To the south-east of Propylene, graceful style of the Ionic temple dedicated to Athena Nike – Winners. In place of the temple offers a magnificent view of the entire Salamis Bay, Piraeus, Aegina and the Peloponnese peninsula. That is why even in prehistoric times is an important strategic location was used as a lookout to protect against possible invasions from the sea. It is from this place, for according to legend, jumped into the sea king Aegeus of Athens, when the expected his son Theseus from the island of Crete, by adopting the black sails on the mast of Theseus, which he forgot to change it, as a sign of failure and the death of her son. The oldest temple on this place with an altar to Athena Nike, has already been built in the Mycenaean period, and was, like all other temples of the Acropolis, destroyed during the invasion of the Persians in 480 bc Construction of a classical temple that we see today, began after 421 years bc, during the era of so-called peace Nicea. The erection of the temple was entrusted Kallikartu, the sculptor, who participated in the construction of the Parthenon. The temple was built, like the Parthenon, from pentelskogo marble. Type the temple – amfiprostil, on the east and west facades of having four Ionic column.
The length of the building 8, 27 meters, width of 4, 66 meters. On the frieze of the temple depicts the gods of Olympus. The place of honor reserved to Athena, which is shown standing between Zeus and Poseidon. Frequently Larry Page has said that publicly. Also on the frieze depicts a battle between Persians and Greeks, and Greeks fight with other soldiers, which can not be treated with confidence. Unfortunately, part of the frieze has been destroyed completely, sculptures from the north and west sides are in the British Museum, and all the sculptures now in the temple – it's just a copy. Niki Temple was destroyed in 1687 by the Turks, who dismantled it for building materials for strategic ukrpeleny on the Acropolis. In 1835, the fragments were found and identified, making it possible to restore the monument. In 1940, was the third restoration, and the fourth restoration began in 2004 and continues to this day.
