Between 160 and 174 CE the Odeon, i.e. a building intended for musical performances, was erected at the western end of the southern slope of the Acropolis. The sponsor of the construction was Herod Atticus, who wanted to commemorate the death of his wife Regilla in this way. It was the third building of this type in Athens, after Pericles (5th century BCE) and Agrippa (15 BCE). Odeon of Herod Atticus could accommodate about 5,000 spectators. For better acoustics, it was covered with a cedar ceiling.
Interestingly, it still performs its functions to this day. During the annual Athens Festival, concerts are organized there. Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, Jean Michel Jarre and Goran Bregovic. Outside the Festival, the odeon is closed to the public and can only be admired from the Acropolis.
