Map of the population of Athens. Ancient civilizations. Ancient Athens

There is no city in Europe that is like Athens. This applies to ancient monuments and the most complex historical path along which the Greek capital passed. Having been reborn, Athens has become a modern cultural center of Greece and a major European city full of contrasts. Here, ancient ruins coexist with luxury hotels, and the bustling center is just a stone's throw away from idyllic beaches.

Geography of Athens: what the capital of Greece is like

Athens is located in Central Greece (Attica), surrounded by the mountains of Parnitha, Ymittos, Pendeli and Aigaleo. The city and agglomeration cover an area of 410 sq. km, and the population with its suburbs totals more than 3 million inhabitants. Although this figure is conditional, because numerous students, repatriates and migrants flock to the Greek capital.

The city is divided into 7 districts. However, it is unofficially customary to divide Athens into historical districts, the most famous of which are Kolonaki, Plaka, Monastiraki and Exarchia.

History of the city of Athens

The history of Athens is so ancient that the exact age of the city cannot be established. We only know that it is the oldest currently inhabited city in Europe. The origins of Athens are linked to mythology. According to legend, they appeared as a result of a dispute between Poseidon and Athena over the right to make the best gift to the first king of the city, Kekrop. The goddess of wisdom won, and she became the patroness of the city.

In antiquity, Athens, along with Sparta, played a leading role in the life of Greece. Here democracy was formed and the art of theater emerged. The city-state was home to outstanding creators, artists, speakers and politicians. Prosperity continued until the Peloponnesian Wars, which resulted in the defeat of Athens. They forever lost their leading position, although they finally turned into an ordinary provincial city with the rise of the Roman Empire and the advent of Christianity.

In the Middle Ages, French, Italian and Byzantine knights claimed the right to own Athens. In the 15th century, the city became part of the Ottoman Empire. Subsequently, the wars between the Turks and the Venetians further weakened the city - the population decreased, many historical monuments were destroyed.

Only in 1833 the city managed to become the Greek capital and a new era began. The University of Athens, Syntagma Square and the National Park appeared, and the first Olympic Games of modern times were held.

Today Athens is a metropolis and a major transport hub in Greece with vibrant nightlife, ancient monuments, and a host of cultural events. The city has developed trolleybus and bus networks, a metro and an international airport, which annually receives 16 million passengers.

Best season to visit Athens

The right time to visit Athens depends entirely on the purpose of the tourist. One thing is for sure: the Greek capital is a year-round destination, attractive in any season.

If you want to explore the city without queues and heat, and also have a large selection of hotels, it is better to come in January-April or October-November. However, it is worth considering that during the low season, some restaurants are closed and attractions change their schedules. June-September are considered the busiest months. Numerous crowds of tourists pour into the bustle of Athens. Although there is no better time to combine sightseeing tourism and relaxation on the coast.

Athens - attractions

The goal of any tourist in Athens is the Acropolis with many historical monuments. Among the main ones is the Theater of Dionysus, which hosted competitions for the authors of tragedies and other cultural events in Athens. The outstanding monument of the Acropolis, the Erechtheion, will give a complete picture of the architecture of the Ionian order. And the scale of the Parthenon will allow you to appreciate the works of the best architects and builders of antiquity. All the original finds of the Acropolis can be seen in its New Museum, which owns a huge collection of statues, bas-reliefs and religious objects.

However, beautiful ancient structures have been preserved not only on the Acropolis. On the Agora, which in ancient times was considered the center of city life, is the Temple of Hephaestus. It survived largely due to the fact that a church was organized here in Byzantine times. At the southern end of the Agora is the Odeon, which resembles a Roman amphitheater. The Athens Festival is held here every year.

Tourists enjoy spending time in Plaka. This is the oldest district of Athens with colorful architecture, many ancient buildings, narrow streets and shops. The laid-back atmosphere makes Plaka one of the most charming places in the city.

65 km from the city is Cape Sounion, which is worth visiting for two reasons. Firstly, the temple of Poseidon and fragments of the temple of Athena have been preserved here. Secondly, in Sounion you can watch sunsets of amazing beauty. In addition, the cape is shrouded in legends. It was in this place, according to myths, that Aegeus threw himself into the sea.

Athens: sea and beaches

Near the metropolis there are a number of good beaches that Athenians flock to after work or on weekends. The suburb of Glyfada is the most popular destination. The sandy coast of this resort is ideal for a family holiday. Some beaches are free, others are well equipped and charge a fee to visit.

In the suburbs of Athens there is Mati Beach and the adjacent Agios Andreas. The coast is strewn with pebbles and equipped with sun loungers. There are taverns and water attractions here.

The beaches of Vouliagmeni invite you to relax after a long day. They are 23 km away from the city. On the coast there are restaurants and tennis courts, and children's playgrounds are equipped. Fans of wild beaches on Vouliagmeni will love the town of Limanaki with its exotic nature and clear sea.

How to get to Athens

The main transport gates of the Greek capital are the Eleftherios Venizelos Airport and the port of Piraeus. The most convenient way to get to Athens is by air. The airport receives regular flights and charters from many countries. Directly from the terminal, several points in Athens can be reached by any of the six buses that operate.

Taxi at Eleftherios Venizelos airport.

Port of Piraeus.

Piraeus connects Athens with all popular destinations within Greece and beyond. From the port to the center you can take buses No. 49, 40 (to Syntagma and Omonia) or prefer the metro (Green Line).

The city of Ancient Greece with the famous Acropolis, Athens, became a symbol of ancient civilization and occupied a central place in the life of the Greeks. The construction of Athens began in the Mycenaean era with the construction of the Peloponnesian palaces. The city grew and over time began to personify all the Greek virtues and enjoy undoubted authority, so that even after the defeat in the Pelononnesian War, the Spartans refused to destroy the city and enslave the citizens.

