BRIEF ATHENS & ATTICA GUIDE

Difficult to describe in a few words one of the most historic cities worldwide, the city of Athens

successfully combines its precious historical heritage of more than 2.500 years along with the profile

of a contemporarey Metropolitan Capital of music, arts, gourmet cuisine and high quality

entertainment.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN ATHENS

1) Acropolis of Athens The significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as “The Acropolis”

without further clarification. Included as the pre-eminent monument in the European Cultural

Heritage list of monuments (March 26th 2007), Acropolis was also known as Cecropia, after the

legendary serpent-man Kekrops or Cecrops, the first Athenian king. While the earliest artifacts are

dated back to the Middle Neolithic era, there have been documented habitations in Attica from the

Early Neolithic era (6th millennium BC).

A temple sacred to "Athena Polias" (Protectress of the City) was erected by mid-6th century BC.

This Doric limestone building was referred to as the “Bluebeard Temple”, named after the

pedimental three-bodied man-serpent sculpture, whose beards were painted in dark blue. In the late-

6th century BC another temple was built, usually referred to as the Archaios Naos (Old Temple)

which may have been sacred to Athena Parthenos (Virgin). It is not known how long these temples

coexisted. By the time the "Bluebeard Temple” had been dismantled, a newer and grander marble

building, the "Older Parthenon", was started following the victory at Marathon in 490 BC. However,

it was razed to the ground by the time Persians invaded in Athens in 480 BC.

Most of the major temples were rebuilt under the leadership of Pericles during the Golden Age of

Athens (460–430 BC). Phidias, the great Athenian sculptor, and Iktinos and Kallicrates, two famous

architects, were responsible for the reconstruction. During the 5th century BC, the Acropolis obtained

its final shape. Every four years the Athenians held a festival called the Panathenaea that brought

the Olympic Games in popularity. During the festival, a procession moved through Athens up to the

Acropolis and into the Parthenon. There, a vast robe of woven wool (peplos) was ceremoniously

placed on Phidias' massive ivory and gold statue of Athena.

1. Parthenon 2. Old Temple of Athena 3. Erechtheion 4. Statue of Athena Promachos 5. Propylaea 6. Temple of Athena Nike 7. Eleusinion 8. Sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia or

Brauroneion 9. Chalkotheke 10. Pandroseion

11. Arrephorion 12. Altar of Athena 13. Sanctuary of Zeus Polieus 14. Sanctuary of Pandion 15. Odeon of Herodes Atticus 16. Stoa of Eumenes 17. Sanctuary of Asclepius or Asclepieion 18. Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus 19. Odeon of Pericles 20. Temenos of Dionysus Eleuthereus 21. Aglaureion

1. Parthenon

Parthenon is an octostyle peripteral Doric temple with Ionic architectural features which housed the

Chryselephantine Statue of Athena Parthenos – the only piece of sculpture from Parthenon sculpted

by Phidias (it is now lost and known only from copies, literary descriptions and coins) and dedicated

to the Greek Godess Athena in 439/438 BC. Parthenon is the most important surviving building of

Classical Greece, generally considered to be the culmination of the development of the Doric order

and the enduring symbol of ancient Greece and Athenian democracy.

The Parthenon replaced an older temple of Athena, called the Pre-Parthenon or Older Parthenon

which was the first endeavour to build a sanctuary for Athena Parthenos beginning shortly after the

battle of Marathon (490-88 BC). The Older Parthenon was still under construction when the Persians

sacked the city in 480 BC and razed the Acropolis. In the mid-5th century BC, when Athens became

the seat of the Delian League and was the greatest cultural centre of its time, Pericles initiated an

ambitious building project which lasted the entire second half of the 5th century BC. The Parthenon

was built under the general supervision of the sculptor Phidias, who also had been charged with its

sculptural decoration. The architects, Iktinos and Kallicrates, began in 447 BC, and the building was

substantially completed by 432 BC, but work on the decorations continued until at least 431 BC.

Measured at the top step, the dimensions of the base of the Parthenon are 69.5m long by 30.9m

wide. The cella was 29.8m long by 19.2m wide, with internal Doric colonnades in two tiers. On the

exterior, the Doric columns measure 1.9m in diameter and are 10.4m high. The corner columns are

slightly larger in diameter. The Parthenon had 46 outer pillars and 19 inner pillars in total while its

decorative stonework was originally highly coloured.

Parthenon initially disposed 92 Metopes. Metopes above the main entrance depict the Gigantomachy

(mythical battles between the Olympian gods and the Giants). Metopes of the west side show

Amazonomachy (mythical battle of the Athenians against the Amazons). Metopes of the south side

reflect the Thessalian Centauromachy (battle of the Lapiths aided by Theseus against the half-man,

half-horse Centaurs). On the north side of the Parthenon metopes are poorly preserved, but the

subject seems to be the sack of Troy. Several of the metopes still remain on the building but they are

severely damaged. Some of them are located at the Acropolis Museum while others are in the British

Museum.

The most characteristic feature in the architecture and decoration of the temple is the Ionic frieze

running around the exterior walls of the cella. It is dated in 442 BC-438 BC. One interpretation is

that it depicts the Panathenaic procession from the Dipylon Gate in the Kerameikos to the Acropolis.

In this procession,taking place every four years, Athenians and foreigners were participating to

honour the goddess Athena offering sacrifices and a new peplos (dress woven by selected noble

Athenian girls called ergastines). In contrast, according to anoher interpretation of the Frieze, the

scenes depict the sacrifice of Pandora (the youngest daughter of Erechtheus) to Athena in order to

save the city from Eumolpus, king of Eleusis who had gathered an army to attack Athens.

Regarding the Parthenon’s Pediments, the East Pediment narrates the birth of Athena from the head

of her father Zeus who gave birth to Athena after a terrible headache. To alleviate the pain he

ordered Hephaestus (the god of fire and the forge) to strike him with his hammer and when he did it,

Zeus’ head split and the goddess Athena popped out. The West Pediment facing the Propylaia

depicted the contest between Athena and Poseidon during their competition for the honor of

becoming the city’s patron. Athena and Poseidon appear at the center of the composition, with the

goddess holding the olive tree and the god of the sea raising his trident to strike the earth. The work

on the pediments lasted from 438 to 432 BC.

Parthenon was used as a treasury. In the 6th century AD, Parthenon was converted into a Christian

Church dedicated to the Virgin. After the Ottoman conquest, it was converted into a Mosque in the

early 1460s. In 1687, Parthenon suffered its greatest blow when the Venetians under Francesco

Morosini attacked Athens, and the Ottomans fortified the Acropolis using the building as a gunpowder

magazine. On September 26th, a Venetian mortar, fired from the Hill of Philopappus, blew the

magazine up and the resulting explosion severely damaged the Parthenon.

In 1801, Thomas Bruce, the British Ambassador at Constantinople and the 7th Earl of Elgin, removed

some of the surviving sculptures, with Ottoman permission. These sculptures, known as the Elgin or

Parthenon Marbles, were sold in 1816 to the British Museum in London, where they are now

displayed. The Greek government has been campaigning since 1983 for the British Museum sculptures

to be returned to Greece, so far with no success. Other sculptures from the Parthenon are now in the

Louvre Museum in Paris, in Copenhagen and elsewhere. In 1975, the Greek government began a

concerted effort to restore the Parthenon and other Acropolis structures – an effort which later

attracted funding and technical assistance from the European Union.

The southern side of the

Parthenon, which sustained

considerable damage in the 1687

explosion.

2. Old Temple of Athena

The Old Temple of Athena stood in the centre of the Acropolis of Athens. It was built around 525 BC

and destroyed by the Persians in 480 BC.

3. Erechtheum

Erechtheum is an ancient temple on the north side of the Acropolis, built between 421 and 407 BC.

Its architect may have been Mnesicles, and its name derives probably from a shrine dedicated to the

legendary Greek hero Erichthonius. Some suggest that it may have been built in honour of the

legendary king Erechtheus. The temple itself was dedicated to Athena Polias and Poseidon

Erechtheus.

