acropolis

Hilltop Greek stronghold

An acropolis is a fortified hilltop citadel in an ancient Greek city, typically containing temples and public buildings.

The word combines Greek roots meaning "high city." Many Greek cities had an acropolis serving as both defensive stronghold and sacred center: The ruins of the acropolis overlooked the modern town. (Capitalized Acropolis usually refers to the one in Athens.)

fortification

citadel

Fortified urban stronghold

fortressHeavily defended military structure
strongholdFortified place of defense
rampartFortified defensive wall

defensive · walls · garrison · refuge · siege · bastion · watchtower · gate · battlements · strategic

elevated

hilltop

Apex of a knoll

plateauFlat highland area
summitPeak or diplomatic gathering
heightsVertical measurements or summits

perched · cliff · overlook · promontory · elevation · rocky · outcrop · commanding · vantage · ascent

archaeology

excavation

Act of unearthing

artifactsHuman-made historical objects
ruinsDecayed structural remains
stratigraphyStudy of rock layers

restoration · conservation · inscriptions · antiquities · fragments · marble · columns · capitals · sculpture · reliefs

Categories

Classical AntiquityAncient Greece, Ancient Rome, Greeks, Romans, Roman Empire
ancient ruinsStonehenge, Pompeii, Colosseum, coliseum, Machu Picchu
ancient sitesPompeii, Stonehenge, pyramids, Colosseum, Giza
ClassicalMozart, Beethoven, Haydn, symphony, sonata
fortificationsfort, fortress, fortresses, citadel, citadels
fortressesfortress, citadel, stronghold, fort, keep

Opposites

elevation/topography

acropolislowland

Low-elevation flat land

valley · plain · flatland · lowlands · depression

civic function

acropolisagora

Greek civic square

marketplace · forum · bazaar · commercial district · town square

Family

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G