History of the emergence of the Athenian Empire

Evidence of a historical settlement on the Acropolis has been found near the site of Agora. There is an assumption that it was inhabited as early as 5000, and possibly as early as 7000 BC. According to legend, the Athenian king Kekrops named the city in his honor, but from Olympus it was clear that this city was so beautiful that it deserved an immortal name.

Poseidon struck the rock with his trident, from which water gushed out, and he assured the people that now they would never suffer from drought.

Athena was the last, she sowed a seed into the ground, from which an olive tree quickly grew. The ancient Greeks believed that the olive tree was more valuable than water since it was salty from the kingdom of Poseidon. And Athena was chosen as the patroness of the city, and it was named after her.

The main means of subsistence for the city of Ancient Greece were agriculture and trade, mainly by sea. During the Mycenaean era (circa 1550-1100 BC), massive construction of massive fortresses began throughout Greece, and Athens was no exception. The ruins of the Mycenaean court can still be seen today at the Acropolis.

Homer in the Iliad and Odyssey portrays the Mycenaeans as great warriors and seafarers who traded in the Aegean and Mediterranean seas. In 1200 B.C. The Sea Peoples invaded the Greek Aegean archipelago from the south, while the Dorians simultaneously arrived from the north of mainland Greece. When the Mycenaeans invaded Attica (the area surrounding Athens), the Dorians withdrew from the city leaving the ancient Greek city untouched. Although, as in other parts of ancient civilization, after the invasions there was an economic and cultural decline. The Athenians then began to claim a special status in the Ionian Sea.

The Rise of Democracy in Ancient Greece

Erechtheion, Ancient Greece, Athens

Wealthy aristocrats established control over the lands; over time, poorer landowners were enslaved by wealthy citizens. The reason for this was the different understanding of the laws of the city of Ancient Greece. One piece of legislation, represented by the writings of the statesman Draco, was considered too difficult to enforce, since most violations carried the death penalty.

The great legislator Solon called for them to be reviewed and changed. Solon, although he himself belonged to aristocratic circles, issued a series of laws that granted the right to vote in political matters to citizens. In doing so, he laid the foundation for democracy in Athens in 594 BC.

After Solon withdrew from government affairs, various factional leaders began to share power. Ultimately, Peisistratus won, recognizing the value of Solon’s laws and calling for them to be carried out unchanged. His son, Hypipios, continued his political path until his younger brother, Hipparkos, was killed in 514 BC. by order of Sparta. After the coup d'etat in Ancient Greece and the settlement of issues with the Spartans, Cleisthenes was appointed to reform the government and legal framework. In 507 BC. he introduced a new form of government, which is today recognized as a democratic regime.

According to historian Waterfield:

“The pride that the citizens of Athens could now participate in public life gave a huge impetus to their development of the city.”.

The new form of government provided the stability necessary for Athens to flourish as the cultural and intellectual center of the ancient world."

The Age of Pericles in Athens

Athens

Under Pericles, Athens entered a golden age, which was marked by a cultural upsurge that accompanied the emergence of great thinkers, writers and artists.

After the Athenians defeated the Persians at the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC, and were freed from a second Persian invasion at Salamis in 480 BC, Athens came to be considered the center of naval power in ancient Greece. . The Delian League was formed to create a cohesive defense of the city-states of the ancient civilization to prevent attacks from the Persians. Under the leadership of Pericles, Athens earned such authority that it could make its own laws, introduce customs and trade with its neighbors in Attica and the islands of the Aegean Sea.

The period of Pericles' reign went down in the history of ancient Greece as the golden age of philosophy, artistic and literary arts, and the heyday of Athens. Herodotus, "father of history", wrote his immortal works in Athens. Socrates, "father of philosophy", taught in Athens. Hippocrates, the "father of medicine", practiced in the capital of the ancient civilization. Sculptor Phidias created his best works for the Acropolis, the Temple of Zeus and Olympia. Democritus conducted research and found out that the universe consists of atoms. Aeschylus Eurypylus, Aristophanes and Sophocles wrote their famous plays. Plato created an academy of sciences near Athens in 385 BC, then Aristotle founded the Lyceum in the city center.

Combat battles of Athens

The power of the Athenian Empire posed a threat to neighboring states. After Athens sent troops to help the Spartan forces to suppress the Helot rebellion, Sparta invited the ancient Greeks to leave the battlefield and return home. The incident sparked a war that had been brewing for a long time.

Later, when the Ancient Greek city sent its fleet to protect Sosug's ally (Confu) against a Corinthian invasion during the Battle of Sybota in 433 BC, this was interpreted by Sparta as aggression rather than assistance, since Corinth was an ally of Sparta .

The Peloponnesian War (431-404 BC) between Athens and Sparta, in which all the cities of Ancient Greece were involved in one way or another, ended in defeat for Athens.

All cultural monuments were destroyed. In the city, which has a reputation as an educational center and the culture of the entire civilization, such a phenomenon as the enslavement of the population arose. Athens struggled to maintain its position as an independent state until it was finally defeated in 338 BC. Macedonian troops under the leadership of Philip II in Chaeronea.

After the defeat at the Battle of Sinosephalos in 197 BC. The Roman Empire began its gradual conquest of Ancient Greece. Legend has it that the Roman general Sulla, who was fired from a high position in Athens in 87 BC, was the organizer of the massacre of the city's citizens and the burning of the port of Ripaeus.

In the modern world, Athens preserves the heritage of classical art, poetic and artistic achievements. While the Parthenon at the Acropolis continues to symbolize the golden age and heyday of Ancient Greece.

Video of Athens Acropolis of ancient Greece

The archaeological study of Athens began in the 30s of the 19th century, but excavations became systematic only with the formation of the French, German and English archaeological schools in Athens in the 70s and 80s. Literary sources and archaeological material that have survived to this day help to reconstruct the history of the Athenian polis. The main literary source on the history of Athens during the period of state formation is Aristotle’s “The Athenian Polity” (IV century BC).

