The Parthenon’s main entrance faces east. Its eastern façade contains the principal approach to the temple’s inner sanctuary, following the traditional orientation of many ancient Greek temples.
The building was constructed on the Acropolis between 447 and 432 BCE and dedicated to Athena. The eastern end was especially significant because its pediment depicted the birth of Athena from Zeus’s head. Entering from this direction would align visitors with the temple’s most important sculptural and ceremonial focus.
The eastward orientation also allowed morning light to enter toward the interior and the statue of Athena Parthenos, although the exact lighting effects remain a subject of scholarly discussion. The entrance did not open directly onto an unobstructed landscape: the eastern portico and surrounding colonnade shaped the approach and filtered the light.
The west side was architecturally important too, and the Parthenon has entrances or access points at both ends. That can cause confusion in photographs and modern visitor routes, especially because the Acropolis approach does not necessarily bring visitors first to the building’s eastern front. The main façade, however, is the eastern one.