Adjacent to the Parthenon, the Erechtheion is characterized by slender columns. Despite being the temple of Athena, who is the protector goddess of the city, the Erechtheion was named after the semi-god king of Athens, Erechtheus. In one of the rooms of the temple was an olive-wood statue of Athena, which was said to have dropped from the heavens.
The highlight of the Erechtheion is the south porch of the maidens, the frieze of which is held by six meticulously sculpted female figures known as caryatids or kore. Five of the original caryatids are in the Acropolis Museum and one is in the British Museum. All the caryatids at the Acropolis are replicas.