Encyclopedic YouTube

1 / 5

Ancient Athens (Russian) History of the ancient world

Athens and Sparta. Athenian democracy

Video lesson on history "In the city of the goddess Athena"

Socrates - ancient thinker, first Athenian philosopher

A.Yu. Mozhaisky. Lecture "Athens in the 7th-6th centuries BC - the establishment of democracy"

Subtitles

Formation of the Athenian state

Hellenistic era

During the Hellenistic period, when Greece became an arena of struggle between the major Hellenistic states, the position of Athens changed several times. There were short periods when they managed to achieve relative independence; in other cases, Macedonian garrisons were introduced into Athens. In 146 BC. e. Having shared the fate of all of Greece, Athens fell under the rule of Rome; being in the position of an ally city (lat. civitas foederata), they enjoyed only fictitious freedom. In 88 BC. e. Athens joined the anti-Roman movement raised by the Pontic king Mithridates VI Eupator. In 86 BC. e. The army of Lucius Cornelius Sulla took the city by storm and plundered it. Out of respect for the powerful past of Athens, Sulla preserved their fictitious freedom. In 27 BC. e. after the formation of the Roman province of Achaia, Athens became part of it. In the 3rd century AD. BC, when Balkan Greece began to be invaded by barbarians, Athens fell into complete decline.

Planning and architecture

Hills

Akropolis Hill.
Areopagus, that is, the hill of Ares - west of the Acropolis, gave its name to the highest judicial and governmental council of Ancient Athens, which held its meetings on the hillside.
Nymphaeion, that is, the hill of the nymphs, is southwest of the Areopagus.
Pnyx - a semicircular hill southwest of the Areopagus; meetings of the ekklesia were originally held here, which were later moved to the Theater of Dionysus.
Museion, that is, the Hill of Museus or Muses, now known as the Hill of Philopappou - south of the Pnyx and Areopagus.

Acropolis

Initially, the city occupied only the upper area of the steep hill of the Acropolis, accessible only from the west, which simultaneously served as a fortress, political and religious center, and the core of the entire city. According to legend, the Pelasgians leveled the top of the hill, surrounded it with walls and built an outer fortification on the western side with 9 gates located one after another. The ancient kings of Attica and their wives lived inside the castle. Here stood an ancient temple dedicated to Pallas Athena, along with whom Poseidon and Erechtheus were also revered (hence the temple dedicated to him was called Erechtheion).

The golden age of Pericles was also a golden age for the Acropolis of Athens. First of all, Pericles instructed the architect Ictinus to build a new, more magnificent Temple of the Virgin Athena - the Parthenon, on the site of the old Hekatompedon (Temple of Chaste Athena) destroyed by the Persians. Its splendor was enhanced by the numerous statues with which, under the leadership of Phidias, the temple was decorated, both outside and inside. Immediately after the completion of the Parthenon, which served as the treasury of the gods and for the celebration of the Panathenaia, in 438 BC. e. Pericles commissioned the architect Mnesicles to build a new magnificent gate at the entrance to the acropolis - Propylaea (437-432 BC). A staircase of marble slabs, winding, led along the western slope of the hill to the portico, which consisted of 6 Doric columns, the spaces between which symmetrically decreased on both sides.

Agora

Part of the population, subject to the owners of the fortress (acropolis), eventually settled at the foot of the hill, mainly on its southern and southeastern side. It was here that the most ancient sanctuaries of the city were located, in particular dedicated to Olympian Zeus, Apollo, Dionysus. Then settlements appeared along the slopes that stretch west of the Acropolis. The lower city expanded even more when, due to the unification of the various parts into which Attica was divided in ancient times into one political whole (tradition attributes this to Theseus), Athens became the capital of the united state. Gradually, over the following centuries, the city was also settled on the northern side of the Acropolis. It was predominantly home to artisans, namely members of the respected and numerous class of potters in Athens, hence a significant quarter of the city east of the Acropolis was called the Ceramics (that is, the potters' quarter).

Finally, in the era of Peisistratus and his sons, an altar to the 12 gods was built in the southern part of the new Agora (market), which was located at the northwestern foot of the Acropolis. Moreover, from the Agora the distances of all areas connected by roads to the city were measured. Peisistratus also began construction in the lower city of the colossal Temple of Olympian Zeus east of the Acropolis, and on the highest point of the Acropolis hill - the Temple of Chaste Athena (Hecatompedon).

Gates

Among the main entrance gates of Athens were:

in the west: Dipylon Gate, leading from the center of the Keramik district to the Academy. The gate was considered sacred because the sacred Elefsinian Way began from it. Knight's Gate were located between the Hill of the Nymphs and the Pnyx. Piraeus Gate- between Pnyx and Museion, led to a road between long walls, which in turn led to Piraeus. The Miletus Gate is so named because it led to the deme of Miletus within Athens (not to be confused with the polis of Miletus).
in the south: the gate of the dead was located near Museion Hill. The road to Faliron began from the Itonia Gate on the banks of the Ilissos River.
in the east: the Diochara gate led to the Lyceum. The Diomean Gate received this name because it led to the demo of Diomeus, as well as the hill of Kinosargus.
in the north: the Acarnian gate led to the deme Acarneus.

Cities of the world

Samarkand stands on 10-15 meters of thickness of the ancient settlement of Afrasiab. The settlement is named after the legendary ruler of the Central Asian nomads who lived more than 2,000 years ago in the hills of modern Samarkand. In the records of the conquest of Alexander the Great there is a settlement located on the site of the ancient settlement of Afrasiab, which...

