The Parthenon, a marble temple built in honour of the Greek goddess Athena, is located atop the Acropolis, a rocky outcrop dominating the centre of modern Athens. The Athenian leader Pericles commissioned the construction of the Parthenon complex in 447BC on the site where it is said that Athena battled with Poseidon for control of the capital of Attica. In the course of its history, the Parthenon has survived occupation, civil war and pillaging by Victorian tourists. With the recent opening of the New Acropolis Museum earlier this year, there is now an impressive permanent exhibition of the Parthenon’s treasures. The Acropolis site is open daily from 8am-7pm (April-Dec) and 8.30am-2.30pm (Jan-Mar). The admission fee is 12 euros (?10.70) for adults, with free entry for under-18s and EU students. The site also offers free entrance on Sundays from November to March. The New Acropolis Museum (www.newacropolismuseum.gr) is open daily except Mondays from 8am-8pm. The general admission fee is 1 Euro. May is a pleasant time of year to visit Athens, before the heat and humidity of the summer months set in. British Airways (www.ba.com) has flights from London Heathrow to Athens from ?146 return.