Cape Sounion
Cape Sounion is the southernmost part of the Attica Peninsula, 65 km southeast of Athens. The Temple of Poseidon is spectacularly situated on a 60 m high cliff, offering striking views of the Aegean Sea and the island.
General information
The temple was built around 440 BC, replacing an older temple destroyed by the Persians. Numerous archaeological finds prove that the area was inhabited around 700 BC, and the sanctuary that existed here is mentioned in the “Odyssey”. The temple, the ruins of which we can still see today, is made of Agrilesian marble. Fifteen columns on an impressive base have survived, but the entire western part of the temple has been destroyed. The propylaea were built a little later.
.Cape Sounion in 412 BC during the Peloponnesian Wars was defended by a fortress, in the southeastern part of which stood the temple. Since 1994, the Athens Archaeological Society has begun excavations, and the main street and the ruins of houses have already been discovered. On a small hill to the north-east of the temple you can see the ruins of the sanctuary of Athena, but it was the temple of Poseidon that attracted visitors – Lord Byron visited here and even scratched his name on one of the stones. Today it is a favorite destination for Athenians and foreigners alike, who come here to admire the magnificent sunsets.
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