Besides the Acropolis and world famous museums, there are other interesting places to visit in and around Athens as time permits. Athens has two main centers approximately 1 mile apart: Syntagma (Constitution) Square and Omonia Square.
Syntagma is considered by most as the heart of Athens. At Syntagma Square, you will find the major banks, travel agencies, and several hotels including the splendid Grande Bretagne with its Beaux Arts lobby. Syntagma is also the location of much of governmental Athens. The neoclassical building at the head of the square and across from the metro stop is the Greek Parliament Building, formerly the Royal Palace built between 1836 and 1840 by King Otto and financed by his father Ludwig I of Bavaria. Impressive are the stones used to build this building that changes color in the sunlight throughout the day before it is lit at night. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of the parliament building is guarded by the elite soldiers, Evzones, who also guard the Palace and are chosen for their height and strength. They are like the guards at Buckingham Palace with their big furry hats and are treated the same way by tourists who come to take their pictures and see if they blink. Every so often they do a little march and dance to break the monotony of standing still all day and they occasionally do this little kick step with their sarouchi shoes with the pom-poms. The pleated skirt, the foustanela, was worn by the Greek fighters of the 1821 revolution and today it serves as the official uniform of the Evzones. At 6pm you can see the Changing of the Guard while dodging pigeons. There is also the beautiful National and Zappeion Gardens adjacent to the Parliament.
Omónia Square is often a gathering place for protesters and strikers and the working heart of Athens. The Polytechnic University is not far away and that tends to be a flash point during times of protest. In the center of the square are gardens and a fountain; but around it tall modern blocks of city offices have almost completely displaced the low Classical-style buildings of the 19th C., creating a cosmopolitan atmosphere in sharp contrast to the male society of the typical old Greek coffeehouses. From this square radiate two sides of the isosceles triangle which was the basis of the city plan - Pierós Street to the southwest and two parallel streets, Panepistimíou and Stadíou Streets, to the southeast. The third side of the triangle is formed by Ermoú Street, which is bisected by Athinás Street, running south from Omónia Square. A third of the way down Athinás Street is Kótzia Square, with the Town Hall and Head Post Office. Athinás Street also has Athen's Central Market where you can browse fish and meat halls, buy vegetables and fruit from all over Greece, sample cheese from distant islands, and a pair of shoes or sunglasses from street vendors. Be wary though of drug dealers, junkies, and prostitutes which have taken over Omonia square area at night.
Everyone's favorite excursion from Athens is to Delphi. Delphi is about 3 hours from Athens by bus. Built on the slopes of Mount Parnassos, the town and ancient site overlook the Gulf of Corinth and a valley filled with olive and cyprus trees. The town of Delphi sits on the edge of a cliff and despite the number of tourists and tourist shops down the road in the village of Arachova, this is still a very remarkable place to be. The ancient Greeks believed that Delphi was the center of the world. According to Greek mythology, Zeus released two eagles from opposite ends of the earth and they met in the sky above Delphi. Impaling one another with their beaks, they fell to the ground on the very center of the world. The site was marked by the Omphalos, or "navel" stone.
According to legend, the serpent Python was the ancient guardian of Delphi's Castalian Spring before he was killed by Apollo. Python was the son of the Greek goddes Gaia, "Earth." And significantly, the name Delphi is related to δελφός (delphos), "womb." It is probable that an Earth Goddess was originally venerated at the site before Apollo arrived.
Regarded as the center of the world and the dwelling place of Apollo, Delphi attracted pilgrims from across the ancient world. Generals, kings, and individuals of all ranks came to the Oracle of Delphi to ask Apollo's advice on the best course to take in war, politics, love and family. After the inquirer made a sacrifice, the oracles most famous for its accurate predictions of the future are given by a woman known as the Pythia uttered incomprehensible sounds as a possessed medium which were then translated by a priest which were notoriously ambiguous.
