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The museum, which sits at the foot of the
Acropolis hill in Athens, houses masterpiece sculptures of Greek
antiquity, including works from the Parthenon, one of the most
influential buildings in Western civilization.
"Visitors can come down and see ancient ruins of the city of
Athens, especially in the area south of the Acropolis,"
Acropolis Museum Director Dimitris Pantermalis told Reuters.
"We hope to also present the movable finds of the excavation
soon, to give a picture of the daily life of ancient Athens."
Below the museum's base which floats on concrete pillars, lies a
neighborhood of excavated homes, workshops, baths, streets and
drainage trenches, uncovered during works to build the museum.
Walking through the site along metal ramps, visitors can see the
baths of lavish mansions, which at the time included chambers
where bathers could warm up before taking a dip in heated pools.
One of the highlights is the home of a wealthy Athenian, dating
back to the sixth century AD.
"It was fascinating, an amazing experience," said Carl Hoover,
63, a visitor from Colorado. He said he was most impressed by
the mosaic floor and the sophisticated pipes and drainage
systems.
Designed by architect Bernard Tschumi with a view to reflect the
mathematical and conceptual clarity of ancient Greece, the
Acropolis Museum has attracted more than 14 million visitors
since it opened doors 10 years ago.
Greece has repeatedly called on Britain to release Parthenon
marbles currently housed at its national museum, recently upping
the rhetoric in a near 200-year-old campaign for the sculptures'
return.
(Writing by George GeorgiopoulosAdditional reporting by Idylli
Tsakiri, Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)
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