Visiting the Temple of Aphaia, -Aegina
Trip Start
Sep 25, 2012
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Trip End
Ongoing
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Where I stayed
Agia Marina, Saronic Gulf Islands, Greece
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
How about visiting the Temple of Aphaia today? It is one of the most beautiful classical temples in Greece and one of the oldest surviving.
Located atop the pine-clad Mesagro hill (northeast) the Temple is surrounded by pine trees and the view of the Saronic Gulf is spectacular from up here.
Excavations denote the use of the hill as a place of worship since the Bronze Age while the first architectural elements were erected on the site the 7th century BC.
The Doric temple standing here today was built about 490 BC of local porous sandstone, and it served as a model for the construction of the Parthenon and other temples in Greece, Asia and southern Italy.
It is said that on a clear day one can make out the Temple of Poseidon at Sounio, as well as the Acropolis of Athens….I did not see either though! The three temples form an isosceles triangle (the sacred triangle of antiquity).
Unfortunately the year 1811, the Englishman Cockerell and the German von Hallerstein, stole the sculptures of the pediments and smuggled them abroad.
Today they are displayed at the Glyptothek of Munich.
On the grounds of the Temple stands the Museum of Aphaia where everything that remains from the temple is housed. I thought to skip that and now that I write this I regret it already!
Anyway, one of the most important artifacts is the reconstructed section of the pediment of the temple, the copy of goddess Athena and the votive tablet (560 BC) on which is written that the temple is dedicated to the goddess Aphaia, a deity from Crete.
Opening Hours:
Daily 8:00 – 17:00 Arch. Site
10:30 – 13:30 Museum
Fee 4 euros/Reduced 2.
Tel: 22970 32398
Due to likely changes in the opening hours depending on the season, it is preferable to contact Museums and Archaeological Sites directly.
Tip:
The best time to visit the temple is early in the morning. Busloads of tourists arrive for short visits after 10:00 am so if you visit earlier than that you will avoid the crowds and the heat. (The shade of the pine trees around can provide some relief from the intense summer heat, however the sanctuary itself offers little terms of shade.
Comments
Beautifull
I'm still wondering how they measured the triangle in these days.
Very interesting.
Indeed Monica how right you are....and don't forget they were Greeks. Very different from today's politicians....lol