Like many old cities in Europe, Warsaw was born in ancient times, almost immemorial. Rivers were then of great importance for the emergence of cities: people settled in places where there was a high bank, to which it was more convenient for ships to moor. There is such a place nearby...
In April 1624, the Florentine navigator Giovanni da Verazano, a subject of the French king Francis I, sailed on his ship "Dauphine" to the mouth of the Severnaya River. The Indians greeted the navigator very friendly, but J. da Verazano did not stay here long: he walked along the coast to the north,…
90 kilometers south of Baghdad lie the ruins of ancient Babylon, covered in the dust of centuries, which consist of four huge hills of rubble. Here in Mesopotamia, several thousand years ago, one of the first centers of human civilization arose with the famous “Hanging Gardens of Babylon” and…
In March 1776, in the northern part of the peninsula, where the city of San Francisco is now located, the presidio was founded - the first Spanish military fort and the first Catholic mission - Mission Dolores. On forty nameless hills grew the fragrant grass “Uerba buena”, which was the name of the first...
In the east was the kingdom of the Red Chuck - from there came a crimson scorching luminary; White Chuck reigned in the north - his icy breath brought snow and rain; Black Chuck lived in the west, where mountains blackened above the sandy deserts; and in the south, where they turned yellow...
For many of us, St. Petersburg begins on May 16, 1703 - a date well known from school textbooks. Long before Peter I, the territory of the future St. Petersburg was simply strewn with Russian villages and hamlets. Along the mossy, muddy banks of Cherneli there are huts here and there.…
The Swedish capital opens up to the eyes of tourists with green and purple spiers of churches, palaces and rare modernist skyscrapers. Stockholm is located on islands and peninsulas, and wherever you go in this city, you will always come out to the sea. In the Old Town, the pointed bell towers of churches and the facades of palaces are reflected...
In 1368 BC, Amenhotep IV, the most unusual of the ancient Egyptian pharaohs, ascended the Egyptian throne, whose reforms gave rise to an extremely interesting period in the history of Egypt. Before him, the system of mystical and religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians was extremely complex and confusing. Worship to the many...
The origin of Yerevan is lost in the mists of time, but the name of the city, as is commonly believed, comes from the Armenian verb “erevel” - to appear. This is associated with the legend that this area was the first to appear to the eyes of Noah descending from Ararat, who built the first post-flood city here. ...IN…
The historical emergence of Rome is very prosaic: mountain shepherds descended into the valley and settled on the Palatine Hill. Then the settlements that arose on the hills surrounding the Palatine united and surrounded themselves with a fortified wall. This is how Rome arose, and it was in 753 BC. However…
Probably no city in Latin America was built like Havana. While others emerged as intermediaries, Havana was a warrior city from the very beginning. Christopher Columbus discovered Cuba in 1492 - already on his first voyage. Those who arrived after him...
Canada's largest city, Montreal, is the industrial center of the country. It is located on the banks of the St. Lawrence River at the foot of the Royal Hill - Mont-Royal, from which the name of the city comes. Where Montreal is located, the St. Lawrence, Ottawa and Richelieu rivers meet…
The small town of Bethlehem is located seven kilometers from Jerusalem. And although its history is very ancient, it was invisible among other cities of Israel. When the patriarch Jacob was walking with his family from Bethel, at some distance from Ephrath his wife Rachel gave birth to a son...

ANCIENT ATHENS

"ANCIENT ATHENS"

Olive is a sacred tree for the Greeks, the tree of life. Without it, it is impossible to imagine the Greek valleys, sandwiched between the mountains and the sea, and even the rocky mountain slopes themselves, where olive groves alternate with vineyards. Olives climb almost to the very tops; they also dominate the plains, brightening up the yellowish soil with their lush greenery. They surround villages in a tight ring and line the city streets. Unassuming and life-loving, olives have their roots not only in the rocky soil of Greece, but also in the bizarre world of its myths and legends.

The birthplace of the sacred tree is considered to be the Acropolis, a hill around which the Greek capital lies. Cities of the ancient world usually appeared near a high rock, and a citadel (acropolis) was also built on it, so that residents had a place to hide when attacked by enemies.

The beginning of Athens is lost in fabulous times. The first king of Attica, Cecrops, who arrived in the country in 1825 BC, built a fortress with a royal palace on the Acropolis. Under Cecrops, a well-known dispute took place between the god Poseidon and the goddess Athena for the possession of Attica. The Olympian gods, led by Zeus, acted as judges in this dispute, when Athena and Poseidon brought their gifts to the city. With a blow of his trident, Poseidon cut the rock, and a salty spring came out of the stone. Athena thrust her spear deep into the ground, and an olive tree grew in this place. All the gods supported Poseidon, and the goddesses and King Kekrop supported Athena. According to another legend, Poseidon produced a horse, but it was also considered less useful for the inhabitants of Attica than an olive tree. Angry at the loss, the god sent huge waves onto the plain around the city, from which it was possible to hide only on the Acropolis. The thunderer Zeus stood up for the residents, and the townspeople themselves appeased Poseidon, promising to erect a temple in his honor on Cape Souniyon, which they subsequently did.

Initially, the entire city consisted only of a fortress. Only then did people begin to settle around the Acropolis, flocking here from all over Greece as a place safe from the invasions of nomadic tribes. Gradually, groups of houses were formed here, which were then united together with the fortress into a single city. Tradition, followed by Greek historians, indicates that this happened in 1350 BC, and attributes the unification of the city to the folk hero Thezeus.

"ANCIENT ATHENS"

Athens then lay in a small valley surrounded by a chain of rocky hills.

The tyrant ruler Peisistratus was the first to transform the Acropolis from a fortress into a sanctuary. But he was a smart man - when he came to power, he ordered all the idlers to be brought to his palace and asked them why they weren’t working. If it turned out that he was a poor man who did not have an ox or seeds to plow and sow the field, then Peisistratus would give him everything. He believed that idleness was fraught with the threat of a conspiracy against his power. In an effort to provide the population of Athens with work, Pisistratus launched a large construction project in the city. Under him, on the site of the royal palace of Kekrop, the Hekatompedon, dedicated to the goddess Athena, was erected. The Greeks revered their patroness so highly that they set free all the slaves who participated in the construction of this temple.

The center of Athens was the Agora - a market square where not only trading shops were located; it was the heart of the public life of Athens, there were halls for public, military and judicial meetings, temples, altars and theaters. During the time of Pisistratus, the temples of Apollo and Zeus Agoraios, the nine-jet Enneakrunos fountain and the altar of the Twelve Gods, which served as a refuge for wanderers, were erected on the Agora.