Today, visitors enter the Sanctuary of Apollo and follow the exact marble path along the "Sacred Way" that was followed by ancient pilgrims and visitors to the site. The path begins at the southeast corner of the site and winds its way up the hillside, past ancient treasuries and monuments, to the Temple of Apollo. Every available space along the Sacred Way at Delphi was once filled with treasury buildings, statues and votive offerings. These were donated by important cities to thank the Oracle for helpful advice that led to victories and to establish a presence at the important site of Delphi.
The focus of Delphi, both in ancient times and today, is the Temple of Apollo, dating from the 4th century BC. It originally had 6 columns on the front and 15 on the sides, which were stuccoed over. The exterior was decorated with shields captured from the Persians at Plataea. Visitors today can see one complete column of the facade and portions of five more columns. Also visible are the foundations of the outer colonnade and the interior sekos. Behind the Temple of Apollo is the well-preserved theater with complete tiers of seating and up the hill, an impressive long oval stadium with seating still intact.
The Pythian Games took place every four years to honor Apollo, and hosted poetry and music competitions besides the staple of athletic events. It is believed that the games were first organized sometime in the 11th c. BCE, and included only musical contests, but by the 6th c. BCE, the games grew to include athletic events. The games ceased to take place in the 4th c. CE.
The on-site Delphi Museum should not be missed. The Delphi Museum contains attractive displays of a wide variety of artifacts from Delphi, most of which were extravagent gifts from far-away cities. Each room has a specific focus, such as sculpture from the elegant Siphnian treasury; finds from the Temple of Apollo; works from the Roman period (including a marble sculpture of the epicene youth Antinous, the beloved of the emperor Hadrian); bronzes; and finds from the countryside around Delphi. The star exhibit of the museum, with a room to himself, is the famous 474 BC Charioteer of Delphi, a larger-than-life bronze figure that originally included a four-horse chariot. He was a gift from the wealthy Sicilian city of Gela to honor its tyrant Polyzalos's chariot victory here. The statue is justly famous: the handsome youth's delicate eyelashes shade wide enamel-and-stone eyes and realistic veins stand out in his hands and feet.
Syntagma is considered by most as the heart of Athens. At Syntagma Square, you will find the major banks, travel agencies, and several hotels including the splendid Grande Bretagne with its Beaux Arts lobby. Syntagma is also the location of much of governmental Athens. The neoclassical building at the head of the square and across from the metro stop is the Greek Parliament Building, formerly the Royal Palace built between 1836 and 1840 by King Otto and financed by his father Ludwig I of Bavaria. Impressive are the stones used to build this building that changes color in the sunlight throughout the day before it is lit at night. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in front of the parliament building is guarded by the elite soldiers, Evzones, who also guard the Palace and are chosen for their height and strength. They are like the guards at Buckingham Palace with their big furry hats and are treated the same way by tourists who come to take their pictures and see if they blink. Every so often they do a little march and dance to break the monotony of standing still all day and they occasionally do this little kick step with their sarouchi shoes with the pom-poms. The pleated skirt, the foustanela, was worn by the Greek fighters of the 1821 revolution and today it serves as the official uniform of the Evzones. At 6pm you can see the Changing of the Guard while dodging pigeons. There is also the beautiful National and Zappeion Gardens adjacent to the Parliament.Omónia Square is often a gathering place for protesters and strikers and the working heart of Athens. The Polytechnic University is not far away and that tends to be a flash point during times of protest. In the center of the square are gardens and a fountain; but around it tall modern blocks of city offices have almost completely displaced the low Classical-style buildings of the 19th C., creating a cosmopolitan atmosphere in sharp contrast to the male society of the typical old Greek coffeehouses. From this square radiate two sides of the isosceles triangle which was the basis of the city plan - Pierós Street to the southwest and two parallel streets, Panepistimíou and Stadíou Streets, to the southeast. The third side of the triangle is formed by Ermoú Street, which is bisected by Athinás Street, running south from Omónia Square. A third of the way down Athinás Street is Kótzia Square, with the Town Hall and Head Post Office. Athinás Street also has Athen's Central Market where you can browse fish and meat halls, buy vegetables and fruit from all over Greece, sample cheese from distant islands, and a pair of shoes or sunglasses from street vendors. Be wary though of drug dealers, junkies, and prostitutes which have taken over Omonia square area at night.