The main structure consists of four compartments. On the south side there is the famous "Porch of

the Maidens", with six female figures (Karyatids) as supporting columns, each sculpted in a manner

different from the rest and operated in such a way that their neck is capable of supporting the weight

of the porch roof. The greek term “Karyatides” literally means "Maidens of Karyae", an ancient town

of Peloponnese where there was a famous temple dedicated to the goddess Artemis. A caryatid

supporting a basket on her head is called a Canephora ("basket-bearer"), representing one of the

maidens who carried sacred objects used at feasts in honor of the goddesses Athena and Artemis.1 On

the other hand, the Roman architect Vitruvius stated in his 1st century BC work that the female

figures of the Erechtheion represented the punishment of the women of Karyae (a town near Sparta)

who were condemned to slavery after betraying Athens by siding with Persians in the Greco-Persian

Wars. However, female figures were used as decorative supports in Greece well before the Persian

Wars, since archaic Greece.

The Romans copied the Erechtheion Karyatids, installing copies in the Forum of Augustus and the

Pantheon in Rome. In modern times, Karyatids consisted integral part of the German Baroque

vocabulary. This draped figure supporting a basket and taking the form of a candlestick was

refashioned by neoclassical architects as well.

1 The later male counterpart of the Karyatid is referred to as a Telamon (plural Telamones) or Atlas (plural Atlantes) – the name refers to the legend of Atlas, who bore the sphere of the heavens on his shoulders.

Erechtheum.

The Porch of Maidens.

During Middle Ages, the Erectheum was used as a church and, following the Ottoman invasion,

possibly as a Turkish harem. A few years before the Greek Revolution burst, one of the caryatids was

removed by Lord Elgin in order to decorate his Scottish mansion. That night, according to an

athenian legend, the remaining five Caryatids could be heard wailing for their lost sister. Later, it

was sold to the British Museum together with the pediment and frieze sculpture taken from the

Parthenon. Nowadays, the five original Caryatids have been replaced in situ by exact replicas. The

authentic torsoes were displayed in the Acropolis Museum until their transfer to the New Acropolis

Museum. The first Caryatid was carried on December 9th 2007, through an elaborate system of

cranes. There, the five Caryatids will be displayed encased in noble gas-filled glass chambers.

4. Athena Promachos

Athena Promachos ("Athena who fights in the front line") was a colossal bronze statue of Athena

sculpted by Pheidias and stood between the Propylaea and the Parthenon. It was placed in 456 BC

and it measured about 9m high. It showed Athena standing with her shield resting against her leg,

and a spear in her right hand. The statue was so big it was possible to see the tip of the spear and her

helmet from Cape Sounion.

Athena Promachos stood overlooking the city for about 1000 years until shortly after 465 CE, when it

was transported to Constantinople (capital of the Eastern Roman Empire) under the protection of

the Eastern Empire's Imperial court. It was destroyed in 1203 by a superstitious Christian mob who

thought she was beckoning the crusaders who had besieged the city.

5. Propylaea

This monumental entrance to the Acropolis was built under the general direction of the Athenian

leader Pericles. The building was designed by the architect Mnesicles. Construction began in 437 BC

and was terminated in 432 BC, when the building was still unfinished. The Brandenburg Gate of

Berlin is copied from the central portion of the Propylaea.

Entrance into Acropolis was controlled by the Propylaea. People - not ritually clean - were denied

access to the sanctuary. As the state treasury was also kept in the Acropolis, its security was

particularly important.

The Propylaea were constructed of white Pentelic marble and gray Eleusinian limestone. The

structure consists of a Central Building with 2 adjoining Wings on the West Side, one to the north

and one to the south. The Central Building presents a six-columned Doric façade both on the West

to those entering the Acropolis and on the East to those departing. The central building contains the

Gate Wall. There are 5 Gates in the wall, one for the central passageway which lay along the natural

level of the ground, and two on either side five steps up from the level of the western porch. The

Ceiling in the Eastern Part of the Central Building consisted of marble blocks painted in blue with

gold stars. The central building also has an Ionic Colonnade on either side of the central passageway

between the western (outer) Doric colonnade and the gate wall. This is therefore the first building

known to us with Doric and Ionic colonnades visible at the same time.

There were 2 Wings planned for the East Side of the Propylaea as well. However, the outbreak of

the Peloponnesian War in 431 BC did not permit the completion of the Propylaea.

The Propylaea survived intact through the Greek, Roman and Byzantine periods. However, it was

severely damaged by the explosion of 1687. Today the Propylaea has been partly restored since

1984.

6. Temple of Athena Nike

Nike means "Victory" in greek, and Athena was worshiped as goddess of victory. The temple was the

earliest Ionic temple on the Acropolis. There the citizens worshipped the goddess in hope of a

victorious outcome in the long war against Spartans.

The Temple of Athena Nike is a Tetrastyle (four column) Ionic structure, designed by the architect

Kallikrates. The total height from the stylobate to the acme of the pediment was a modest 23 feet. A

wooden statue of Athena Nike stood inside the 5m x 5m naos, holding a helmet in her left hand and a

pomegranate (symbol of fertility) in the right. Nike was originally the "winged victory" goddess (the

winged Nike of Samothrace) The Athena Nike statue's absence of wings led Athenians in later

centuries to call it Nike Apteros (wing-less victory), and the story had it that the statue was deprived

of wings so that it could never leave the city.

After an interruption caused by the Peloponnesian War, the temple was finished in the time of Nicias'

Peace, between 421 BC and 415 BC. Some time after the temple was completed, a parapet was

added around it, adorned with sculptures showing Nike in a variety of activities.

7. Eleusinion

The Eleusinion, an athenian temple dedicated to godess Demeter and located at the base of the

Acropolis, was the place where all sacred objects associated with the Eleusinian Mysteries were kept

between ceremonies.

8. Brauroneion

The Brauroneion is a three-sided stoa which, with its central square, forms a sanctuary dedicated to

the goddess Artemis Brauronia. The main cultic site was located at Brauron, on the east coast of

Attica. It was built around 430 BC, next to the Chalkotheke, immediately to the right of the

Propylaea. The archaic xoanon of the goddess and a statue made by Praxiteles in the 4th century BC

were both in the sanctuary.

Crowds of tourists climb the steps to the Propylaea.

9. Chalkotheke

The Chalkotheke housed the treasury of Athens. Named for the bronze (chalkos) and other metals it

contained, it was adjacent to the Brauroneion.

10. Pandroseion

The Pandroseion was a sanctuary dedicated to Pandrosus, one of the daughters of Cecrops I (the first

king of Athens), which was located on the Acropolis of Athens. It was placed adjacent to the

Erechtheum. The sanctuary was a walled rectangular courtyard containing the altar of Zeus Herkeios

(protector of the hearth) and the sacred olive tree presented by Athena to the city of Athens,

following her victory over Poseidon. The south-east corner gave access to the tomb of Cecrops as

well.

15. Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus

Theatre flourished in ancient Greece between 550 and 220 BC, with Athens being the centre of the

ancient Greek theatre. Its origins go back to Dionysia - ancient Athens' biggest Theatrical Festival.

While no drama texts exist from the 6th century BC, the most famous authors who had been recorded

among the most significant competitors of the theatrical contests were: Thespis, Choerilus, Pratinas

and Phrynichus - each credited with different innovations.

During the Golden Age, theatre became a major part of the Athenian culture and Dionysia, taken

place once in winter and once in spring, was a competition among three tragic playwrights at the

Theatre of Dionysus. Although there were many playwrights in that era, only the work of four

Athenian playwrights has survived in the form of complete plays: the tragedians Aeschylus,

Sophocles and Euripides, and the comic writer Aristophanes. Tragedy, comedy, and satyr plays

consisted the main theatrical forms, affecting until today the contemporary western theatre.

Following Athens’ defeat in the Peloponnesian War, the theatre began performing old plays again.

However, Greek theatre continued into the Hellenistic Period. The primary theatrical form of that

period was not tragedy but “New Comedy” - comic farces about the lives of ordinary citizens. The

only extant playwright from that period is Menander.

