|
Tracing its history back over five millennia...
Athens traces its history back over five millennia and was
the site of many of the world’s most breathtaking
developments in culture, art and civilisation. In modern times
Athens has expanded into a thriving metropolis of 3.7 million
people. Today come to Athens to enjoy fascinating museums,
explore ruined temples and sample Greek cuisine.
Athens takes its name from Athena,
the ancient Greek Goddess of wisdom, and offers countless opportunities
to contemplate the achievements of great men who lived and worked here,
such as Euripides, Plato and Aristotle. The Acropolis is the heart of
the city, rising proudly above the outlying modern quarters. Explore
the magnificent Parthenon, the most perfect of all Greek temples,
and discover the array of temples that adorn the surrounding area.
The Romans first conquered Athens and later flocked to its cultural
attractions. They adorned the city with numerous monuments and
completed the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the largest temple in Greece.
It took over 700 years to build and its awesome 17 metre high columns
still stand on the Agora, the ancient marketplace. Don’t miss
the Arch of Hadrian and the restored Roman stadium which can seat
70,000.
As an ancient city Athens boasts a number
of renowned museums. The National Archaeological Museum holds a
world-famous collection of ancient Greek artefacts and can consume the
better part of a day. Other museums such as the Theatre Museum and the
Numismatic Museum take less time but prove equally fascinating. The
Byzantine Museum and National Historical Museum will fill you in on more
recent times when Athens was part of the Byzantine Empire and then
conquered by the Turks. When Greece won its independence from Turkey
in the nineteenth century, Athens comprised little more than the small
Plaka district. However, the historical significance of the city was
such that it was the natural choice for capital. Expansion was slow
until, in the 1920s, almost a million refugees arrived from the war
with Turkey. Thereafter the city grew steadily coming to hold over a
third of the national population.
Athens enjoys a rich cultural life today. See productions of ancient
plays in their original settings. Explore the many shops and classy
restaurants of Kolonaki or wander the narrow streets of Plaka and
taste a Greek coffee. The Olympic Games will be staged here in 2004
and have provoked major urban improvement projects and injected great
energy into the city.
|
del.icio.us
Digg it
Yahoo MyWeb
Stumble It!
