Hadrian's Library, Athens: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

Hadrian's Library occupies a site north of the Roman Agora in central Athens, built in 132 AD by Emperor Hadrian as a complex for storing papyrus scrolls and hosting lectures. The original structure measured 122 by 82 meters and featured a colonnaded courtyard with a central reflecting pool. The western facade, the best-preserved section, retains seven Corinthian columns of Pentelic marble standing to their full height. Excavations in the 1880s and again in the 2000s uncovered the foundations of three early Christian churches built over the ruins between the 5th and 7th centuries. is just one of many options in Athens. Major attractions worth considering include Areopagus, Delphi Archaeological Museum, and Meteora.