Athens is the very heart of Greek civilisation, be it ancient or modern, and draws on past and present both as a city and in the way it influences culture and politics worldwide. It is a city of fierce heat which is home to some of the most magnificent examples of ancient Greek art, especially the Acropolis where the ancient Greeks built temples to the glory of their gods. The Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Propylaea are all spectacular monuments which are not to be missed.