- What to visit in Athens on your first visit
- Through the pages of the history of Ancient Greece
- Athens theatrical
- History witnesses
The capital of Greece is not just the main city of one of the European states, it is also the cradle of Western civilization. What to visit in Athens, which appeared on the planet in the third millennium BC, is not the question. For over the centuries, the city has experienced many good and most terrible events, was "ahead of the rest of the world" and in complete decline (during the Ottoman yoke).
What to visit in Athens on your first visit
Coming to Athens for the first time on an excursion or for an independent survey, you have to choose the main monuments, the main attractions.
The Greek capital is geographically divided into several parts:
- The old town, famous for the largest number of tourist sites;
- central areas, which are also under the scrutiny of a tourist;
- suburbs suitable for inexpensive living, walking in parks, green areas and the port of Piraeus.
Important meeting points for tourists are located in the center of the capital - the Acropolis and Lycabettus hills. The first is world famous because of the Parthenon and ancient temples, the second is less famous, although at its top there is also a religious building, interesting from the point of view of architecture, the Church of St. George.
The main attraction of all, without exception, the indigenous people call the Parthenon, the symbol of the capital and its business card. Here's what you can visit in Athens on your own, although it is much more interesting with a professional guide, more information, legends and mysteries are revealed.
When you first get to know Athens, it is also good to go to the Panafinsky Stadium, take a walk in the area bounded by the three most important city squares. You can climb Lycabettus Hill by funicular, upstairs guests will find a picturesque church and an observation deck offering stunning views of the Greek capital.
Through the pages of the history of Ancient Greece
The greatness of Athens is revealed through its monuments and architectural landmarks. In the Parthenon, the tourist is seized with a reverent feeling of admiration for the ancient architects, who, using fairly simple tools, could erect such monumental, majestic buildings. The surviving fragments remain vivid witnesses of the highest level of culture of the ancient Greeks, for centuries they have been examples of architecture.
The Parthenon is the very first temple that appeared on this Athenian hill, and it was also assigned the main role. The builders knew a lot of secrets that have not yet been solved by modern science. The secrets concerned the construction of walls, and architectural decor, and interior decoration. The main decoration of this temple was the statue of Athena, it was made of gold and ivory, later the statue was taken to Constantinople, where it was expected to die tragically during a terrible fire.
No less vivid feelings accompany tourists when they get to know another Athenian temple - the Erechtheion. As the legends tell, it was erected in the place where Athena argued with Poseidon. The temple has a shrine to Pandora, known for her curiosity and for opening the famous trouble chest. Instead of columns, ancient architects installed six beauties-caryatids, which can be admired today, as well as friezes and preserved fragments of mosaics.
Athens theatrical
Ancient Greece was known not only for the high level of development of architecture, but also of other arts, including theater. In the modern city, you can see the famous Theater of Dionysus, where not only artists showed performances, but serious competitions were played out between playwrights and comedy authors. Moreover, the names of the winners were then transferred to the State Archives of Athens for storage.
The guides who bring tourists to the Theater of Dionysus offer guests an amazing experiment. Some of the tourists descend into the orchestra pit, while others, on the contrary, ascend to the last row. Everyone is amazed by the extraordinary acoustics, when every word, every sound is heard. An interesting fact is that the chairs in this theater were different: for the common people - stone, for representatives of the highest authorities - marble.
History witnesses
Getting to know Greece and Athens, of course, is better when traveling around the country and its capital. But there is another faster way to learn about major historical events - the National Archaeological Museum. Hardworking museum staff and their volunteer assistants collected exhibits from all over the country, and the items are not limited to the period of Ancient Greece, but cover different historical eras.
True, Lord Elgin, the ambassador of the Kingdom of Great Britain, once brought some of the archaeological finds home, now they can be seen in the British Museum. But in the expositions of the National Archaeological Museum of Greece there are plenty of artifacts, witnesses of Greek history.