Dionysus Theatre was dedicated to Dionysus (the god of plays and wine). It could seat about 17.000

people, making it the ideal place to host Dionysia. Being the first stone theatre ever built, as well as

the birthplace of Greek tragedy, it consisted the archetype for all theatres of ancient Greece. In

61AD, Emperor Nero proceeded with major renovations to the theatre. The remains of a restored and

redesigned Roman version still stand at the site today.

18. Odeon of Herodes Atticus

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theatre located on the south slope of the Acropolis. It was

built in 161 AD by Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife Aspasia Annia Regilla, and it was used for

The Dionysus Theatre in Acropolis – 3rd century BC.

music concerts with a capacity of 5.000 persons. The audience stands and the “orchestra” (stage)

were restored in the 1950s. Since then, it hosts theatrical, musical and dance performances

subsumed within the Athens Festival, which runs from June through September each year.

New Acropolis Museum Designed by the architect Bernard Tschumi, the New Acropolis Museum revolves around three

concepts: ambient natural sky light – movement through time – a base, a middle and a top as the

tectonic elements. Located at the southern base of the Acropolis hill and set only 280 meters from

the Parthenon, the museum aspires to consist the most significant modern building - although some

have attacked the museum's design as too contemporary. However, many Greek officials have

expressed their hope that the new museum will significantly contribute to the campaign for the

return of the Elgin Marbles.The transport of antiquities to the new museum started on October 14th

2007.

Achieving direct visual contact with the original site of the Parthenon above, the New Acropolis

Museum is mainly made of marble, concrete and glass in a candid effort to respect both the city of

Athens and the Acropolis as well. Visitors to the museum will be able to see the Parthenon from the

glass gallery at the summit of the building, displaying the Parthenon Frieze at the same time. The

visitor's route forms a clear three-dimensional loop, emboding an architectural promenade from the

Archaic period to the Parthenon Marbles, ending with sculptures from the Roman Empire. The

museum will be open for the public in the end of 2008.

2) Pnyx The Pnyx is a hill in central Athens which is located less than one kilometre west of the Acropolis and

1.6km south-west of Syntagma Square. It is one of the most significant sites in the city and in the

world in general, as it was the meeting place of the world's first ever democratic legislature - the

Athenian Ekklesia (Assembly) – which was used for popular assemblies in Athens as early as 507 BC.

It looks down on the ancient Agora, the commercial and social centre of the city.

The Pnyx is the embodiment of the principle of Isēgoria (the equal right of every citizen to debate

matters of policy). The other two principles of democracy were Isonomia (equality under the law),

and Isopoliteia (equality of vote and equal opportunity to assume political office). The right of

isēgoria was expressed by the presiding officer of the Pnyx assembly, who formally opened each

debate with the open invitation "Tis agoreyein bouletai?" ("Who wishes to speak?"). Statesmen such as

Pericles, Aristides and Alcibiades would have spoken here.

The New Acropolis Museum.

The traveller can visit Pnyx free of charge at any time during daylight.

3) Areopagus / Areios Pagos In greek “pagos” means big piece of rock. “Areios” could have come from the god Ares or from the

Erinyes, as on the foot of Areios Pagos was erected a temple dedicated to the Erinyes. In classical

times the Areios Pagos, the “Hill of Ares”, functioned as the chief homicide court of Athens. Ares

was supposed to have been tried here by the Gods for the murder of Poseidon's son Alirrothios. In

“The Eumenides” of Aeschylus (458 BC), the Areopagus is the site of the trial of Orestes for killing

his mother (Clytemnestra) and her lover (Aegisthus).

In Pre-classical times (before the 5th century BC), the Areopagus was the Council of Elders of the

city. In the 4th century BC, the Areopagus acquired a new function in, investigating corruption,

although verdict power remained in the Ecclesia. The Areopagus continued to function in Roman

times, and it was from this location that Apostle Paul is said to have delivered his famous speech

“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live

in temples built by hands”. Near the Areopagus was also constructed the basilica of Dionysius

Areopagites.

4) Ancient Agora of Athens The Agora emerged along with the Polis after the fall of Mycenaean Civilization and were

established as integral part of the city by the time of Homer (8th century BC). The most well-known

agora is the Ancient Agora of Athens which had private housing, until it was reorganized by

Peisistratus in the 6th century BC. Pesistratus removed the houses and made it the centre of

Athenian government. In the 5th century BC, there were temples dedicated to Hephaestus, Zeus

and Apollo.

The speaker's platform at the Pnyx,

with the Acropolis in the background.

The Areopagus viewed from the Acropolis.

Beginning in the period of the radical democracy (after 509 BC), the “Boule” (city council), the

“Prytaneis” (presidents of the council), and the “Archons” (magistrates), all met in the agora. The

law courts were also located there. The agora in Athens became again a residential area during

Roman and Byzantine times.

By the 2nd century BC, a number of buildings were added to the agora, among which is included the

Stoa of Attalos - one of the most impressive stoa in the Athenian Agora. It was built by and named

after King Attalos II of Pergamon who ruled between 159 BC and 138 BC.

Following the Hellenistic Times spirit, the stoa was more elaborate and larger than the earlier

buildings of ancient Athens. With dimensions 115m by 20m wide, the building is made of Pentelic

marble and skillfully combines the Doric order, used for the exterior colonnade, with the Ionic order

for the interior colonnade. The stoa was in use until it was destroyed by the Heruli in 267.

In the 1950s the Stoa of Attalos was fully reconstructed, with half the amount of funding donated by

the Rockefeller family. Today serves as a museum. All material excavated from the site is now

stored in the Stoa. The ceremony of the signing of the Treaty of Accession of the 10 new countries to

the European Union - Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland,

Slovakia, and Slovenia - was hosted in the Stoa of Attalos.

Just to the north of the Acropolis and east of the original Classical Greek Agora is located The Roman

Forum of Athens.

5) Temple of Hephaestus The Temple of Hephaestos and Athena Ergane, also known as Theseion, is a Doric order peripteral

temple, located at the north-west side of the Agora of Athens. From the 7th century until 1834, it

served as the Greek Orthodox church of Saint George. Under this capacity, it was used as a burial

place for many philhellenes who gave their lives during the Greek War of Independence (1821-

1830). In 1834, the first King of Greece, Otto, was officially welcomed there. Under Otto’s order,

the building was used as a museum until 1934, when it reverted to its current status as an ancient

monument.

Hephaestos was the patron-god of metal working and Athena Ergane was the patron-goddess of

pottery and crafts. The name Theseion or Temple of Theseus, was later attributed to the monument

under the assumption that it housed the remains of the Athenian hero Theseus, brought back to the

city from the island of Skyros by Kimon in 475 BC.

The reconstructed Stoa of Attalos in modern-days. The inside of the restored Stoa of Attalos.

When Pericles came into power, he envisioned a grand plan for transforming Athens into the centre

of Greek power and culture. The temple of Hephaestus in the Agora was intended to embody the

richest evidence of Athenian tradition. Construction started in 449 BC, but the temple was not

completed until 415 BC (Peace of Nicias: 421-415 BC), presumably because emphasis shifted

towards the monumental construction of the Acropolis.

The name of its architect is unknown. The main material used is Pentelic marble. Its dimensions are

13,7m north to south and 31,7m east to west, with six columns on the short east and west sides and

thirteen columns along the longer north and south sides. The building disposes a pronaos which

housed the cult images of the deities (cella) and an opisthodomos, both decorated with continuous

Ionic friezes. There was also an inner Doric colonnade with five columns on the north and south side

and three across the end. Regarding the themes of the pediments, an earlier interpretation

suggested the birth of Erichthonius in the east pediment and Heracles before Thetis in the west. Later

theories identify that the west pediment showed the battle between Centaurs and Lapiths while the

east pediment depicted the entry of Heracles to the Mount Olympus. Only 18 of the 68 metopes of

the temple of Hephaestus were sculptured, the rest been probably painted. The ten metopes on the

east side depict the Feats of Heracles. The four easternmost metopes on the long north and south

sides depict the Exploits of Theseus.