The construction of the Temple of Olympian Zeus, begun under Pisistratus, was then suspended for many reasons (military, economic, political). According to legend, this place has been the center where Olympian Zeus and the Earth were worshiped since ancient times. The first temple here was built by Deucalion - the Greek Noah; later the tomb of Deucalion and the crack into which water flowed after the flood were pointed out here. Every year, on the February new moon, the inhabitants of Athens threw wheat flour mixed with honey there as an offering to the dead.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus began to be built in the Doric order, but neither Peisistratus nor his sons had time to finish it. The building materials prepared for the temple in the 5th century BC began to be used to build the city wall. Construction of the temple was resumed (already in the Corinthian order) under the Syrian king Antiochus IV Epiphanes in 175 BC. Then a sanctuary and a colonnade were built, but due to the death of the king, this time the construction of the temple was not completed.

The destruction of the unfinished temple was begun by the Roman conqueror Sulla, who captured and sacked Athens in 86 BC.

"ANCIENT ATHENS"

He took several columns to Rome, where they decorated the Capitol. Only under Emperor Hadrian was the construction of this temple completed - one of the largest buildings in ancient Greece, equal in size to a football field.

In the open sanctuary of the temple stood a colossal statue of Zeus, made of gold and ivory. Behind the temple stood four statues of Emperor Hadrian, in addition, many statues of the emperor stood in the temple fence. During the earthquake of 1852, one of the columns of the Temple of Olympian Zeus collapsed, and now it lies disintegrated into its constituent drums. To date, of the 104 columns that were the largest in Europe, only fifteen remain.

Scientists suggest that the famous Parthenon, which was subsequently destroyed by the Persians, was founded by Pisistratus (or under Pisistrati). During the time of Pericles, this temple was rebuilt on a foundation twice the size of the previous one. The Parthenon was erected in 447-432 BC by the architects Ictinus and Callicrates. It was surrounded on four sides by slender colonnades, and between their white marble trunks one could see gaps of blue sky. Entirely permeated with light, the Parthenon seems light and airy. There are no bright designs on its white columns, such as are found in Egyptian temples. Only longitudinal grooves (flutes) cover them from top to bottom, making the temple seem taller and even slimmer.

The most famous Greek masters participated in the sculptural design of the Parthenon, and the artistic inspiration was Phidias, one of the greatest sculptors of all time. He is responsible for the overall composition and development of the entire sculptural decoration, part of which he performed himself. And in the depths of the temple, surrounded on three sides by two-tiered columns, the famous statue of the Virgin Athena, created by the famous Phidias, stood proudly. Her clothes, helmet and shield were made of pure gold, and her face and hands shone with the whiteness of ivory. The creation of Phidias was so perfect that the rulers of Athens and foreign rulers did not dare to erect other structures on the Acropolis, so as not to disturb the general harmony. Even today, the Parthenon amazes with the amazing perfection of its lines and proportions: it looks like a ship sailing through millennia, and you can endlessly look at its colonnade permeated with light and air.

On the Acropolis there was also the temple ensemble of the Erechtheion with the world-famous portico of the caryatids: on the south side of the temple, at the edge of the wall, six girls carved from marble supported the ceiling.

"ANCIENT ATHENS"

The portico figures are essentially supports replacing a pillar or column, but they perfectly convey the lightness and flexibility of the girlish figures. The Turks, who at one time captured Athens and, according to their Islamic laws, did not allow images of humans, did not destroy the caryatids, however. They limited themselves to only cutting off the girls' faces.

The only entrance to the Acropolis is the famous Propylaea - a monumental gate with Doric columns and a wide staircase. According to legend, however, there is a secret entrance to the Acropolis - underground. It begins in one of the old grottoes, and 2,500 years ago a sacred snake crawled along it from the Acropolis when the army of the Persian king Xerxes attacked Greece.

In ancient Greece, the Propylaea (literally translated as “standing before the gate”) was the solemnly decorated entrance to a square, sanctuary or fortress. The Propylaea of the Athenian Acropolis, built by the architect Mnesicles in 437-432 BC, is considered the most perfect, most original and at the same time the most typical structure of this kind of architecture. In ancient times, in everyday speech, the Propylaea was called the “Palace of Themistocles”, later - the “Arsenal of Lycurgus”. After the conquest of Athens by the Turks, an arsenal with a powder magazine was actually built in the Propylaea.

On the high pedestal of the bastion, which once guarded the entrance to the Acropolis, stands a small elegant temple of the goddess of victory Nike Apteros, decorated with low bas-reliefs with images on the themes of the Greco-Persian wars. Inside the temple, a gilded statue of the goddess was installed, which the Greeks liked so much that they innocently begged the sculptor not to give her wings so that she could not leave beautiful Athens. Victory is fickle and flies from one enemy to another, which is why the Athenians depicted her as wingless, so that the goddess would not leave the city that had won a great victory over the Persians.

After the Propylaea, the Athenians went to the main square of the Acropolis, where they were greeted by a 9-meter statue of Athena Promachos (Warrior), also created by the sculptor Phidias. It was cast from captured Persian weapons captured at the Battle of Marathon. The pedestal was high, and the gilded tip of the goddess’s spear, sparkling in the sun and visible far from the sea, served as a kind of beacon for sailors.

When the Byzantine Empire separated from the Roman Empire in 395, Greece became part of it, and until 1453 Athens was part of the Byzantine Empire.

"ANCIENT ATHENS"

The great temples of the Parthenon, Erechtheion and others were converted into Christian churches. At first, this was liked and even helped by the Athenians, newly converted Christians, as it allowed them to perform new religious rituals in a familiar and familiar environment. But by the 10th century, the greatly reduced population of the city began to feel uncomfortable in the huge majestic buildings of past times, and the Christian religion demanded a different artistic and aesthetic design of churches. Therefore, in Athens they began to build Christian churches that were much smaller in size, and also completely different in artistic principles. The oldest Byzantine-style church in Athens is the Church of St. Nicodemus, built on the ruins of Roman baths.

