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The Agora is also known as “The Ancient Agora of Athens” which used to be nucleus of ancient Athens. It is where political, administrative, social, religious, and cultural activities used to take place. During 3000 BC it was known as a burial area. Temples of Hephaestus, Zeus and Apollo gods were built in 5th century. Peisistratus rebuilt the Agora during 6th century by making it center of Athenian Government, adding fountains, and a temple for Olympian gods. After Peisistratus, Cimon renovated the Agora land by adding new buildings and planting the seeds for trees to grow.
Few public meetings during ancient Athens time were held in Agora. The special meeting of ostracism used to be only held in Agora. Ostracism is a consequence under Athenian democracy where if a citizen of Athens broke the law then they were punished to expel from the city of Athens for minimum of ten years.
There are list of things located in Agora today dating from thousands of years before. The monuments and buildings in Agora include Painted Stoa, Sanctuary of Aphrodite Ourania, Panathinaic Way, Royal Stoa, Stoa of Zeus Eleutherios, Altar of the Twelve Gods, Temple of Apollo Patroos, Arsenal, Statue of Hadrian, Temple of Hephaistos, Monument of Eponymous Heroes, Old Bouleuterion and Metroon, New Bouleuterion, Tholos, Strategeion, South-west fountain house, Heliala, South Stoa, Odeion of Agrippa, East building, Middle Stoa, Enneakrounos, South-west temple, Nymphaeum, Mint, Southeast temple, Eleusinion, Private houses, Library of Pantainos, Stoa of Attalos, Ancient Agora Museum, and Agii Apostoli Solaki. Temple of Ares was built to honor Ares who was god of war. The Heliaia was considered the most important court house of justice in Athens. The south-west fountain is considered to be Athens’s grand fountain. Museum of Ancient Agora is located in Stoa of Attalos which has collection of clay, bronze, glass objects, sculptures, and coins dating from 5th – 7th century BC.
Although today, The Agora is somewhat a ruined land but still it holds a lot of precious memories from ancient times of Athens and makes it worth visiting for tourists.
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