Herodes Atticus

Herodes Atticus

Visit Odeon of Herodes Atticus

This semi-circular amphitheater has a wide 1,250 feet radius with a seating capacity of more than 6,000 people. The original wall of the stage stood three storeys high and was decorated with marbles and ceramic pieces while today it stands in ruins.Today, the new Acropolis Museum has a total area of 25,000 square meters, with exhibition space of over 14,000 square meters, ten times more than that of the old museum on the Hill of the Acropolis. The new Museum offers all the amenities expected in an international museum of the 21st century.

The theatre

The Acropolis Museum was firstly conceived by Constantinos Karamanlis in September 1976. He also selected the site, upon which the Museum was finally built, decades later. With his penetrating vision, C. Karamanlis defined the need and established the means for a new Museum equipped with all technical facilities for the conservation of the invaluable Greek artifacts, where eventually the Parthenon sculptures will be reunited.

Music Festivals

Today you can attend the Athens Art Festival, musical concerts and classical tragedies under the night sky with a marvelous acoustic experience. All events are held from May to early October since the theatre is open.

The importance

Hollowed out of the rocky southern face of the Acropolis hill, it’s one of the world’s oldest and finest open-air theatres. The 4,500-seat theatre was fully restored in 1950 and is the primary venue of the annual Athens Festival.

Famous Performers

Performers such as the ballerina Margot Fonteyn, the diva Maria Callas, and the singer Liza Minnelli—artists from whom modern myths are made of—have appeared on this stage.