Parthenon

The Parthenon, built 447-432 BC on the Athenian Acropolis, is a former temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. Designed by architects Ictinus and Callicrates under the supervision of sculptor Phidias, it used approximately 100,000 tons of Pentelic marble. Over its 2,500-year history it served as a Greek temple, Byzantine church, Catholic cathedral, Ottoman mosque, and ammunition store. A 1687 explosion left it in ruins. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it remains one of the most iconic symbols of Ancient Greece and Western civilization.