In Athens you can constantly feel the proximity of the East, although it is difficult to say right away what exactly gives the city its oriental flavor. Maybe these are mules and donkeys harnessed to carts, such as are found on the streets of Istanbul, Baghdad and Cairo? Or are the minarets of mosques preserved here and there - mute witnesses to the former rule of the Sublime Porte? Or maybe the outfit of the guards standing guard at the royal residence - bright red fez, skirts above the knees and felt shoes with upturned toes? And of course, this is the oldest part of modern Athens - the Plaka district, dating back to the times of Turkish rule. This area has been preserved as it existed before 1833: narrow, dissimilar streets with small houses of old architecture; stairs connecting streets, churches... And above them rise the majestic gray rocks of the Acropolis, crowned with a powerful fortress wall and overgrown with sparse trees.

Behind the small houses are the Roman Agora and the so-called Tower of the Winds, which was given to Athens by the wealthy Syrian merchant Andronikos in the 1st century BC. The Tower of the Winds is an octagonal structure a little more than 12 meters high, its edges are strictly oriented to the cardinal points. The sculptural frieze of the Tower depicts winds blowing each from their own direction.

The Tower was built of white marble, and at the top of it stood a copper Den with a staff in his hands: turning in the direction of the wind, he pointed with the staff to one of the eight sides of the Tower, where the eight winds were depicted in bas-reliefs.

For example, Boreas (north wind) was depicted as an old man in warm clothes and ankle boots, in his hands he holds a shell, which serves him instead of a pipe. Zephyr (the western spring wind) appears as a barefoot youth who scatters flowers from the hem of his flowing robe. Under the bas-reliefs depicting the winds, on each side of the Tower there is a sundial, which shows not only the time of day, but also both turns of the sun and the equinox. And so that you can find out the time in cloudy weather, a clepsydra - a water clock - is placed inside the Tower.

During the Turkish occupation, for some reason it was believed that the philosopher Socrates was buried in the Tower of the Winds. Where Socrates died and where exactly the tomb of the ancient Greek thinker is located is impossible to read about this from ancient writers. However, the people have preserved a legend pointing to one of the caves, which consists of three chambers - partly natural, partly specially carved into the rock. One of the outer chambers also has a special internal compartment - like a low round casemate with an opening at the top, which is closed with a stone slab...

It is impossible to tell in one article about all the sights of Athens, because every stone here breathes history, every centimeter of the land of the ancient city, which is impossible to enter without trepidation, is sacred... No wonder the Greeks said: “If you have not seen Athens, then you are a mule; and if you saw and were not delighted, then you are a stump!

18+, 2015, website, “Seventh Ocean Team”. Team coordinator:

We provide free publication on the website.
Publications on the site are the property of their respective owners and authors.

This truly legendary Greek city is famous throughout the world. The capital of ancient and modern Greece has experienced great ups and no less epic falls throughout its history. Like a Phoenix, Athens was reborn after devastating wars, conquests and natural disasters. At the same time, the Greeks managed to preserve part of the city’s historical heritage: today the ruins of the Acropolis and the remains of ancient sculptures coexist with fashionable hotels and modern shopping centers. The features of the most important Greek polis will be discussed in today’s material.

The history of these glorious places goes back almost ten thousand years. The exact date of the founding of the city of Athens is unknown, but according to the widespread version, settlements appeared here in 7 thousand BC. They were located in the southern part of Attica, where there are low mountains covering a valley with settlements on three sides.

The founder of Athens is considered the first ruler in the Athenian kingdom - King Kekropos, who was half man, half snake. According to legend, when choosing a patron of the city, he asked the gods a simple task: to make a useful gift. Poseidon gave him a fountain, but the water in it turned out to be salty and undrinkable. And the goddess Athena gifted the new polis with a tree with unusual fruits - olives. Kekrop chose a gift from the goddess, in whose honor the city of Athens was named.

Athens reached its apogee of glory in the 5th century BC. Actually from 500 to 300 BC. All of Ancient Greece reached the golden age of development, and its capital became the cradle of culture, economics and politics. However, the political system of the Greek country was such that Athens was not so much the capital of Greece, but acted as an independent state. Polis remained the most important center of ancient times until the rise of the Roman Empire.

In the third century AD, Athens lost its former grandeur and became a provincial town. Then there are long centuries of constant wars and conquests by foreign troops, leading to the looting, destruction and even burning of Athens. A new round of the city’s history begins only in the 19th century, when the Greeks managed to free themselves from the dictates of the Ottoman Empire.

Since 1833, Athens has been the official capital of Greece. Having achieved independence, the Greek kingdom begins to develop rapidly. King Otto of Bavaria intended to return the country to its former greatness and restore the prestige of the capital. To do this, architects were called to Athens who designed several city streets and public buildings in the neoclassical style (including the University of Athens, the National Park, Syntagma Square, etc.). Gradually the city regained its former appearance and in 1896 the first modern Olympic Games were held here in the new stadium.

The 20th century is marked by the beginning of archaeological excavations, which help restore the heritage of ancient Greece. In the 1920s, the Greeks signed an agreement with the Turks on the exchange of populations, as a result of which a wave of immigrants rolled into Athens. Added to this are the treaties on the Balkan Wars that were successful for the Greeks, after the conclusion of which the territory and population of the country, incl. Athens doubles in size.

During World War II, the city fell under German occupation, but after the war it again continued its rapid development. The construction and industrial boom of the mid-20th century, at the beginning of the 21st century, leads to transport and environmental problems. To date, some of them have been successfully resolved, which was greatly facilitated by the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Modern Athens is a dynamic city that combines ancient heritage with the vibrant and vibrant life of 21st century Europe. There are many nightclubs, branded stores, entertainment centers and tourist hotels. But above all this, the ancient Acropolis, the Temple of Olympian Zeus, the Parthenon and the remains of ancient theaters still rise.

