so much more because they have not been restored even though they are missing some vital parts, such as the top to one of them. They are not as shiny or as smooth or as intact as they were 4000 years ago, but that is what makes them so amazing. That is what makes it worth the visit. If the restoration keeps up, which I am sure it will, you might as well visit the replica of the Parthenon in
