Mount Pentelicus

mountains, Greece

Also known as: Brilessos, Brilettos, Pendéli Óros, Pentelikon, Pentelikus

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Also spelled:: Pentelikon

Modern Greek:: Pendéli Óros

Historically:: Brilessos, or Brilettos

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Mount Pentelicus, mountain range enclosing the Attic plain on its northeast but within the nomós (department) of Attica (Modern Greek: Attikí), in Greece. The chief summit, about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Athens (Athína), is Kokkinarás (3,632 feet [1,107 m]), which yields white Pentelic marble on its north slope. In Classical times the peak had 25 quarries on the south slope at elevations between 2,500 and 3,300 feet (760 and 1000 m). These provided excellent marble for most of the buildings and sculptures of Athens in the 5th and 4th centuries bce. At the summit was a sanctuary to the goddess Athena. In the 1960s a ban was imposed on quarrying on the south slope to avoid scarring the landscape.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.