Stoa of Attalos- Museum of Ancient Agora

What I can see

The Stoa of Attalos is 116.5 metres long, 20 metres wide and 25 metres high. The facade of the ground floor has 45 doric columns and 22 Ionic ones, in the interior. On the upper floor, the outer colonnade is Ionic, while the internal one is of a Pergamene style. The building has 21 rooms on each floor, which served as study areas and shops. Today, it hosts the Ancient Agora Museum, one of the city’s most important museums. Its exhibitions illustrate the birth and function of democracy and give an idea of both the function and the history of the Ancient Agora. There is also a retrospective from the Late Neolithic period to the 10^th century AD mainly through the exhibited pottery. Most of the findings are from the Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods, including shells used to politically ostracize prominent personalities, as well as items used as measurement standards, a lottery wheel, a clepsydra (=hourglass), a Spartan shield (loot) and a column of the resolution against tyranny. The museum also keeps the calendars of the Ancient Agora excavation. Finally, in the peristyle, there are statues that adorned the Ancient Agora.

What I can't see

The stoa was a gift from the king of Pergamon, Attalos II (159- 138 BC). This is known from an inscription on the entablature of the lower colonnade. He studied in Athens and wanted to honour the city, while at the same time referring to his kingdom. The Stoa of Attalos was a kind of shopping mall of its time, as well as a place for rest and socializing. The ancient architectural members were not incorporated into the restored building, but it was rebuilt from scratch, a decision that caused several disputes between experts. All the construction materials of the stoa are Athenian. The study of the restoration-reconstruction was done by Giannis Travlos.

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