6) Temple of Olympian Zeus The Temple of Olympian Zeus (The Olympieion) is a colossal ruined temple dedicated to Zeus. It is

located 500m south-east of the Acropolis and about 800m south of the Syntagma Square. An earlier

temple had stood there, erected by the tyrant Pisistratus around 550 BC. Following Pisistratus’

death, this building was demolished to commence the construction of a colossal new Temple of

Olympian Zeus by his sons, Hippias and Hipparchos around 520 BC who aspired the building to

consist the greatest temple in the ancient world.

Designed by the architects Antistates, Callaeschrus, Antimachides and Porinus, it was intended to

be built according to the Doric style on a platform of 41m by 108m and flanked by a double

Temple of Hephaestus.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens.

Detail of the Temple’s Corinthian capitals.

colonnade of eight columns across the front and back side and twenty-one on the flanks. The work

was abandoned with the recession of the tyranny in 510 BC, only with the platform and some

elements of the columns had been completed by this point. The temple was left unfinished during the

years of Athenian democracy, apparently because the Greeks thought it hubristic to build on such a

scale.

It was not until 174 BC that the Seleucid king Antiochus IV Epiphanes revived the project, placing

the Roman architect Decimus Cossutius in charge. The design changed to include three rows of

eight columns across the front and back side and a double row of twenty on the flanks - a total of

104 columns. The columns would stand 17m high and 2m in diameter. The order changed from Doric

to Corinthian, marking the first time that this order had been used for the exterior of a major

temple. However, the project stopped again in 164 BC, after the death of Antiochus.

The arrival of the Philhellene Hadrian in Athens, in 124-125 AD, was the decisive factor that the

Temple of Olympian Zeus was finally completed 650 years after its commencement. Cossutius's

design was adopted with only few changes and the temple was formally dedicated by Hadrian in

132 AD. A colossal statue of Hadrian was raised behind the building by Athenians as an indication of

gratitude for the generosity the emperor had shown, while an equally colossal chryselephantine

statue of Zeus was placed in the cella of the temple.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus was probably closed in 425 AD by the Christian emperor Theodosius II

who prohibited the worship of the old Greek gods. During the following centuries, the temple was

systematically quarried to provide material for the buildings of medieval Athens. By the end of the

Byzantine period, it had been almost destroyed; in 1436 there were only 21 of the original 104

columns still standing. Fifteen columns remain standing today and a sixteenth column lies on the

ground where it fell during a storm in 1852.

7) Panathinaiko Stadium Panathinaiko Stadium (Kallimarmaron, the "beautifully marbled") is the only stadium in the world

built totally of white marble (from Mount Penteli). During ancient times, it was used to host the

athletic portion of the Panathenaic Games in honour of the goddess Athena. While wooden seated in

classical times, the stadium was reconstructed in marble by the archon Lycurgus in 329 BC and

enlarged and renovated by Herodes Atticus in 140 AD, to a seated capacity of 50.000. The remnants

of the ancient structure were excavated and refurbished, with funds provided by Evangelos Zappas

for the revival of the Olympic Games held in 1870 and 1875. It was refurbished for second time in

1895 for the 1896 Summer Olympics, with financing provided by the Greek benefactor George

Averoff (whose marble statue now stands at the entrance), and designs by architects Anastasios

Metaxas and Ernst Ziller. Now, it can seat about 80.000 spectators on 50 rows of marble steps.

It is located east of the National Gardens and the Zappeion Exhibition Hall. Until the late 19th

century and the contamintion of the Ilissos riverbed, the area was reedy and often flooded - called

the "Vatrahonisi" (Frog Island).

Panorama of the Panathinaiko Stadium

In recent years, the stadium has been often used to honour the victorious Greek athletes, like the

Greek national football team after its victory at the 2004 European Football Championship. It also

hosted the opening ceremony of the World Athletics Championships in 1997. In the 2004 Olympic

Games, it housed the archery competition, and the finish of the Marathon. What is worthy to mention

is that it was engraved on all of the Summer Olympic medals of the 2004 Games, and will be

featured again on the medals of the upcoming 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

8) Choragic Monument of Lysicrates The Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, located near the Acropolis of Athens, was erected by

Lysicrates, a famous “Chorigos” (sponsor) of many theatrical performances in the Theater of

Dionysus, in order to commemorate the first prize awarded in 335 BC or 334 BC for one of the

performances he had sponsored. It is one of the first Greek monuments built according to the

Corinthian order. Its frieze depicts episodes from the myth of Dionysus. It originally served as

support for the bronze tripod that was given as prize. Now, it stands in its little garden on the

Tripodon Street ("Street of the Tripods").

In 1669, a French Capuchin monastery founded nearby, succeeded in purchasing the monument

from the Ottoman realm. The monument became famous in France and England as well, and

"improved" versions adorned several English landscape gardens. In 1818, friar Francis planted in its

gardens the first tomato plants in Greece. The monastery was demolished during the Greek war of

Independence in 1821. In 1876-1887 it was restored under the auspices of the French Government.

The Choragic Monument.

OTHER HISTORICAL SITES IN ATHENS

1) Arch of Hadrian The Arch of Hadrian is a monumental gateway (18m high, 13.5m wide and 2.3m in depth) made of

Pentelic marble. It was probably built to honor the Roman Emperor Hadrian for his many

benefactions to the city. It remains uncertain who commissioned the arch, as its patronage has been

attributed to either the Athenians or to the Panhellenes - a newly formed association of all the

Greek cities based in Athens. Two inscriptions, naming both Theseus and Hadrian as founders of

Athens, are engraved on the architrave of the arch’s lower level:

• Towards the Acropolis, the inscription says: “ΑΙ∆' ΕIΣΙΝ ΑΘΗΝΑΙ ΘΗΣΕΩΣ Η ΠΡΙΝ ΠΟΛΙΣ” (i.e.

this is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus)

• On the side facing the Olympeion, the inscription suggests: “ΑΙ∆' ΕIΣΙΝ Α∆ΡΙΑΝΟΥ ΚΟΥΧI

ΘΗΣΕΩΣ ΠΟΛΙΣ” (i.e. this is Hadrian’s city and not Theseus’)

It is still uncertain whether the inscriptions refer to the city as a whole or in two parts: the old and

the new. It was at first accepted that the arch stood on the line of the Themistocleian wall and that

it marked the division between the old city of Theseus and the new city of Hadrian (Hadrianopolis).

However, this early idea seems to be false by further excavations. Adams claims that the inscriptions

suggest the entire city as a refoundation by the emperor, thus the inscriptions should be read: this is

Athens, once the city of Theseus; this is the city of Hadrian, and not of Theseus. The arch is located

in Amalias Avenue, 325m southeast of the Acropolis, facing the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates -

207m to the northwest along Lysicrates street.

The single arched passageway of the lower level is 6.5m wide and supported by pilasters crowned

with Corinthian capitals. The upper level of the arch was composed of Corinthian columns dividing

the space into three rectangular openings. Each of the outer openings was crowned with an Ionic

architrave. The central opening, however, was engaged with Corinthian half-columns that supported

a triangular pediment which rested above. It is claimed that there were statues positioned on top of

the lower level, on either side of the central niche of the upper level. Theseus and Hadrian are

supposed to be the prevailing candidates for these two statues.

2) Hellenic Parliament (Old Palace) The Hellenic Parliament House, overlooking Syntagma Square, hosts the Parliament of Greece. The

first national parliament of the independent Greek State was established in 1843, after the

“September 3rd Revolution” which forced King Otto to convey a Constitution. On December 8th

1974 and after seven years of military dictatorship, the held plebiscite decided in favor of a

Parliamentary Republic.

Hadrian’s Arch and the Olympeion looking on

Lysicrates street.

Parliament was originally housed in the Old Parliament House (Stadiou Street), from 1843 to 1854

and again from 1875 to 1932. The current building, a neoclassical three-floor structure designed by

Friedrich von Gärtner and completed in 1843, originally functioned as a palace for the Greek Royal

Family. After a large scale fire damage in 1909, it was under renovation for a long period of time. In

1924 a pebliscite abolishing the monarchy resulted in the building been used as a makeshift hospital,

as well as a museum until November 1929. It was then that the government decided the building

should house the Parliament. After more extensive renovations, the Greek Prliament convened in the

"Old Palace" on August 2nd 1934, followed by the Fifth National Assembly on July 1st 1935. Since

then, the building houses the Parliament.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, guarded by the Evzones of the Presidential Guard and located

in the forecourt of the building, was inaugurated on March 25th 1932.

