The Parthenon was thought to be a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, but the Christians later converted it into a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site was built in the second half of the fifth century BC by Pericles, an Athenian statesman. The complex includes the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike. The Parthenon was thought to be a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, but the Christians later converted it into a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary.