Work begins on the complex Ionic temple on the Athenian Acropolis, designed to accommodate multiple ancient cults and sacred markers (including those of Athena Polias and Poseidon-Erechtheus) on an uneven, ritually charged site.
The south porch (later famous as the Porch of the Maidens) is executed with six sculpted female figures serving as architectural supports—an iconic fusion of sculpture and structure within Athenian Ionic design.
The building is finished (commonly dated to 421–406 BCE), creating a highly irregular, multi-level plan that integrated older shrines and legendary topography within a single sanctuary complex.
The monument suffers severe damage in a 1st-century BCE fire and is subsequently repaired, part of a long pattern of alteration and rebuilding that complicates reconstruction of its original interior arrangements.
In the Early Christian era the Erechtheion is converted into a church dedicated to the Mother of God (Theometor), marking a major functional and liturgical transformation of the classical sanctuary.
Following the Latin/Frankish takeover of Athens, the former temple-church complex is adapted for secular elite use, reflecting the Acropolis’ shifting role from sanctuary to fortified seat of power.
During Ottoman rule the building is reused as a residence (often described in later accounts as connected to the local commander’s household), while early modern travelers document the monument and its condition in increasing detail.
The 1687 Venetian attack on Ottoman-held Athens severely damages multiple Acropolis structures; the broader destruction context shapes the later fragility, spoliation, and repair history of monuments including the Erechtheion.
In the early 19th century, agents working for Lord Elgin remove one Caryatid (now in the British Museum) along with other architectural elements from the Erechtheion, a defining episode in the monument’s modern history and debates over displaced heritage.
During the 1826–1827 fighting in the Greek War of Independence, cannon fire and dismantling of joints for lead cause major losses, including collapse in parts of the Maiden Porch and west façade.
Kyriakos Pittakis leads a major early reconstruction effort (1837–1840), re-erecting and stabilizing parts of the structure with a mix of surviving blocks and modern materials—an influential but later-criticized phase of Acropolis conservation history.
Nikolaos Balanos conducts substantial restoration (1902–1909), rebuilding sections including ceilings of the north and south porches and significant wall areas—later prompting reassessment due to materials and techniques used.
A major scientific restoration program starts, initiating systematic dismantling, documentation, and reassembly approaches characteristic of late 20th-century conservation on the Acropolis.
To mitigate accelerating damage from pollution and weathering, the Caryatid figures are moved to museum protection and replaced on the building by replicas, separating the monument’s most famous sculptural elements from their structural setting.
The 1979–1987 conservation and restoration of the Erechtheion concludes, widely regarded as a milestone in Acropolis anastylosis and a model for subsequent work on other monuments of the site.
With the opening of the New Acropolis Museum, the Caryatids can be viewed closely and from multiple angles in a controlled environment, reframing public understanding of the porch as both architecture and sculpture.
A conservation campaign uses carefully tuned laser cleaning to remove accumulated soot and grime while preserving marble surface characteristics, becoming a widely noted example of high-precision treatment for polluted stone.
Erechtheion, Athens (c. 421–406 BCE)