3) Old Parliament House The Old Parliament building at Stadiou Street, housed the Greek Parliament from 1843 to 1854 and

from 1875 to 1932. It now hosts the country's National Historical Museum.

Originally occupied by the house of Kontostavlos, an Athenian magnate, the site was selected by King

Otto in 1833 as his temporary residence, pending the construction of the Royal Palace. Following the

"September 3rd Revolution”, the National Assembly convened here. In October 1854 however, after

a destructive fire which burned down the building, commenced the structure of a new building which

replaced the burned one, with funds provided by Queen Amalia and according to the design of the

French architect François Boulanger. Its construction stopped just in the following year to begin

again only after Otto's drop in 1863, based in the adjusted plans of the Greek architect Panagiotis

Kalkos. New building’s construction finished by 1871. In the interim, Parliament had been hosted in a

hastily set up building on the back of the square, known as "the Shanty". The Greek Parliament would

remain in the new erected building until 1932, when it was moved to its current location in the Old

Palace.

Following the parliament’s relocation, the building hosted the Ministry of Justice and, after an

extensive restoration in 1961, it now houses the National History Museum with collections focusing

to the period from the fall of Constantinople in 1453 to the Second World War. The displayed items

concern weapons, personal items belonging to important personalities, historical paintings by Greek

and foreign artists, as well as traditional costumes from several regions all over Greece.

In front of the building’s forecourt stands a large bronze equestrian statue of the General Theodoros

Kolokotronis. Sculpted by Lazaros Sochos in Paris in 1900, it was erected facing Stadiou Street in

1904. Kolokotronis turns his head towards the Parliament House and his hand shows the opposite side

where, during the 19th century, the Royal Byres were located.

The bronze statue of Kolokotronis

in front of the Old Parliament.

4) National Garden of Athens The National Garden is a peaceful park in the centre of Athens. It is located just behind the Greek

Parliament (The Old Palace) and continues to the south where Zappeion is placed. The Garden

includes some ancient ruins, mosaics, as well as a duck pond, a small zoo, a Botanical Museum, a

small cafe, and a Children's Library and playground. To its southeast side, there can be found the

busts of the first governor of Greece, Capodistrias, and of the famous Philhellene, Eynard, while to

its south side the busts of the Greek Poets, Dionysios Solomos (author of the Greek National Hymn),

and Aristotelis Valaoritis.

The Royal Garden, ordered by Queen Amalia in 1838, was completed in 1840. It was designed by the

German gardener Schmidt who brought over 500 species of plants and a variety of animals.

Unfortunately, due to the dry Mediterranean climate, many of the plants did not survive in contrast

to animals that continue to prosper.

Following the 1974 plebiscite which abolished the monarchy, the “Royal Garden” was given the name

of “National Garden” and, since then, it is open to the public from sunrise to sunset, offering a

peaceful rest for Athenians. Its main entrance is from Leoforos Amalias, the street named after the

Queen who commissioned this park. Visitors can also enter the garden from Vasilissis Sophias

Avenue, Herodou Attikou Street and the Zappeion Park area.

5) Zappeion Zappeion, following the approval of the Greek Parliament in 1869, was the first building to be

erected for the revival of the Olympic Games in the modern world. The construction of the building

completed on October 20th 1888, according to the neo-classical design of the Danish architect

Theophil Hansen and with funds provided by Evangelos Zappas, an Epirote businessman. Zappeion

was used during the 1896 Summer Olympics as the Olympic Village and the main Fencing Hall.

A number of historical events have been hosted in Zappeion, including the signing of the Greece's

accession to the European Union on January 1st 1981. Zappeion, containing about 25 distinct

rooms, is currently being used as a Conference and Exhibition Center. It is located within the

National Garden of Athens.

Zappeion.

National Garden of Athens.

6) Mount Lycabettus – Kolonaki District Mount Lycabettus, a limestone hill in the centre of Athens, is the highest point in the city at 277m

above the sea level. With pine trees covering its base and the 19th century Chapel of St. George

standing at its peak, the hill is a popular tourist destination providing a panoramic view of Athens.

At its peak there is also a restaurant and a theatre where concerts are given during the summer

period. It can be easily reached by a funicular railway with a terminus at Kolonaki area.

Stories have it that it was once inhabited by wolves that offered their name to the hill ("walked by

wolves"). Mythologically, Lycabettus is attributed to the Godess Athena when she dropped a

mountain she had been carrying from Pallene for the construction of Acropolis.

Just on the southwestern slopes of Lycabettus, rests the wealthy, chic and notorious meeting district

of Kolonaki ("Little Column"). Being one of the city’s leading shopping areas, it hosts a number of

boutiques representing from casual trend to haute couture, deriving from Greek and international

designers as well. Voukourestiou Street is also known for its jewelleries.

Except for its cosmopolitan character however, the area as a whole presents a real opportunity for its

guests to visit a significant variety of museums, art galleries and other relative institutes, hosted

inside preserved neoclassical manor houses – worthy to mention two of the finest private collections

in the country: the Benaki Museum and the Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art.

7) Monastiraki – Psirri – Thisseion - Plaka Monastiraki was a flea market in the old town of Athens. Nowadays, it is the most famous place to

buy souvenirs from Greece, easily accessible from the ISAP Monastiraki Station. It is also the district

where you can find antique furniture.

Close to Monastiraki rests the district of Psirri which has created its own atmosphere, consisting a

unique vicinity among the other traditional neighborhoods of Athens. Included in the wider area of

Psirri-Koumoundourou Region together with Plaka and the Old Commercial Centre, they all consist

Mount Lycabettus rising from urban Athens.

A souvenir shop in one of the

Monastiraki’s streets.

the ancient city of Athens - the core of today’s Historic Centre. The region had always been a

popular neighborhood. During 1822, this neighborhood seems to have included 997 houses while

during 1824 appears to be dwelled by 1.801 people – a great enough number, assuming that Athens’

total population at that period of time was about 9.500 residents. The building grounds here are small

with narrow façades, while houses are usually bi-level with narrow balconies and porches.

Thisseion is the neighborhood northwest to Acropolis and served by the nearby ISAP Thisseion

Station. Its name originates from the Temple of Hephaestus, also known as Τhisseion because, in

earlier times, it was considered the Temple of Thesseus. The area also embraces the ancient Agora,

Petralona and Kerameikos, while it encompasses a wide range of popular cafes and meeting points,

which are most crowded during summer.

Plaka is the picturesque old historical neighbourhood of Athens, lain under the Acropolis, with

impressive neo-classical architecture. It is visited by thousands of tourists around the year and

includes the new Jewish Museum, as well as the Greek Folk Art Museum. Adrianou Street is the

oldest street in Athens still in use.

8) Academy of Athens – National & Kapodistrian University of

Athens – National Library of Greece The “Academy of Athens” along with the “National & kapodostrian University of Athens” and the

“National Library of Greece” consist the notorious architectural "trilogy", designed by the Danish

architect Theophil Hansen.

The Academy of Athens, Greece's National Academy, is the most important research

establishment in Greece. Founded on March 24th 1926, its title refers back to the classical “Academy

of Plato”, while its building is one of the most significant landmarks in Athens. The Academy is

divided into Natural Sciences, Letters and Arts, Moral and Political Sciences. Today it holds 14

research centres, 10 research offices and the "Ioannis Sykoutris" central library.

Plaka at night.

The main building of the Academy of

Athens.

The neoclassical building between Panepistimiou Street and Akadimias Street in the centre of Athens,

was constructed under the supervision of Ernst Ziller, with funds being provided by the magnate

Simon Sinas. On March 20th 1887, the building of the so-called "Sinaean Academy" was delivered by

Ziller to the Prime Minister of Gereece, Charilaos Trikoupis.

