Entitled: "Details of the Colonnade of the Parthenon, Athens" photographed by F矇lix Bonfils, circa 1870s. The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the maiden goddess Athena. Construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although decoration of the building continued until 432 BC. It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece, generally considered the culmination of the development of the Doric order. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of Greek art. The Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece, Athenian democracy, western civilization and one of the world's greatest cultural monuments. Photograph originally captioned: Restoration workers in previous centuries made repairs that actually hastened the Parthenon's decline, 1910. F矇lix Bonfils (March 8, 1831 - 1885) was a French photographer and writer who was active in the Middle East. He moved his family to Beirut in 1867 where they opened a photographic studio called "Maison Bonfils".