pendeli

Pendeli, often rendered Penteli or Pentelicus in English, refers to a mountainous region in Attica, northeast of Athens. The central feature is Mount Pentelicus, a limestone hill that rises to about 1,109 meters above sea level. The range forms part of the Attic foothills and is largely forested, with several settlements along its lower slopes. The area is best known for the Pentelic marble quarried from its eastern face, a material prized in antiquity for its fine grain and warm pale-gold hue. Pentelic marble was used in many classical monuments, including structures on the Acropolis and the Parthenon.

Historically, quarrying on Mount Pentelicus dates back to ancient times and continued into Roman and later periods. Although modern extraction is limited, the mountain remains a significant cultural and geological landmark, drawing interest from scholars, archaeologists, and tourists. In contemporary times, the Pendeli region sits within the greater Athens metropolitan area and serves as a green, recreational landscape for city residents. It offers hiking trails, viewpoints overlooking the Attica basin, and opportunities to observe local flora and fauna. The landscape and its natural assets are subject to conservation and management efforts intended to balance development with habitat protection and the ecological health of the mountain environment.