Why it's so lopsided
The temple stands on sloping ground and had to fit around older sacred spots, so it has different floor levels and porches of different sizes. It's the least symmetrical major temple of classical Greece.
Urban Tales › Athens › Erechtheion
Erechtheion: the history, and the six women holding up the roof
Built around 421–406 BC, the Erechtheion is the Acropolis temple that breaks the rules: several floor levels, porches of different sizes and six stone women instead of columns. Here's what you're looking at, and what to listen for as you walk past it.
Built≈ 421–406 BC
StyleIonic
Caryatids6
HousedAthena Polias statue
Hear the Erechtheion story, in the app's voice
A short preview. The full story plays on its own when you walk up to it with Urban Tales.
Three stories most visitors miss
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The contest for Athens
Legend says Athena and Poseidon competed here to be the city's patron. Poseidon struck the rock with his trident; Athena gave an olive tree, and the Athenians chose the olive. An olive tree still grows beside the temple.
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The Caryatids are copies
The six women on the porch are replicas. Five originals are in the Acropolis Museum below the hill; the sixth is in the British Museum in London.
TipWalk round to the side of the temple for the Caryatid porch, then see five of the originals at eye level in the Acropolis Museum. With Urban Tales running, the Erechtheion's story plays as you pass it.
Nearby landmarks
Erechtheion: common questions
What is the Erechtheion?
An Ionic temple on the Acropolis, built around 421–406 BC, that housed the ancient wooden statue of Athena Polias and several of Athens' oldest shrines.
Are the Caryatids original?
No. The figures on the temple are copies. Five originals are in the Acropolis Museum and one is in the British Museum.
Why is the Erechtheion asymmetrical?
It was built on uneven ground and around older sacred sites, so it has several levels and porches of different sizes.