Places of Interest - Greece

Acropolis:

The Acropolis of Athens is the 156-meter-high table mountain in the Greek capital, originally surrounded by a fertile plain, situated at a safe distance from the sea, which was eminently suitable for a settlement. It is the most important monument in the Western world of antiquity. Although traces of even older forms of habitation have been found on this spot, the first important period in the Mycenaean period falls between 2000 and 1200 BC. Just like in Mycene itself, the royal castle here was the core of the complex: from the 13th century BC.  with it’s 6m thick walls of heavy blocks of stone. You can still see a lot of this so-called "Pelasgian wall". The Acropolis remained the religious core of the city, even when the population settled in the lower city and the city began to expand. The patron goddess Athena had her most important sanctuary, the Ancient Athena Temple, built in the 6th century BC. In 480 BC, shortly before the Battle of Salamis, the whole plateau was destroyed by the Persians. After the war, the reconstruction started immediately under Kimon II. Since then, the Acropolis was exclusively a religious center: the grand concept made the Acropolis into a national sanctuary: its military and political function belonged to the past forever. Over the years, much damage has been done to the monument; from hostile occupiers to earthquakes and from acid rain to amateur archaeologists. In 1687 Venetians shot at the Acropolis because of Turkish presence; since the Ottomans used the Parthenon as a powder tower, the building burned for two full days.

Parthenon:

The Parthenon was the temple for Athena Parthenos (the Virgin), who was the patroness of the city of Athens, at the Acropolis of Athens. The temple is the culmination of Athenian architecture in the classical period of the fifth century BC. The temple also symbolized Athens' hegemony after recovering from losses during the Persian Wars. The Parthenon was built next to the site where the Ancient Athena Temple had stood. In 447 BC. construction began. In the Middle Ages it became a Roman Catholic church in honor of Mary. After the Turkish conquest of Athens in 1460 it became a mosque, where the bell tower was transformed into a minaret. Thomas Bruce, Lord Elgin, who was ambassador of Great Britain to the Ottoman Empire from 1799 to 1803, gathered sculptures on the Acropolis with the consent of the Ottoman rulers and had them transferred to Great Britain in 1802-1804. In 1816 he sold his 'Elgin marbles' to the British Museum due to lack of money. There are now the most metopes and fronton sculptures of the Parthenon, despite great pressure from the Greek government to give them back.

Propylene:

The prophylene of the Acropolis was built between the years 437 and 432 BC. and was intended as a monumental entrance with several doors. Apart from a secular function of the entrance gate, the prophylene was probably also connected to the worship of the gods that protected gates and entrances. The middle section of the propylene consists of two galleries with six columns, one on the outside and one leading to the inside of the Acropolis.

Temple of Nike:

The Temple of Nikè is dedicated to the goddess Athena Nikè: the victory. In the temple itself there used to be two altars. There was also a wooden house of lira. She held a palm branch in her hand. It was therefore a good omen if a palm tree grew during a war. In the year 480 BC. the Persians had destroyed the temple of Nikè. More than 30 years later, in 448, Pericles commissioned the rebuilding of the temple. It was not until 427 that the construction of the new Nikè temple began and in the year 424 the construction itself was finished, but sculptors were not finished until 410 and the temple when it was completely finished.

Dionysus theater:

The Dionysus Theater, located on the southern flank of the Athenian Acropolis, is the oldest theater building in Europe and the cradle of ancient tragedy. It was built in nine different stages of construction from the 6th century BC. The oldest theater performances in Athens were held in honor of the god Dionysus and took place every spring on the Agora. When Pisistratus in the 6th century BC. the Great or Urban Dionysia set, the dramatic contests continued on the agora. Because they attracted more and more spectators, they decided to move the festivities from the agora to the sanctuary of Dionysus Eleuthereus, at the foot of the Acropolis. 

