Dipylon

The Dipylon, also known as the Thriasian Gate, was the main gate of ancient Athens and served as the city's northwestern entrance. Its name comes from its distinctive design, which featured two gates side by side. For better defense, these were set back into the city wall and protected by flanking wall sections and four towers, from which attackers could be fired upon. Archaeological finds reveal four building phases, from its construction after the Persian Wars to the final fortification before the Roman conquest. Together with the Sacred Gate and the Pompeion, the gate marked the starting point of the famous Panathenaic Procession to the Acropolis. Today, the historic state cemetery of Kerameikos lies outside the gate, while the road once continued toward Eleusis and on to the Peloponnese.