Athens, Greece - Part 1

Athens is the capital of Greece that took its name from the ancient patron goddess Athena. The town is believed to have over 3000 years of recorded history which makes it one of the oldest cities in Europe where the political system of democracy, sciences and philosophy were born. Today, Athens is more of the commercial, cultural, financial, political and industrial center of Greece with colorless concrete buildings congested streets, and sometimes stifling smog. With close to 5 million people or half of Greece's population living in Athens, though, the city has improved after the 2004 summer Olympic games where in preparation, many buildings have been renovated, graffiti lessened and infrastructure modernized with new highways and docks for cruise ships. Many areas of the city's attractions that represent the birthplace of Western civilization have also been made for pedestrians only. With the sun shining over Athens almost year round, the climate is one of the best in Europe, with mild winters and very hot summers, ideal for tourism.

The first place to visit when in Athens is of course the Acropolis. Standing up there, as the Greeks call "Sacred Rock", the Acropolis is the most important site of the city and one of the most recognizable monuments of the world. Originally the residence and fortress of the king from as far back as the 13th century B.C., it has grown into a religious sanctuary. A visit to the remaining 5th-century B.C. temples built during Athens's golden age is amazing in discovering the well-preserved antiquity and in the steep climb up the hill at Athen's center.

From Syntagma Square, take Amalias Ave. into pedestrianized Dionysiou Areopayitou, and follow marble path up to the Acropolis. The Propylaea is the monumental 5th century B.C. gateway entrance into the Acropolis. Right above the Propylaea is the Ionic Temple of Athena Nike (Victory) built in 424 B.C. and restored in 1930's.

Walking up the Panathenaic Way, crowning the Acropolis and built of Pentellic marble under the Athenian leader, Pericles, between 447 and 432 B.C. is the Parthenon. The Parthenon is dedicated to Athena Parthenos, the symbol of the universal human aspiration for wisdom, and the most important religious shrine at the Acropolis. The Parthenon is a site with its columns appearing beige, then golden, then rose to stark white in changing light on the Pentelic marble. The Parthenon underwent many transformations as the Christians consecrated it as a church in A.D. 450 and the Turks converted it into a mosque in 1458. In 1687, the Venetians attacked the Acropolis to destroy Turkish gunpowder storerooms which subsequently exploded demolishing the internal structure and damaging its sculptures as the entire roof collasped. Thereafter, the building fell into disuse until 1806 when a British Earl of Elgin gained permission from the ruling Ottoman Turks to remove the large pieces of the Parthenon and surviving sculptures and are now on display as the Elgin Marbles in the British Museum. To the left of the Parthenon is the second large Ionic temple on the Acropolis, Erectheion, honoring the tomb of the legendary king of Erechtheus and houses cults to both Athena and Poseidon.




As the population of Athen's grew in classical times, people moved down the Acropolis towards Monastiraki Square in Plaka to the Ancient Agora ("place of gathering") which became the city's marketplace and civic center. The buildings were used for a wide range of political, educational, philosophical, theatrical and athletic purposes. During Classical Ages, Sophocles and Aristotle taught here. Take a stroll and wander through fragments of sculptures and the jumble of ancient buildings, including the well-preserved 5th century B.C. Temple of Hephaistos (Thesion) in the Northwest end of the Agora with its herb garden and flowers planted around it and the view up towards the Acropolis. The Thesion resembles the Parthenon with its Doric form at a much smaller scale. The Stoa of Attalos, built by King Attalos of Pergamon in Asia Minor around 150 B.C. dominates the East end of the Agora. The museum on the stoa's ground floor shelters the artifacts of statues and pottery that were unearthed form the Agora excavations.



East of the ancient Agora is the Roman Agora started by Julius Caesar as an extension of the Greek agora containing a phlethora of monuments from different eras including the octagonal water clock, sun dial, and weather vane, Tower of the Winds (Aerides) built in the 1st century B.C., Gate of Athene Archegetis built between 19 and 11 B.C. and the large columns and ruins of the Roman Emperor Hadrian's Library built in 132 A.D. Adrianou Street with its many street vendors, cafes, ouzo bars and restaurants, links Monastiraki with ancient Agora. Overlooking Monastiraki square and across the street from a metro station is the restored Turkish Mosque now a traditional ceramics museum. Monastiraki area is the Flea Market where you can find shops selling a wide selection of souvenirs for all tastes and budgets.

Note that as an alternative, you can cut through the ancient Agora as a backway to go up to the Acropolis. There is an entrance fee but there is a way of going up through Agora up Areos street that is free.

Next to Monastiraki is Athens’ Pláka district. The area is one of the old sections located in the heart of the city with restored 19th century neoclassical buildings and cobblestone walkways. There are two main streets of Plaka and Kydatheneon begins at Nikis Street (one block form Syntagma Square) that meets up with Adrianou Street, the largest and most central in Plaka, and eventually Monastiraki Square. It is now not only a major tourist attraction, but also a residential area with shops, art galleries, cafes, and restaurants. The maze of narrow medieval streets twist their way through ancient sites, Byzantine churches, off-beat museums, and 19th centry homes. Restaurants and cafes also line many streets of this pedestrial neighborhood.