Athens: sights of the city

Greece is one of those countries thatattract tourists with a variety of entertainment: beach holidays, mountain tourism, walks along ancient streets. But most people visit Greece as the true cradle of Western civilization. Having arrived here, you will plunge into a unique world where centuries-old traditions and the modern rhythm of life try to coexist. You will be convinced of this by visiting the capital of Greece, where among the large number of vehicles, new buildings and branded stores it is increasingly difficult to feel the spirit of ancient, majestic Hellas. A tourist should accept this fact as a given, and then a trip to Athens and the world of antiquity will pass without disappointment. Greece, in particular, Athens, reached its heyday during the reign of Pericles. It was in the 5th century BC that science and culture began to develop rapidly here. Aeschylus, Herodotus, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and other outstanding figures created in the capital of Hellas. Ancient buildings erected with grandeur in the Acropolis and other attractions testify to the times of glory.

Acropolis - a heritage of history

The main attractions for whichyou should visit Athens, are located in the Acropolis. Thousands of tourists come here every year to see the temples, theaters and monumental gates with their own eyes. Almost the entire complex of buildings was erected in the fifth century BC. Much has changed since then - very little remains of the former greatness. But having seen the sights of the Acropolis even in such a dilapidated state, it is easy to imagine all the power that Athens and Ancient Greece possessed. The most famous and majestic temples are rightfully considered the Parthenon and the Erechtheion. The first was built in honor of the goddess Athena. Once upon a time, a statue of this goddess towered near the Parthenon. Time (like the people themselves) did not spare the temple. It was almost destroyed in the 17th century by the Venetians, who fought with the Turks. And in the 19th century, the British took away valuable sights - decorations of the pediments of the temple, images of gods. The Erechtheion is located on the northern side of the Acropolis. Its sanctuaries are dedicated to King Erechtheus, Athena and Poseidon. The temple is decorated with porticoes on the southern side, supported by caryatids - statues of girls. Although the original statues are thousands of kilometers from Greece, in a museum in England, the copies installed on the temple look no worse. The oldest Greek theater, the Theater of Dionysus, is also located on the Acropolis, on its southern slope. Since its construction in the 4th century BC, performances dedicated to the god Dionysus have been held here. These were special days when Greece celebrated holidays associated with this deity. But on the western side of the acropolis is the Temple of Nike, the wingless Victory. Why wingless? This goddess's wings were cut off so that she would never leave Athens. If we talk about what sights are worth seeing first after architectural monuments, then these are the capital's museums. Even those who are not fond of such walks will be amazed by the ancient works of art that Greece has. To feel the atmosphere of ancient Hellas, it is enough to visit the National Archaeological Museum. It presents valuable exhibits that have preserved the spirit of that time. As we have already mentioned, elements of the Erechtheion temple are presented in the London Museum. And this is far from the only cultural monument that was taken out of the country at one time. The same fate befell the Parthenon frieze and many other truly cult items. This happened in the 19th century with the permission of the Turkish sultan, who ruled the Ottoman Empire at that time. The ambassador of the King of England took out all the most important, in his opinion, sights, valuable items and sold them to the local museum. Of course, Greece is trying to return the treasures to their homeland, but so far to no avail.

Sightseeing: Wind Tower, Plaka and Kerameikos Cemetery

The Tower of the Winds is called the first in the worldweather station, because it was built by the astronomer Andronicus of Cyrrhus in the 2nd century BC. The tower is 12 meters high and 8 meters in diameter and has eight faces corresponding to the cardinal directions. Inside were located a sun and water clock, the remains of which have survived to this day. Friezes decorating the structure and depicting an allegory of the eight winds remained. Plaka is a district, the most ancient part of the city of Athens. It is located at the foot of the Acropolis. Yes, it has its own infrastructure: shops, taverns. But this does not prevent everyone who comes here from immersing themselves in the past as much as possible. For example, house No. 5 on Skoliou Street will allow you to take a peek into the 18th century, when Greece was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. It was this building that served as a police station at that time. On another street, Topou, there is a building that housed the first Athenian university. Now there is a history museum here. The Plaka area is also known to all Orthodox Christians thanks to the Church of St. John and Agios Anargyron, because it is from here that the holy fire is carried to churches in Greece and other countries. In addition to the temple, there are many other ancient churches here. The Kerameikos cemetery is also a landmark of the city of Athens. Previously, the Kerameikos area was called Kerameon. Does this word remind you of anything? Yes, the term "ceramics" comes from the name of the Greek pottery town. It was an area famous for the number of pottery workshops, next to which the cemetery was located. Officially, it has existed since the 2nd century BC, but the first burials here took place around 4700 BC. It is in this area that archaeologists have discovered a large number of ancient clay products, which are presented in the local museum. You can see these sights by visiting here from April to October - at this time Greece receives a large number of tourists.

What else will Athens surprise us?

The above mentioned attractionsare the most visited, but not all tourists like to spend time in this way. There are many who like walking, visiting cafes, restaurants. For example, few people remain indifferent to the view from Lycabettus Hill, a walk through the Monastiraki quarter, which is full of cafes and small restaurants. If in the Acropolis and the museum you feel the spirit of history, then walks around the city will open up modern Athens for you, what people live by today, their traditions, cuisine, etc. By the way, the title of landmark can also be awarded to Athenian cuisine, because it is rightfully considered the most delicious in Greece. It is very easy to explain this love of tourists for dishes prepared in Athenian establishments: the local cuisine combines the most interesting culinary solutions from different parts of Greece. A variety of cheeses, including feta, graviera; pork or beef chops (brizoles), shashlik, octopus and, of course, moussaka - All this is prepared in every tavern. Here you will be offered excellent homemade wine. After a wonderful dinner, you can go to the theater or open-air cinema. If you are inclined to the latter, go to Dexamenis Square. Surely you have never watched a movie, sitting under the shade of blooming laurel trees and listening to the chirping of birds, right? That is why you should definitely go to Athens, not only to visit the sights, but also to have a great rest, because Greece is an amazing country!