Among the notable members of the Academy are included: Kostis Palamas (poet), Konstantinos

Karatheodori (mathematician), Xenophon Zolotas (economist & Prime Minister of Greece),

Konstantinos Tsatsos (professor of law & President of Greece), Michail Stasinopoulos (professor of

law & President of Greece), Iakovos Kambanelis (writer) and Lucas Papademos (Vice President of

the European Central Bank).

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (University of Athens), founded on

May 3rd 1837, consists the oldest university in Balkans and the Eastern Mediterranean Region in

general. It was originally housed in the residence of architect Stamatis Kleanthes, on the north east

side of the Acropolis. The “Othonian University”, as it was initially called, consisted of four Faculties:

Theology, Law, Medicine and Arts. Only in November 1841, the new designed building by the Danish

architect Theophil Hansen (“Propylaea”) started to host classes, decorating until now the same

called Panepistimiou Avenue.

During all this first period for Greek education, the University made enormous efforts to alleviate the

gap with older institutions in other countries. At the end of World War I, an average of two thousand

new students entered the Faculties each year, leading unavoidably to the decision of introducing

entrance examinations for all the Faculties. Among the notable alumni of the Athens University of

Athens are: Georgios Papanikolaou, Odysseas Elytis, Theodoros Angelopoulos, Eleftherios Venizelos,

Constantine Karamanlis, Andreas Papandreou.

The establishment of the National Library of Greece, the third part of the famous Trilogy, was

initially raised as idea by the philhellene Jacob Mayer in August 1824, in his newspaper published at

Messolonghi where he had been struggling along with Lord Byron for Greece's independence. Mayer's

idea was materialized in 1829 by the first governor Kapodistrias who grouped the National Library

with other intellectual institutions. These were all placed in the Orphanage of Aegina, under the

supervision of Andreas Moustoksidis. In 1834, the Library moved to Athens to be temporarily hosted

in the public bath at the Roman Market.

Its collections increased rapidly. The Library accepted many donations, like these from Christoforos

and Konstantinos Sakellarios (5.400 volumes) and from Markos Renieris (3.401 volumes). In 1842 it

merged with the Athens University Library (15.000 volumes), and were housed together at the new

building of Otto's University. George Kozakis-Typaldos was appointed as the first director. In 1866

the two libraries merged, been administered as the "National Library of Greece". In 1903 the Library

moved to the adjacent new neoclassical marble building in Panepistimiou Avenue, financed by three

brothers from Kefallonia: Panagis, Marinos and Andreas Vallianos.

The Propylaea – Athens University of Athens.

9) Areos Park / Pedion Areos Areos Park is one of the bigest public parks in Athens. It was designed in 1934, in honor of the heroes

of the Greek Independence Revolution in 1821. As a result, many heroes’ busts stand along with the

central street of the park. Located in Alexandras Avenue, 3 minutes walking from ISAP Victoria

Sation, the park expands to 277 m2. At the entrance of the park we can see the statue of the King

Konstaninos A’ on horseback while, upon Alexandras Avenue, there is a statue of Goddess Athens.

Inside the park, someone can find 2 temples, a playground and the open theatre “Aliki” which is

occasionally used for several performances.

IMPORTANT MUSEUMS IN ATHENS

1) National Archaeological Museum of Athens The National Archaeological Museum of Athens displays some of the most important artifacts around

Greece, dated back to prehistory until the late antiquity. Enlisted among the greatest museums all

over the world, it houses the richest collection from the Greek antiquity worldwide.

The first national archaeological museum in Greece was founded by the first governor Ioannis

Kapodistrias in Aigina, in 1829. Since then, the archaeological collection moved to many exhibition

places until 1858, when the announcement of an international architectural competition resulted in

the construction of the Museum's current building in Athens in 1866, been completed in 1889. Its

initial name was “The Central Museum”, but its current name as “The National Archaeological

Museum” was given by the Prime Minister Charilaos Trikoupis, in 1881. Designed in neo-classical

order, its architectural plans are ascribed to the architects Panages Kalkos (main architect),

Harmodios Vlachos and Ernst Ziller. During the 2nd World War, the antiquities were buried, in order

to avoid their destruction. The building has experienced many expansions along the 20th century, with

the latest renovation taken place 1,5 years before the 2004 Athens Olympics Games.

The Museum's collections are organised as follows:

• Prehistoric Collection (Neolithic, Cycladic, Mycenaean) • Sculptures Collection • Vase & Minor Objects Collection • Santorini Findings • Metallurgy Collection • Stathatos Collection • Vlastos Collection • Egyptian Art Collection (donated by Demetrios Ioannou and Alexander Rostovich) • Near Eastern Antiquities Collection.

Artifacts originate from excavations in Santorini, Mycenae, Dodona, Rhamnous, Aegean islands, Delos,

the Temple of Aphaea in Aegina, the Sanctuary of Artemis Orthia in Sparta, Pylos, Thebes, Athens,

the Antikythera wreck, as well as from various other places across Greece.

The National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

Among the Museum’s most impressive exhibits are Antikythera Ephebe, Antikythera Mechanism,

Aphrodite and Pan from Delos, Collection of Kouros and Kore, Marathon Boy, Mask of Agamemnon

which was discovered over the face of a body in a burial shaft in Mycenae in 1876 by Heinrich

Schliemann who believed that he had found the body of the Greek leader Agamemnon, Nestor's Cup,

Poseidon of Cape Artemision, Sounion Kouros, Theseus Ring, Wall frescoes from Tiryns and Santorini,

Varvakeios Athena, as well as the archaic terracota statuette Daidala which inspired the designers of

the 2004 Athens Olympics maskots Athena and Phevos.

The Museum also hosts a 118 year old library of archeology with some 20.000 volumes of rare

ancient art, science and philosophy books, dated from the 17th century.

The Museum is easily accessible with Athens Metro. It is five minute walk from ISAP Viktoria Station

and a 10 minute walk from Omonoia Metro Station.

Address: Patission 44 St

Tel.: +30 210 8217717, 8217724

2) National Art Gallery & Alexandros Soutsos Museum Included among the world's finest art galleries with works by the greatest Greek artists, the first

nucleus of the National Art Gallery was created in 1878, comprising of 117 works by Greek and

European artists and mainly treated as an educational annex to the School of Arts - open however for

the public. In 1896, the jurist and art lover Alexandros Soutzos bequeathed his collection and

estate to the Greek State, aspiring to the creation of a “Museum of Fine Arts”. The National Gallery

was eventually materialized on April 10th 1900, with the painter Georgios Iakovidis being its first

curator. It was originally housed in a limited area inside the Technical University’s main building,

remaining there until the outbreak of war in 1939. During this period, substantial donations enriched

its collections. In 1976 however, the National Gallery received its own home, as the construction of

its current building -based on the designs of the architects professors Pavlos Milonas and Dimitris

Fatouros- was completed.

It now houses more than 15.000 works of painting, sculpture, engraving and other forms of art

representing Greek artistic creation from the post-Byzantine period until today. It also includes a

smaller collection of important Western European artworks. At the same time, the National Gallery

organizes consecutively exhibitions, both thematic and of individual artists - Greek and international

as well. It also disposes a rich library of invaluable archival material, as well as specialized and fully

equipped restoration laboratories.

Address: 50 Vassileos Konstandinou Street (opposite the Hilton)

Tel.: + 30 210 723-5857, 723-5937, 721-1010.

www.nationalgallery.gr

3) Byzantine Museum It displays a particularly interesting collection of Byzantine icons, mosaics, sculptures, bibles,

garments and other Byzantine and post-Byzantine art.

Address: 22 Vasilissis Sofias Ave

Tel.:+30 210 723-2178, 723-1570

4) War Museum The Museum includes items from famous battles in Greece dating from ancient times to World War II.

Outside the museum there are six war planes while inside you can find every kind of war outfit, as

well as photographic material covering several Greek campaigns and battles.

Address: 2 Rizari Street and Vass. Sofias Avenue

Tel.: +30 210 725-2975-6

5) Benaki Museum Benaki Museum is the oldest museum in Greece under Private Law and has significantly contributed to

the enrichment of the assets of the Greek State. Through its extensive collections and its complex of

buildings around Athens, it covers various cultural fields.

