Athens

Athens is the capital of Greece and the center of the historic region of Attica. It is the largest city in the country, its economic and cultural center. Athens is one of the most important ancient Greek polises and a symbol of Western civilization. It is a city that many consider the cradle of European culture and science. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles, Euripides lived and worked here. The city is named after the goddess of wisdom Athena and is known for its Acropolis which is one of the largest ancient ruins in the world with amazing artifacts from ancient Greece.

Athens is not just a relic of the past. It is a lively, dynamic and modern capital. The appearance of the city was shaped by millennia of history and several ancient great civilizations. Here you can find monuments of ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, dazzling Byzantine churches and charming historic areas that still retain a wonderful rural atmosphere.

Athens is located in the southern part of Greece on the shores of the Saronic Gulf of the Aegean Sea. The city is located on the Athenian plain and is surrounded by mountains Egaleo, Parnis, Pendelikon and Imitos. Such features of the terrain often cause smog and air pollution. The rivers Kifisos, Ilisos and Picrodaphnia flow through Athens.

The climate is subtropical semi-desert. It is characterized by hot and dry summers. Winter is quite warm with very rare sub-zero temperatures. During the year in Athens falls only 400 mm of rainfall, most of which falls on the period from November to March. The most comfortable time to visit Athens is spring, when the weather is usually warm and warm.

Athens is famous for its excellent Greek cuisine. Popular street food: Gyros (Greek shawarma), souvlaki (fried kebabs in pita bread with tomatoes and onions), tiropita (cheesecake). Great fish and seafood can be sampled at the port of Piraeus. Clubs and bars are concentrated in the coastal area, in the area of ​​Plaka, Kerameikos and north of Ermou Street. Although Athens is considered a safe city, fraud and theft occur quite often. Be vigilant and watch your things.

Athens is one of the oldest cities in Greece which was founded in the seventh millennium BC. There is a myth why the patron goddess Athena was chosen. The first Athenian king Kekrop invited two gods (Athena and Poseidon) to argue for patronage over the new city. To do this, it was necessary to bring the king a gift. Poseidon struck with a trident and a spring from the ground struck but the water in it was salty. Athena struck with her spear and an olive tree grew from the ground. Athena Kekropu liked the gift more.

Athens flourished in the 5th century BC. During this period the city was one of the most important and most powerful polises of Ancient Greece, along with Sparta. Philosophy and culture flourished hereand democracy was the political system. In the second half of the 5th century BC Pericles' golden age came, the period of its greatest prosperity during which the Acropolis and the Parthenon were built. The heyday of Athens did not last long. After the Peloponnesian War, the city lost its position and in the Hellenistic era was subordinated to Macedonia. In 146 BC. Athens became an ally of Rome, but joined his opponents during the uprising. In 86 BC. BC the city was looted by the Romans and included in the Roman Empire. In the 3rd century AD. Athens fell into disrepair.
After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the city became part of Byzantium, and Christianity became the official religion. In the Middle Ages, Athens lost its position and became an ordinary provincial city. In 1458 the city was included in the Ottoman Empire. In the 17th and 19th centuries, Athens was on the brink of military conflict between the Ottoman Empire and other countries. Many ancient monuments and historical areas were destroyed during the wars. In 1687 the artillery of the Venetian Republic damaged the Parthenon.

In 1833 Athens was declared the capital of the Kingdom of Greece. At the end of the 19th century, archeological excavations and research intensified. During World War II the city was occupied by Germany.

How to get there

Athens Airport is located east of the city center and is the largest in Greece. From the airport, the city can be reached by metro (to Syntagmatos Square and Monastiraki) or by buses X93, X96 and X97. Rail transport in Greece is not the most developed. In fact, Athens is approached by two railway lines: one leads south to the Peloponnese, the other - north to Thessaloniki.

Athens' public transport is represented by metro, commuter trains, trams, trolleybuses and buses. There is a single ticket for all modes of transport. The metro has three lines: M1 (green) - connects the port and the northern suburbs through the city center, M2 (red) - connects the western and southern Athens, M3 (blue) - connects the southwestern suburbs with the northern suburbs and the airport.

Attractions

The most famous attraction of Athens is the sacred hill - the Acropolis. Here are the amazing ancient ruins of ancient temples, which symbolize the heyday of Greek civilization. The Acropolis is 156 meters high and is visible almost everywhere. In ancient times there was a royal palace, majestic temples to the gods, objects of worship and numerous sculptures. Most of the main buildings of the Acropolis were built during the reign of Pericles (5th century BC) during the heyday of Athens.

