The Erechtheum is an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis. The temple was built between 421 and 407 BC. On the
south side of the Erechtheum is the famous Porch of the Caryatids ("Porch of the Maidens") with six draped female figures
(caryatids) as supporting columns, each sculpted in a manner different from the rest and engineered in such a way that
their slenderest part, the neck, is capable of supporting the weight of the porch roof while remaining
graceful and feminine.
One of the caryatids was removed in the early 1800's by Lord Elgin, a British nobleman and diplomat, in order to decorate his Scottish
mansion and was later sold to the British Museum. In 1979 the five remaining caryatids were moved to the Acropolis Museum
and replaced by exact replicas. The caryatids have now been transferred to the beautiful New Acropolis Museum,
and I had the privilege to see them.