1) Address (Main Building): 1 Koumbari St. & Vas. Sofias Ave.

Tel.: +30 210 367 1000

2) Address (Pireos St. Annexe): 138 Pireos & Andronikou St.

Tel.: +30 210 345 3111

3) Address (Museum of Islamic Art): 22 Ag. Asomaton & 12 Dipilou St.

Tel.: +30 210 325 1311

www.benaki.gr

6) Goulandris Museum of Cycladic and Ancient Greek Art This museum hosts an outstanding collection of ancient Cycladic Art including unique pieces from

3000-2000 B.C.

Address: 4 Neofytou Douka St, Kolonaki

Tel.: +30 210 722-8321, 722-8323

7) Goulandris Natural History Museum There are thousands of dried plants and flowers, insects, rocks and minerals, stuffed birds and

animals and sea life of several sorts. Not to be missed by anyone interested in palaeontology,

entomology, zoology or geology.

Address: 13 Levidou St., Kifissia

Tel.: +30 210 801-5870

8) Theatre Museum Photographs, programs, masks, costumes, posters – all together “conspire” to offer the visitor a sweet

promenade back to the Greek Theatre History.

Address: 50 Acadamias st

Tel.: +30 210 362-9430

9) Museum of Greek Folk Art The Museum exhibits a significant collection of wood carvings, jewellery from all over Greece, as well

as other traditional folk art, dated back from the Byzantine period to the present.

Address: 17 Kydatheneon St, Plaka

Tel.: +30 210 323-1577

10) Jewish Museum This Museum displays articles concerning the heritage of the Jewish communities of Greece through

the ages, as well as documentation of the Holocaust which renders this museum a unique cultural

repository.

Address: 39 Nikis st and Kydatheneon, Plaka

Tel.+30 (210 323-1577

OTHER ARCHAEOLOGICAL & INTERESTING SITES IN

ATTICA

1) Sounion Cape Sounion, best renowned for the temple of Poseidon (the god of the sea in greek mythology), is

a roughly shaped headland leading to the gently-sloping site of the temple, up to 60m high. It is

located about 69km southeast of Athens, at the southernmost tip of Attica peninsula. Popular for its

panoramic view over the Aegean Sea and its sunset as well, the site is easily accessible by car,

following the scenic west coast road from Athens which passes through numerous upscale residential

districts and resorts, such as Glyfada, Vouliagmeni and Varkiza. There is also a scheduled bus service

to Sounion from Omonia Square. The surrounding region has been included among the 10 National

parks of Greece. To the east are the islets of Makronissos (ancient Helena) and Patroklus, and to the

south the larger islands of Kea and Kithnos.

Legend

According to the greek legend, Cape Sounion is the place where the king of Athens, Aegeus leapt off

the cliff, thus giving his name to the Aegean Sea. Aegeus felt deeply frustrated when he realised that

his son Theseus's ship, returning from Crete, sailed on black douses. This led him to believe that his

son had been killed fighting with the Minotaur, a monster being half man and half bull. The story has

it that the Minotaur was constrained by the King of Crete, Minoas, in a particularly perplexed

labyrinth. Each year, the Athenians were enforced to send 7 boys and 7 girls to Minoas as tribute.

These children were led to the labyrinth, where they were devoured by the Minotaur. Theseus had

volunteered to go to Crete and attempt to kill the beast. If he survived the fight, he would raise a

white sail on his returning to Athens. Theseus managed indeed to kill the Minotaur, however he forgot

the white sail, making his father to believe that he had been slain by the Minotaur.

Homer had also refered to Sounion in his poem “Odyssey” (8th century B.C.) which recounts the

mythical sufferances the Greek hero Odysseus faced during his 10-year sea-voyage to his homeland

Ithaca (Ionian sea), following the sack of Troy. Poseidon, being infuriated that Odysseus had blinded

his son Polyphemus (the Cyclops:one-eyed giant), imputed this ordeal upon Odysseus with the aim

to kill him. However, Zeus prevented Poseidon from doing so, listening to his daughter (goddess

Athena) who had Odysseus under her protection. As a result, Poseidon decided to deter Odysseus

from ever returning home.

History

Archaeological finds on the site date back to 700 B.C. In fact, there were two ancient temples on

this site, one dedicated to Athena (of which only the foundations remain) and the other to Poseidon.

The original Archaic Period Temple of Poseidon on the site was probably destroyed in 480 B.C.

Cape Sounion looking to the nearby islet of Patroklos.

during Xerxes I's invasion in Greece (second Greco-Persian War). The later temple at Sounion,

whose columns still stand, was probably built in 440 B.C. following the ascendancy of Pericles.

As Greece was principally a maritime country, the god of the sea occupied a prominent position in the

deities’ hierarchy. Thus, Poseidon was considered second after Zeus. His wrath, translated in the

form of storms, was immensly feared by all mariners as the danger of shipwrecks and drownings was

really huge. Therefore, the temple of Poseidon at Sounion was a venue where mariners, and entire

states as well, could pray to Poseidon sacrificing animals or offering gifts.

It was designed as a typical rectangular hexastyle, disposing a front portico with 6 columns and a

colonnade of Doric Order on all four sides. The total number of original columns was 42; only 18

columns still stand today. They were 6.10m high, with a diameter of 1m at the base and 79cm at the

top. At the centre of the temple would have been the area of worship (naos), containing a colossal

bronze statue of Poseidon (6m) who was usually featured holding a trident - the weapon he used to

trigger off storms.

Today, the remains of the temple bear the inscribed name of the English romantic poet and

passionate philhellene George Lord Byron (1788 - 1824) who presumably carved it on his first visit to

Greece, in 1810-11. He came back to Greece in July 1823 and, based at Messolonghi (western

Greece), he supported the Greeks in their struggle for freedom against the Ottoman Empire until his

death.

2) Lavrion Lavrion, the 3rd major Port in Attika today after Piraeus and Rafina, is the seat of the municipality of

Lavreotiki which was famous in Classical Creece for its silver mines been one of the chief sources of

revenue of the Athenian State. Following the battle of Marathon, Themistocles persuaded Athenians

to direct the revenue derived from the mines to shipbuilding, leading to the foundation of the

Athenian Naval Power and, finally, to the Victory of Salamis. Towards the end of the 5th century

the output was diminished, but the mines continued to be exploited. In 1865 a French-Italian

company was founded there, but it was finally closed in 1977.

The whole mineral vicinity has been recently renovated to its 19th century condition, together with

the establishment of the Technological Park which records a number of visitors related to the

science of Geology and not only, as the area successfully combines geology, history, culture and

sightseeing. Numerous of the mineral findings are displayed in the Mineral Museum of Lavrion.

Visitors are also given the opportunity to take the ferryboat and enjoy a one-day trip to the nearby

picturesque cycladic islands of Kea (Tzia) and Kythnos

Temple of Poseidon at Cape

Sounion, built in 440 BC.

Bronze statue of

Poseidon probably.

Height: 2.1m. 460 B.C.

Athens National

Archaeological Museum.

3) Vouliagmeni Lake Lake Vouliagmeni is a mineral spa which is reported to have many healing properties for such ailments

as dermatological diseases, neuralgia, headaches, disfiguring arthritis etc. It is about 50cm above sea

level and, as aresult, constantly overflows. It is full of such minerals as potassium, natrium, lithium,

calcium, chloride, and iodine - well known for giving relief to muscle problems. The lake is

recognized as a wonder of nature because of its unique appearance and the surroundings. Scientific

research have shown that millions of years ago, where the lake is now, there was a large cave with a

a lot of hot springs. Eventually the high temperature and moisture of these springs caused the roof to

collapse.

The lake is surrounded by beach chairs and umbrellas and there is a cafe-bar-restaurant too. It is also

excellent for swimming – except for therapy - for pleasure as well. During summer period, the lake

offers hotspring baths, hydrotherapy and physiotherapy. The Lake is across the street from

Vouliagmeni beach. There are plenty of cafes, bars, tavernas and restaurants nearby. There are also

several buses that stop at the entrance of the lake. The lake is open year round.

