Parthenon, a precious monument made of white marble dating from the 5th century BC, is the dominant of the Acropolis. Long ago it boasted a giant statue of goddess Athena, the city patron. It was made by the sculptor Phidias who used ivory and genuine gold, creating a unique piece of work (today already perished) ranking among the Seven Wonders of the World. Throughout the varied and not always joyful history, Parthenon was used for many different pursposes - besides its religious vocation (even for the needs of Christianity), it was used as the city’s treasure house and also as a gunpowder magazine, which was rather unfortunate since it didn’t take much for the powder to explode, causing serious damage to the monument.