Everyone's favorite excursion from Athens is to Delphi. Delphi is about 3 hours from Athens by bus. Built on the slopes of Mount Parnassos, the town and ancient site overlook the Gulf of Corinth and a valley filled with olive and cyprus trees. The town of Delphi sits on the edge of a cliff and despite the number of tourists and tourist shops down the road in the village of Arachova, this is still a very remarkable place to be. The ancient Greeks believed that Delphi was the center of the world. According to Greek mythology, Zeus released two eagles from opposite ends of the earth and they met in the sky above Delphi. Impaling one another with their beaks, they fell to the ground on the very center of the world. The site was marked by the Omphalos, or "navel" stone.According to legend, the serpent Python was the ancient guardian of Delphi's Castalian Spring before he was killed by Apollo. Python was the son of the Greek goddes Gaia, "Earth." And significantly, the name Delphi is related to δελφός (delphos), "womb." It is probable that an Earth Goddess was originally venerated at the site before Apollo arrived.
Regarded as the center of the world and the dwelling place of Apollo, Delphi attracted pilgrims from across the ancient world. Generals, kings, and individuals of all ranks came to the Oracle of Delphi to ask Apollo's advice on the best course to take in war, politics, love and family. After the inquirer made a sacrifice, the oracles most famous for its accurate predictions of the future are given by a woman known as the Pythia uttered incomprehensible sounds as a possessed medium which were then translated by a priest which were notoriously ambiguous.Today, visitors enter the Sanctuary of Apollo and follow the exact marble path along the "Sacred Way" that was followed by ancient pilgrims and visitors to the site. The path begins at the southeast corner of the site and winds its way up the hillside, past ancient treasuries and monuments, to the Temple of Apollo. Every available space along the Sacred Way at Delphi was once filled with treasury buildings, statues and votive offerings. These were donated by important cities to thank the Oracle for helpful advice that led to victories and to establish a presence at the important site of Delphi.
The most notable of these treasuries and offerings is the Treasury of the Athenians, dating from 490 BC. It was funded by the spoils of Athens' victory over the Persians at the Battle of Marathon, which was won after an oracle advising the Athenians to put their faith in their "wooden walls" and understood as the navy. The small, Doric-style building with two central columns was reconstructed in 1906 by French archaeologists.
The focus of Delphi, both in ancient times and today, is the Temple of Apollo, dating from the 4th century BC. It originally had 6 columns on the front and 15 on the sides, which were stuccoed over. The exterior was decorated with shields captured from the Persians at Plataea. Visitors today can see one complete column of the facade and portions of five more columns. Also visible are the foundations of the outer colonnade and the interior sekos. Behind the Temple of Apollo is the well-preserved theater with complete tiers of seating and up the hill, an impressive long oval stadium with seating still intact.The Pythian Games took place every four years to honor Apollo, and hosted poetry and music competitions besides the staple of athletic events. It is believed that the games were first organized sometime in the 11th c. BCE, and included only musical contests, but by the 6th c. BCE, the games grew to include athletic events. The games ceased to take place in the 4th c. CE.
The on-site Delphi Museum should not be missed. The Delphi Museum contains attractive displays of a wide variety of artifacts from Delphi, most of which were extravagent gifts from far-away cities. Each room has a specific focus, such as sculpture from the elegant Siphnian treasury; finds from the Temple of Apollo; works from the Roman period (including a marble sculpture of the epicene youth Antinous, the beloved of the emperor Hadrian); bronzes; and finds from the countryside around Delphi. The star exhibit of the museum, with a room to himself, is the famous 474 BC Charioteer of Delphi, a larger-than-life bronze figure that originally included a four-horse chariot. He was a gift from the wealthy Sicilian city of Gela to honor its tyrant Polyzalos's chariot victory here. The statue is justly famous: the handsome youth's delicate eyelashes shade wide enamel-and-stone eyes and realistic veins stand out in his hands and feet.
No comments:
Post a Comment