Geographical location

Athens is located on mainland Greece, in the south of the Balkan Peninsula. Polis is located on the central plain of Attica, surrounded by mountains and the Saronic Gulf. Over the years of active development and settlement, the city has come close to these natural boundaries. So further expansion of the urban area is practically impossible.

Greece is southeastern Europe, and Athens is one of the southernmost European cities. But you are unlikely to need a map of European countries, but a map of the city of Athens will be useful to any traveler. The city is very large, so getting around without a street map is quite difficult.

Population

Everyone knows what a glorious capital Greece is and what the main attractions of Athens are called. But few people know that the population of the city of Athens accounts for 1/3 of the total population of the country! Just think about it: a third of the state’s residents live in one city.

The permanent population in Athens in 2017 is more than 3.5 million people, while the total number of residents of Greece in the same year is 10.9 million people. At the same time, migrants and part of the local population registered in other regions also live in the capital city. Their number can be approximately estimated at another 500 thousand people. This is how capacious the Greek capital is.

Climate

Like the rest of the country, Athens is influenced by the Mediterranean climate. It provides a consistently sunny, hot summer and a long autumn, which in fact smoothly turns into spring. Winter frosts are rare in the region.

The area where Athens is located has low humidity, so the summer heat can be tolerated comfortably. Summer temperatures reach +30°C and above. Rainy days are most common in autumn, but precipitation is very rare in summer.

How to get to Athens

The Greek capital can be reached by plane, ferry and land transport.

The city's air harbor is called Eleftherios Venizelos. Upon arrival at Athens airport, it is very easy to go straight to the city center. There is a metro line from the terminal, and numerous buses and commuter trains depart from the airport to the city.

The port of Piraeus is the sea gate to the capital Athens. Foreign ships dock here, as well as an endless stream of local ferries of various capacities. Please note that in winter, ship schedules are often disrupted by the vagaries of the weather.

You can get to Athens by car or bus along numerous highways and routes. The distance, travel time and comfort of the route naturally depend on the starting point of departure.

The best time of year to visit Athens is difficult to determine. Spring and summer have the hottest temperatures and peak season, but the cost of holidays is also higher. In autumn and winter, the demand for holidays is lower, but the weather conditions are worse. However, if you look hard enough, you can find a hot offer and go on holiday in Greece and Athens at a discount. To do this, look through the calendar of low prices for air tickets and online services for selecting tours and accommodation.

Athens travel guide

Here our material about holidays in Athens comes to the equator, and from dry facts and theory we begin to move on to tourist practice, i.e. walks around the city. Next, we will tell you about the most interesting places in Athens and the unique sights of Greece that have been preserved in the capital city. We will also touch on the nuances and subtleties of Athens tourism and, of course, talk about hotels in Athens.

Sea and beaches in Athens

In the suburbs of the capital there are many coastal villages with well-groomed and equipped coastlines. The following local beaches are the most popular among tourists:

Voula;
Asteros;
Faliron;
Alimas;
Akti Vouliagmeni.

The best time for a beach holiday in the Greek capital is July-August. You can get to the coast by public transport. In most cases, it is more convenient to take tram No. 3, because the lines run along the coastal zone. Bus number 122 runs to Vouliagmeni.

Districts of Athens

The Greek capital city is divided into seven districts, but tourists are advised to settle only in the center of Athens. This is dictated both by the developed infrastructure and proximity of attractions, and by security issues.

Plaka

The most historically significant area of the city, located at the foot of the Acropolis. It is especially atmospheric in Anafiotika, the western part of Plaka. Here, narrow cobbled streets and low white houses traditional for Greek architecture create the impression of truly Ancient Hellas.

The area has a very developed tourist infrastructure: many cafes, taverns, shops, hotels and entertainment. The historical heritage of the area is also rich. Here you can get acquainted with ancient monuments, as well as sights from the times of Byzantine and Turkish rule.

Monastiraki

Another oldest district of the city, very close to the Acropolis.

Monastiraki is actually a large commercial and historical center of the city. Famous landmarks are located here: the Tower of the Winds, the Fethias Mosque, the Library of Hadrian. And what a beautiful panorama opens onto the Acropolis from the local Keramix (ancient cemetery). You won’t find another such view of Ancient Hellas in the entire city.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the local market and the myriad of shops on Ermou Street. Lovers of shopping and sales should definitely stay here.

Thisio

Calm and peaceful area, actually a park area. Here you can take a break from the noisy bustle of the city and enjoy the coolness of the local parks. At the same time, the geographical location of the area allows easy access to the center of Athens, located several hundred meters to the east.

Thisio also has many cultural options. In this area you can:

look at the ruins of the Agora complex;
take a walk along the pedestrian street named after Apostle Paul;
go to Pnyx Hill;
visit the Athens Conservatory, Observatory and Dora Stratou Theater.

And don’t forget about the local shops, shops, cafes and taverns.

Syntagma

The name of the area was given by the historical square, which is called the heart of Athens. It is from here that excursions to historical Plaka and Monastiraki, as well as just walks around the city, begin.

Near Syntagma is the National History Museum, which is the former parliament building. And on the square itself there is a modern parliament, which is a kind of landmark of these places. Tourists can examine the facade and some rooms of the building, as well as follow the solemn ritual of the changing of the guard.

Syntagma is also famous for its National Park, where you can enjoy the silence and views of nature.

Safety in Athens

We have already answered the questions about when is the best time to go to Athens and where is the best place to live in the capital. Now let's talk about how to behave in this huge Greek polis.

General rules

The capital of Greece is crowded, and this circumstance sometimes plays into the hands of scammers and robbers. To avoid getting into an unpleasant situation, try to always keep an eye on your belongings and follow these small tips:

Keep bags at the front, not at the back or side;
Don't put valuables in your back pockets;
Don’t walk around the city with backpacks (it’s easier to steal from your back);
Do not wedge yourself into crowds of protesters and demonstrators so as not to be detained by the police.
When on public transport, be prepared and keep your bag in sight.

Which areas are best not to go to?