Tel. +30 210 896-2237, 896-2238, 896-2239

4) Attica Zoological Park Attica Zoological Park is a very interesting destination for all family members which was set up in

2004. Here, somebody can see from Pythons, Bears and Jaguars to Girrafes and scarce White Lions.

You may also enjoy a picnic to the carefully shaped communal spaces or buy something from the

nearby café.

It is open daily from 9.00 am to the sundown and it is located in Gialos – Spata.

• Access by bus: 319 from Doukissis Plakentias

• Access from Attiki Highway: Exit 18 to Spata (form the Airport)/ Exit 16Ρ to Rafina (from

Elefsina)/ Attiki Highway Termination with direction to Rafina form Ymitos Peripheral.

BEACHES Attica provides excellent opportunities for relaxation and respite, combining a variety of beautiful

beaches which allow you, without having to get on a ferry boat to the Greek islands, to enjoy

swimming in the Aegean Sea.

Beginning from the Kavouri-Vouliagmeni area and driving toward the Sounion area, you may find

beaches that appeal to every taste. Between the public beach of Vouliagmeni and the next town

which is Varkiza are The Coves where you park your car at the top and you walk down to some small

pebble beaches and flat rocks which resemble beaches in remote Greek islands.

Depending on the wind, some coasts are popular with windsurfers, mostly between Saronida and

Anavissos. In Anavissos there is a long open beach and plenty of fish tavernas and it is a favorite

place for Athenians during the weekends and especially on Sundays. There are also a few small

scattered beaches between Anavissos and Sounion. In Sounion there is a small beach below the

Temple with two tavernas. Between Sounion and Lavrion there are also number of tiny coves and

beaches.

The holders of cars can continue on to Porto Rafti, Loutsa and Rafina, all the way to the beaches of

Nea Makri and Schinias to the eastern Attica.

Public beaches like Vouliagmeni, charge admission and offer changing cabins, self-service

restaurants, tennis courts, basket-ball and volleyball pitches, as well as canoes and pedal canoes for

hire. Other public beaches are in Paleo Faliro, Alimos, Glyfada, Voula, Varkiza, Alcyoni and

Lagonissi.

The best way to visit beaches of Attica is by car, either a rental or a taxi. As for public transportation

the Coastal Tram goes as far as Voula. The blue public buses go to Vouliagmeni and Varkiza. The

yellow Attica buses leave from Areos Park (Alexandras Avenue & Patission Street) and take you to

Agia Marina, Anavissos, Lagonissi, Sounion and Lavrion, as well as to the beaches on the other side of

Attica like Rafina, Porto Rafti, Marathon, Schinias and Oropos.

If all this sounds too much, you can go to Lavrion, get on a ferry and be in Kea or Kythnos in about 1-

1.30 hours!

Hereunder, there is a helpful short list with Attica’s beaches, categorized into Organised Beaches and

Free Beaches.

Voula Beach. Vouliagmeni Beach. Varkiza Beach.

Saronida Beach. Thimari Beach. Nea Makri Beach.

ORGANISED BEACHES •Grand Beach Lagonissi •Asteria Sea Side Beach (Glyfada) •Astera Vouliagmeni Beach •Attica Beach (Vouliagmeni) •1st Voula Beach •2nd Voula Beach •Varkiza Beach •Aghios Cosmas •Alimos FREE BEACHES (South Attica) •Vouliagmeni (2nd quay) •Anavyssos (Thymari) •Lagonisi •Cape Sounion (Cape beach, Legraina, The Temple of Poseidon)

(East Attica) •Keratea beach (Kakia Skala) •Porto Rafti (council beach, Municipality of Marcopoulo - Avlaki, Aghia Marina, Erotospilia) •Vravrona – Artemis (Chamolia, Aghios Nikolaos, Beach – Artemis) •Rafina (Marikes beach, Kokkino Limanaki) •Nea Makri (Nea Makri beach, Zouberi, Mati) •Marathon (Skinias, Karavi, the beach at the Dikastika community, Ramnountas) (North Attica) •Oropos (Aghioi Apostoloi, Kalamos beach, Rera, Agona, Nea Palatia, Pigadakia, Chalkoutsi) (West Attica) •Porto Germeno, Psatha

ATHENS’ NIGHTLIFE Specially notorious for its nightlife, Athens provides numerous alternatives, satisfying every taste in

amusement.

Psiri is Athens’ busiest nightlife area, easily accessible from the ISAP Monatstiraki Station, as well as

from the ISAP Thesseion Station combining thus the introduction to Thesseion too. A wide variety of

music clubs, bars, cafes, restaurants and ouzeries (serving mezze, ouzo, beer and wine, as well as

traditional Rebentika music) lie along with the narrow streets of the above mentioned districts,

catering to all tastes. Following the same entertainment spirit, Plaka consists one more interesting

area of Athens where you can enjoy a great time too.

Another fashionable meeting area is Kolonaki which is located in the centre of Athens, just in the

foothill of Mount Lycabettus. Since many music bars and restaurants, including those offering foreign

cuisine, occupy its busy streets, Kolonaki disposes a plethora of available options for nightlife.

The cosmopolitan Athenian suburb, Glyfada, full of street cafes and bars, is also well known for its

never-ending nightlife (and its exclusive shopping market as well!).

During Summer period, live outdoor concerts and performances are hosted in Herodes Atticus

Theatre and Lycabettus Hill Theatre as well.

TRANSPORTATION (Schedules mentioned below are about to be slightly modified due to summer period)

- Anavyssos/Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos", 25km, 26 minutes drive

- Anavyssos/Athens City Center (Syntagma Square, Plaka flea market, Acropolis archeological site,

national museums and galleries, national garden and Zappeion, etc.), 52km, 45minutes drive

By Intercity Bus (Attica KTEL2):

Monday-Friday: 06.00, 06.30, 07.00, 07.30, 08.20 and every 1 hour until 19.20

Saturday: 06.00, 07.30, 08.20 and every 1 hour until 19.20

Sunday: 06.30, 07.30, 08.20 and every 1 hour until 19.20.

- Anavyssos/Glyfada Suburb (Exclusive shopping area, children's amusement park, bowling center,

cinema complex, all day entertainment and night clubs), 35 km, 10 minutes drive

By Intercity Bus (Attica KTEL):

Monday-Friday: 06.00, 06.30, 07.00, 07.30, 08.20 and every 1 hour until 19.20

Saturday: 06.00, 07.30, 08.20 and every 1 hour until 19.20

Sunday: 06.30, 07.30, 08.20 and every 1 hour until 19.20.

2 *Terminal: Pedion Areos (Areos Park) – Mavromateon Street (3’ walking from ISAP Station: Victoria)

- Anavyssos/Sounion - Temple of Poseidon (Ancient temple with the most famous sunset in Athens,

overlooking the Aegean Sea), 10 km, 10 minutes drive

By Intercity Bus (Attica KTEL):

Monday-Sunday: 06.40, 07.30 and every 1 hour until 17.30

- Athens/Port of Lavrion with yachts' marina, 25 km, 20minutes drive

By Intercity Bus (Attica KTEL):

Monday-Friday:

Saturday & Sunday:

Athens/Nea Makri coastside By Intercity Bus (Attica KTEL):

Monday-Friday: 05.30, 06.45, 09.00, 11.00, 13.00, 15.00, 17.00, 18.00, 20.00

Saturday & Sunday: 07.00, 09.00, 11.00, 13.00, 15.00, 17.00, 18.00, 20.00

Athens/Porto Rafti By Intercity Bus (Attica KTEL):

Monday-Friday: 05.45, 06.45, 07.15, 07.45, 08.15, 08.45, 09.15, 09.45, 10.15, 10.45, 11.15, 11.45, 12.45 and every 1 hour until

19.45

Saturday & Sunday: 05.45 and every 1 hour until 19.45

Athens/Skinias By Intercity Bus (Attica KTEL):

Monday-Friday: 07.30 & 15.30

Saturday & Sunday: 07.30

- Athens/Porto Germeno with the magnificent beach By Intercity Bus (Attica KTEL):

Monday-Friday: 06.15 & 14.30

Saturday & Sunday: 07.30 & 14.30