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Beulé Gate, walled remains from the temple of Nikias Archaeological Society at Athens © Η εν Αθήναις Αρχαιολογική Εταιρεία -
The Beulé Gate Aikaterini Laskaridis Foundation © Ίδρυμα Αικατερίνης Λασκαρίδη -
Portrait of C. E. Beulé, archaeologist, 1826-1874 (?) Rudolf Lehmann The British Museum © The Trustees of the British Museum
The Beulé Gate is situated on the lower side of the western slope of the Acropolis, west of the ascent path towards the Propylaea. It is a gate flanked by two rectangular towers and constitutes a part of the fortifications of the Acropolis during the late Roman times. The exact dating of the gate is uncertain: many researchers believe its construction took place during the reign of Emperor Valerian (mid-3rd century CE) as part of precautionary fortification works due to the impending arrival of the Heruli in Athens, while others argue that the gate was built after the Heruli’s raid in 267 CE.
For the construction of the gate, earlier building material was utilised, primarily sourced from the choragic monument of Nikias, a work dating to 320/319 BCE. This monument, located west of the Theatre of Dionysus, was carefully dismantled and its components were reused for the fortification of the Acropolis. As the 3rd century CE witnessed significant turmoil in the Roman Empire due to the invasions of various barbarian tribes, cities were undertaking a restructuring of their defences. Consequently, they constructed new fortifications employing building material from older structures.
The gate was named after the French archaeologist Charles Ernest Beulé, who uncovered and studied it in 1852, when he dismantled the Ottoman bastion situated lower than the classical-era Propylaea. Today, it serves as the main entrance to the archaeological site of the Acropolis.
