The Beule Gate

The Beule Gate is a feature of the Acropolis complex and was built in the third century AD as part of a defensive wall.

Discovered in 1852, the Beule Gate was named after archaeologist Ernest Beule.

The Beule Gate history

Inside the main entrance of the Acropolis site, the path leads through the Beule gate. Thought to be built around 280 AD, the gate consists of two massive towers. It was built with Piraeus limestone blocks and materials taken from other structures, including the Hellenistic Choragic Monument of Nikias from around 320 BC.

Early modern visitors to Athens reported an inscription commemorating a Roman named Flavius Septimus Marcellinus for presenting the gate to the city, suggesting that he financed the gate.

In 1834 architect Gustav Eduard Schaubert and the archaeologist Ludwig Ross cleared away much of the debris covering the grand Roman marble stairway up to the Propylaia (built around 52 AD). This work was continued by Greek archaeologist Kyriakos Pittakis from 1836. However it was Beulé who realized the significance of the Roman gateway and freed it from the Turkish fortifications and centuries of accumulated soil and rubble.

The Beule Gate today

Today, the Beule Gate is used as the visitors’ exit. In the area just inside the gate, there are the three lion statues, a number of stones with inscriptions and a column capital with a Christian cross. Several other equally mysterious artefacts can be seen around the Acropolis and on the way down to the Agora, including inscribed steles and statue bases.

The monument is currently under conservation by the Department of Restoration of Ancient Monuments of the Ministry of Culture. Entry to the Beule gate is included in the ticket to the Acropolis.

Getting to the Beule Gate

Visitors can see the Beule as they exit the Acropolis. Backpacks are not permitted when exploring the Acropolis. Visitors can walk to the Acropolis from the Plaka or take a taxi there. The entrance to the Acropolis is known for being very busy.