Temple of Athena Nike
The Temple of Athena Nike at the Acropolis of Athens
Compact and elegant, the Temple of Athena Nike sits at the edge of a steep cliff on the southwest corner of Acropolis Hill in Athens.
The Temple of Athena Nike is the smallest temple at the Acropolis of Athens and is dedicated to Athena in her representation of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory.
Completed around the year 420 B.C., the Temple of Athena Nike was designed by Kallikrates, the architect that designed the renowned Parthenon. It is considered the first fully Ionic temple at the Acropolis and was built at the site of an earlier temple that was destroyed by the Persians.
In the late 17th century, the Ottoman Turks dismantled the temple and used the stones to build defensive structures. After Greek attained independence, the temple was rebuilt.
While you can’t enter the Temple of Athena Nike, you can view it from the outside.
Popular Options for Visiting the Acropolis of Athens 🏛️
— Acropolis timed-entry ticket with optional audio guide
— Combined pass for the Acropolis plus up to 5 other famous archaeological sites
— Acropolis Guided Tour (including the Parthenon)
— Guided tour of the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum, which houses significant artifacts
Where is the Temple of Athena Nike located?
Situated just to the right of the Propylaea, the main entrance to the Acropolis of Athens, the Temple of Athena Nike is best viewed from the steps leading into the Propylaea.
The compact Temple of Athena Nike is located on a bastion on the southwest corner of the Acropolis hilltop complex.
While the rest of the walled Acropolis was accessed through the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike was outside the walls, accessed from the southwest part of the Propylaea or a set of stairs to the north.
Architecture of the Temple of Athena Nike
The single chamber of the Temple of Athena Nike — the Cella — had colonnaded porticos in the front and back. The original slim Ionic columns were created from single stones.
A statue of Nike originally stood in the temple chamber. While Nike is “the winged goddess of victory,” the statue here did not have wings and was called Apteros Nike. Legend has it that the Athenians did not want their goddess to fly away and leave the city, hence the absence of wings.
The Temple of Athena Nike had a lovely frieze on each side, with carvings representing different themes.
Around 410 B.C., a marble parapet called the Parapet of Nike was constructed around the north, west, and south of the temple to protect visitors from toppling over the sheer edge of the cliff.
Along the frieze on the parapet wall was a famous depiction of Athena adjusting her sandal. The original carving, “the Sandalbinder,” can now be seen at the Acropolis Museum along with other parts of the frieze and other sculptures recovered from the site.
Do you need a ticket for the Temple of Athena Nike?
The Temple of Athena Nike is part of the Acropolis of Athens archaeological site, and a single ticket to the Acropolis allows you to visit all the monuments on the Acropolis Rock, including the Temple of Athena Nike.
If you want to see the salvaged sculptures and parts of the frieze, you will need a ticket to the Acropolis Museum as well. The ones on the monument are replicas.
Or you can book a guided tour that combines the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum.
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