Ancient Agora
The Ancient Agora used to be a lost part of the city. It had to be extensively excavated, with newer buildings being knocked down in order to uncover it. The unearthing of the Agora was made possible with massive financial support from J Rockefeller, and they are still finding new parts of the Agora today as they carefully cut away the natural rock to reveal lost parts of the old structures. Some restoration has been done over the years, but you still have to use your imagination to get a feel for what it must have looked like back in 3000BC.
Address/Location: The Archaeological Area of the Ancient Agora, Adrianou Street, 10555 Athens in Greece
Finding The Ancient Agora
Take the Metro and stop off at the Thissio station. There are also six bus routes that take you to the ancient Agora. If you are going by foot, walk up from Monastiraki Square and you will reach Adrianou Street. Once you enter the street, it only takes around five minutes to get to the archaeological site. If you have just disembarked at the Thissio Metro Station, it is only a short walk to Adrianou Street.
Visiting Hours
08:00 to 15:00 in the Winter; 08:00 to 19:30 in the Summer
Mondays are variable. Sometimes they are closed on Monday, usually during off-peak seasons, and sometimes it is open 11:00 to 19:30 on Mondays.
Helpful Information
The ticket price is fairly low, but if you are touring the sites, then it is better to get a combination ticket that includes the (much more expensive) Acropolis entrance fee. Ask for a map upon entering so that you may experience all of the area without missing anything. It can get a little confusing if you do not have a map. The area is large, and the tourists are a little more spread out, which may suit you if you have just finished walking through the busy Acropolis.
The area is a suntrap, which means you need water and sun block. However, unlike the Acropolis, you will find trees, so you may rest a while in the shade. It is also recommended that you do a little research into the Agora in order for you to fully appreciate what you are seeing. Otherwise, you may think you are seeing a few statues and a whole lot of rubble. If you understand what you are seeing, you may then imagine what the structures may have looked like all those years ago.