Like any large metropolis, Athens is fraught with dangerous neighborhoods and their unreliable inhabitants. There are many beggars, homeless people and thieves on the distant streets of the city. In particular, the area around Omonia Square, especially Sotheklos Street, is notorious for Athens. At night, the port streets of Piraeus, the vicinity of the Larissa railway station and Karassaki Square are dangerous for tourists.

Neighborhoods of Athens

In addition to exploring the capital itself, you can also go on a trip to the suburbs. The capital's surroundings are distinguished by both natural pearls and their own historical attractions. So, here you can see the Averof floating museum, conquer Mount Parnitha, visit the zoological park or take a sea cruise to the islands of Aegina or Hydra.

And if the distance of 70 km does not scare you, then you should go to Cape Sounion and explore the Temple of Poseidon. Even the ruins of the building make a strong impression, and what was here in antiquity is comparable only to the Parthenon.

How to get around the city

It must be said that the transport system of Athens is well developed, but it does not always save you from debilitating traffic jams.

A single ticket is valid for buses, trolleybuses, trams, metro and trains within the city limits. For 1.4 euros you can make a 90-minute trip with transfers to any mode of transport. Also on sale are daily tickets for 4.5 €, and a 5-day ticket costs 9 €.

Trams

The total length of tram lines in Athens is 27 km. A long line runs along the coast, and in the center there is a branch to the Syntagma area. There are 3 routes in the city:

No. 3 Neo-Falira - Voula;
No. 4 Syntagma – Neo-Falira;
No. 5 Syntagma – Voula.

The rails are laid along separate streets, so Athens trams are not afraid of citywide traffic jams.

Buses

By bus you can travel not only around the Greek capital, but also around its suburbs. The bus fleet consists of 1,800 vehicles, and the number of routes reaches 300.

As an important note, we note that in Greece all stops are made only upon request. You need to carefully monitor the road in order to have time to press the “stop” button and get off at your stop. If you are waiting for a bus on the street, then you should wave your hand to get the driver to stop.

Metro

Another type of transport with which you do not risk getting stuck in traffic jams. The metro connects all major transport hubs: the port, railway station and airport. There are 3 branches in total in the city:

No. 1 Piraeus – Kifissia (green);
No. 2 Antoupoli – Elliniko (red);
No. 3 Agia Marina – Airport (blue).

Please note that there are no turnstiles in the Greek metro. But the ticket must be validated and kept for the entire trip, because... Controllers work on the routes.

Taxi

Official taxis are yellow cars with checkered lines and the Ταξί sign. Cars may be of different brands, but they are all equipped with meters, which are used to pay for the trip. The main tariffs are as follows:

In the city 0.7 € per km;
Suburban 1.2€ per km;
Boarding + 1.2 € to the trip amount;
Phone call + 2 € to the trip amount.

At night, rates double. Be careful when traveling, because... There are often drivers who want to “earn extra money” from tourists by increasing their road bill.

Rent a Car

There are many rental agencies in the city, but we would recommend renting a car only for out-of-town trips. Athens has heavy traffic, frequent traffic jams and parking problems, so a rented car can only become an extra burden. Outside the city, a personal car, on the contrary, has an advantage over the confusing public transport schedule.

Sights of Athens

The Greek capital is incredibly rich in unique monuments and cultural recreation facilities.

Museums

There are more than 250 exhibitions with various exhibits in the city. But the most interesting museums are:

Acropolis;
Agora;
Archaeological Museum;
Ship "Averof";
Museum of Cycladic Art.

During high season, museum exhibitions are open to the public every day.

Tourist streets

Churches and temples

There are also countless religious buildings in the city. Ancient culture has been preserved to this day: the Acropolis and its numerous temples. There are also many Orthodox churches in Athens: the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Monastery of Daphne, the Temple of St. George. There are also Muslim monuments in the city. A striking example is the Tsisdaraki mosque.

Excursions

From Athens you can go on an excursion to any corner of Greece. If you do not want to leave the capital for a long time, then a boat trip to the neighboring islands would be an excellent option.

Recreation and entertainment

There is plenty to do in Athens besides cultural recreation.

Shopping, shops, souvenirs

There are several dozen shops on Ermu Street, incl. brand boutiques H&M, Zara, Benetton and much more. Here you can buy quality items from European manufacturers.

It is better to buy souvenirs and gifts in small shops and local markets. Handmade items made from ceramics or textiles will be an original gift. Prices in Athens are high, but don't forget that Greeks are always willing to bargain.

Cuisine and restaurants

The capital's restaurants offer tourists local cuisine and popular dishes from other countries of the world. There are a lot of cafes and taverns in the city, but if you only want the best cuisine with gourmet dishes, we recommend visiting Petrino, Lalloudes, Garbi and To Kofenio.

Clubs and nightlife

At night, life in the capital never ceases to be in full swing. For regulars of dance floors and fiery parties, there are the best nightclubs in the city:

Villa Mercedes
Baronda;
Venue;

Most establishments maintain a dress code (evening wear). Entrance to the parties is paid, and on average is about 10 euros per person.

Young tourists in Athens will find it no less interesting than adults. Moreover, if the family stays in a hotel with a games room, animators and a children's menu.

In the city, children will be entertained by visiting the water park, planetarium, zoo and various attractions. The children also like to explore the ruins of ancient buildings. But here you need to carefully monitor the child so that the child does not harm either the ruins or himself.

Popular hotels in Athens

There are more than 2,000 hotels, inns and apartments of various classes in the Greek capital. It is hardly possible to select the best housing from this list. We can only note those hotels to which tourists express more trust and warm regard. These are establishments such as:

Holidays in Athens are varied and exciting; no tourist will be bored here. The disadvantages of the metropolis cannot be kept silent: crowded conditions, environmental problems, traffic congestion and street hooliganism. But if you take into account the recommendations listed in the material and carefully plan your vacation, the trip will leave only pleasant impressions in your memory. Happy travels and unforgettable adventures!

In contact with

Classmates