Sanctuary of Artemis, Brauron

The Sanctuary of Artemis at Brauron is one of the most important ancient Greek religious sites for women, located on the eastern coast of Attica near the Aegean Sea. A nearby hill was inhabited from the Neolithic era (c. 2000 BC) and fortified during Middle Helladic to early Mycenaean times. The sanctuary's temple was built between the 6th and 5th centuries BC, while its pi-shaped stoa (c. 425-420 BC) is considered the oldest in Greece. The site hosted the quinquennial Arkteia festival, where young girls called Arktoi (bears) processed from Athens in rituals marking the transition from girlhood to womanhood.