Initially the audience simply took place on the slope of the hill, in a semicircle around a square of tamped earth (the orchestra or dance place). Then there were rows of wooden benches on the slope placed to sit on. However, when these wooden stands collapsed at one time and many spectators were killed, they started to build stone seats. Under the rule of lawman Lycurgus, between 342 and 326 BC, the theater received its final appearance, with 67 rows of marble benches that gave place to ± 17,000 spectators. In Roman times the paved orchestra was separated from the spectator room by a stone balustrade. In those days, the Dionysus theater was no longer exclusively used for the performances of dramas: there were gladiatorial battles and water games, according to some researchers also venationes (battles against wild animals), and the balustrade had to protect the spectators from the violence in the arena.

The Erechtheion

The Erechtheion, named after the legendary King Erechtheus, is one of the principal shrines of the Athenian Acropolis, religiously more important than the much larger Parthenon. The temple in Ionian style was built between 421 and 406 BC. and erected in Pentelian marble, In the Turkish era the Erechtheum successively served as harem and as a powder magazine. The building was heavily damaged in 1645 by lightning. The still impressive remains have been properly restored in recent decades. The Erechtheion consists of three parts: the main building, the northern and southern hall. The Erechtheion is unquestionably one of the finest structures of the Ionian style. The temple grows the olive tree that was once given to the city by the goddess Athene. 

Other (still existing) buildings on the Acropolis are among others; statue of Athena Promachos, the "Panathenaic" road, Acropolis museum, Stoa of Eumenes, and Odeion of Herodes Atticus.

The Agora of Athens:

The Agora of Athens formed the center (literally "gathering place") of the city in antiquity, just like the agora's in other Greek cities. Here were the most important buildings for administration and justice, and there were markets, sports competitions, (drama) festivals and religious festivals. It also had a religious function: there were temples, and the annual procession during the Panathenaees took place here. Numerous philosophers, among Socrates, were regularly found on the Agora for discussions and education. During his stay in Athens, the apostle Paul also discussed daily matters on the Agora. The best preserved building from antiquity on the Agora is the temple of "Hephaistos", probably built around the year 449 BC. The temple is surrounded with 34 columns and is completely built in marble. Another (important) building is the "Stoa's of Attalos" where now the Agora museum is located. The Church of the Holy Apostles is the only church that was left in good order after the excavations of the Agora because of its age. It is located on the south-eastern side of the Agora and dates from around the year 1000. It has the shape of a Greek cross whose arms each end in an apse. The central dome is supported by four pillars on the inside. The church is decorated inside with remains of frescoes from the 17th century. It was restored to its original state as much as possible during a restoration in the years 1954-56.

Tower of the Winds and the Roman Agora

The Tower of the Winds is a marble monument in Athens built between the 2nd or 1st century BC. that indicated the time and the wind direction. It is on the edge of the Roman Agora and where the district of Plaka is situated now. There was an enormous waterclock in the building. At the back of the building a large semi-circular water reservoir was built, from which the water flowed that “spinned” the clock's clockwork. It is now one of the best preserved monuments of antiquity in Athens. Pláka is an old working-class neighborhood which is very popular with tourists today, because of the cozy and authentic character and the location at the foot of the Acropolis. 

The Roman Agora in ancient Athens was a busy market place between 19 and 11 BC. and was constructed east of the already existing older Agora. The construction was funded with donations from Julius Caesar and Augustus. It was a rectangular complex surrounded by a wall of poros (limestone), which consisted of a square surrounded by stoa's, shops and workshops. In the time of Emperor Hadrian, the square was paved with marble tiles. The southern part of the square can still be seen. The gate with its four Doric columns and base of Pentelian marble has been preserved. Other remaining Roman remains are the ark and library of Hadrian and the Temple of Zeus.

Sýntagma

Perhaps the most famous square in Athens is the Platía Syntágmatos, or the square of the constitution (Sýntagma). On this square you will find the building of the national parliament. Just like Omónia, this square has played an important role in many protests for different reasons and is now also the central point for demonstrations and strikes. In front of the parliament building, which was originally built as the palace for King Otto I, lies the grave of the unknown soldier and a number of Evzone guards in traditional uniforms stand guard. The Evzone guards also guard the presidential palace and also perform the ceremony of the changing of the guard. 