The most famous monument of the Acropolis is the magnificent Parthenon, which, contrary to time, is one of the well-preserved ancient Greek buildings of Athens. The Parthenon is considered the largest temple of the classical period of ancient Greece and is dedicated to Aphrodite. It was completed in 438 BC. The temple is famous for its monumental Doric columns and was decorated with numerous sculptures.

Among the ancient ruins of the Acropolis stands out the temple of Nike Apteros, built in 427-424 BC. BC and is dedicated to Athena the Victorious, propylaea (the main entrance formed by columns and porticos), Erechtheion, the temple was built between 421-406 BC. BC and is dedicated to Athena, Poseidon and King Erechtheus.

The Acropolis Museum is 300 meters away and is one of the most important modern buildings in Athens, built of steel, glass and concrete. Here are stored priceless finds and antiquities, which were found here during excavations.

From the Acropolis to the city leads an archaeological route, where you can see other ancient Athens, which belong to different periods and cultures. Thus, at the foot of the hill, are the ruins of Olympion, the temple dedicated to Zeus. It was the largest building in ancient Greece. It began to be built in the 6th century BC. BC and ended only in the 2nd century AD. BC under the Roman emperor Hadrian. More than a hundred huge marble columns once supported the grand sanctuary. Only 15 of them have survived to our time.

The Theater of Dionysus is located on the south side of the Acropolis and is considered the oldest building of this type in Greece. Many of the most famous ancient Greek comedies and tragedies were presented on this stage. The theater, originally built as a temple, dates back to the 6th century BC. It was dedicated to Dionysus, the god of fun and wine, and could accommodate 17,000 people. The ancient Agora was a market and the center of daily life in ancient Athens. Most of the surviving ruins date back to the Roman period and date back to the 1st century AD. Agora was surrounded by colonnades and columns. Sports events and theatrical performances were also held here. To the east is a 12-meter wind tower.

Hadrian's Arch was built in 131 AD. BC and symbolizes the entrance to the ancient city. Not far from the western slope of the Acropolis is the hill Pniks. Here the citizens of Athens could exercise their democratic rights. To the northwest of the Acropolis of Athens is the hill of Philopappus, which was known as the Hill of the Muses and has preserved several ancient ruins. There is also a tiny Byzantine chapel of the 12th century with frescoes of the 18th century.

The core of the historic center of Athens is the area of ​​Plaka, located on the east side of the Acropolis. This area has been inhabited since ancient times. Now it is a maze of narrow flowering picturesque streets with traditional houses of the 19th century. Plaka is famous for its provincial atmosphere (sometimes it is unbelievable that it is the center of a noisy metropolis), nice restaurants and historic churches.

From Plaka, the streets of Athens will lead to Monastiraki Square which is one of the central squares of old Athens with narrow streets and small buildings. A traditional bazaar (Yousouroum) is held on the square. Monastiraki is a popular shopping area with more than 2,000 different shops.

Anafiotika is another atmospheric rural quarter of Athens, located north of the Acropolis. Here, tourists can enjoy traditional Greek food and stroll through the winding streets in the Cycladic style. Anaphyotics was built in the 60s of the 19th century.

The Odeon of Herod is an ancient Roman theater built in the 2nd century AD. on the steep slopes of the Acropolis by Herod Atticus in memory of his wife. The theater accommodated 6,000 spectators and was restored in the 1950s.

The Olympic Stadium was built in the 19th century for the first modern Olympics. It seats 50,000 spectators and is the largest sports facility made entirely of marble. The first stadium on this site was built in the 3rd century BC. BC and rebuilt in 144. In ancient times, the stadium hosted a religious festival dedicated to the goddess Athena every four years.

The Church of Our Lady of Kapnikareya is a remarkable example of 11th-century Byzantine architecture. The church is located on one of the central streets of Athens - Erma.

The Church of the Holy Apostles is a 10th-century religious building on the site of the ancient Agora, built in a typical Byzantine style. Inside the dome is decorated with original frescoes. A significant part of the ancient iconostasis of the 11th century has also been preserved.

Syntagmatos Square is the central square of modern Athens. In front of the Greek parliament building stands the presidential guard in national costumes. The change of guard takes place in front of the monument to the Unknown Soldier at 11 am every day.
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