Asclepieion of Athens
Athens Municipality, Greece
Freely accessible
Public space — no opening hours to check.
Strollie cannot guarantee access — always check before you travel.
The Asclepieion of Athens was an ancient Greek sanctuary dedicated to the healing gods Asclepius and Hygieia, situated on the southern escarpment of the Acropolis between the Theatre of Dionysos and the Pelargikon wall. Founded in 419–18 BCE by Telemachos Acharneas during the Peloponnesian War—possibly prompted by plague—it functioned as a rudimentary hospital serving pilgrims seeking healing. The complex included a temple and altar, along with two colonnaded stoas: the Doric stoa, built around 300/299 BCE as a two-storey structure with seventeen Doric columns that served as overnight lodging where patients hoped to receive divine healing through dreams, and the Ionic stoa of the late fifth century, which housed dining and priestly quarters. The sanctuary also contained a sacred spring—a small cave with a natural water source—and a deep polygonal pit of disputed date, possibly used for hero worship. A propylon on the western side provided access from the southern roadway and was renovated during the Roman period.
Movement
- Type
- Asclepeion, archaeological site
- Heritage
- archaeological site in Greece
- Place
- Athens Municipality, Greece
This building on
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Location