On this square are some large hotels from the highest price range. Among other things, there is the Hotel Grande Bretagne, the oldest and most famous hotel in the city. Many celebrities have stayed in this hotel and it was the headquarters of the German occupiers during WW2.

Ancient times:

Not much is known about the early history of Athens; presumably the first inhabitants settled in the area around 3500 BC. on the hill Acropolis where two sources were the lifeblood of those people. Fact or illusion; Athens was probably a kingdom until about 1065 and an important center of Mycenaean civilization. When a peace-loving society made way for a warlike, the strategically very well located Acropolis would serve as a lookout for future armies over the sea and land. The rock has three steep natural slopes that provide the perfect defensive position. The city would thus well resist Dorian's great attack in 1200 BC. In the centuries that followed, Athens slowly and temporarily fell back towards democracy. Athens was waging various wars against the Persians, which they defeat in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC). During this battle the city and the Acropolis were destroyed and rebuilt ten years later. After several declines and peak periods (Peloponnesian War, Thirty Tyrants), Athens became in the 4th century BC. an important science and art city, which produces famous names such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. This is called the golden age of Athens although the city was defeated by competitor Sparta in the war that raged between the city states between 431 and 404 BC. In 338 BC. Athens (and also the other city states) were conquered by King Philip II of Macedonia (father of Alexander the Great). When Alexander was killed, Alexander himself would govern the city.

om Roman times:

In 168 BC. The city was occupied by the Romans (who incidentally spoke of the 'liberation' of Athens), but the city continues to play an important role in the Roman Empire, even though the inhabitants do not easily settle down at the Roman presence. In 86 BC. the city is therefore plundered by the Roman Sulla as punishment. In the year 51 AD the apostle Paul visits the city. Emperor Hadrian pays around 130 AD. a visit and starts a series to built important buildings. Even then, Athens is still an important center. After this, however, the city fell into disrepair: in 297 it was plundered by the Goths, which was repeated in the year 395. In 529 Emperor Justinian closed up the philosophical schools with which the city finally became a rather insignificant corner of the Byzantine Empire. In 1204 the city was conquered by French crusaders, after which the city became a game of several states for several centuries. In 1458 the city was annexed by the Turks, who out of respect for the past gave the Athenians various privileges, but two years later they made a mosque of the Parthenon. The city, with the exception of a small Venetian occupation in 1687, was part of the Ottoman Empire for almost four centuries.

From the 18th century

From the 18th century, the city is visited by many wealthy Westerners, who have become interested in the roots of their civilization, which encourages Greek independence. From 1821 onwards, the Greeks are trying to establish their own nation, which seems to be slowly succeeding. In 1829 Greek independence is recognized by the great powers and in 1833 Athens follows up the small Nafplion as capital of the new kingdom. In the years that follow, the university (1837) and an orthodox cathedral (1842) are opened and the city is expanded considerably. Before the Greek War of Independence, Athens had been a town of about 10,000 inhabitants. During the War of Independence the city was once again conquered by the freedom fighters, then by the Turks, with all the devastations that entails it. After the war, the population was reduced to 4,000. Around 1890 the number of 100,000 inhabitants is reached. In 1896 the first modern Olympic Games took place here. In the 20th century, Athens is experiencing tremendous growth. In 1922, for example, many Greek refugees from Asia Minor, in particular Smyrna (now Izmir), came to the city. In WW2, Athens is occupied by the Germans for three years and thousands are killed by famine and violence. Then the inhabitants also get to deal with the civil war. After the civil war more and more Greek peasants migrate to the capital, which seems to burst more and more, with many illegal buildings and a lot of smog. During the colonels regime, many old Turkish homes are mostly pulled down in the center. The 90s would finally bring major change; a big renovation was started with the arrival of a new airport and the metro was being constructed. With the arrival of the Olympic Games in 2004, the city has really recovered.