Athens

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Athens
The Akropolis from Dionissiou Areopagitou
(pedestrian street)
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The Parthenon (447- 432 BC)
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The Parthenon was the chief temple of the goddess
Athena built on the acropolis at Athens between
447 and 432 B.C. and considered a supreme example
of Doric architecture
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Lykavittos Hill
Lykavittos Hill is the highest point in Athens,
rising 270 meters above the city.  Because of its
height, it is a landmark visible from almost
every part of the city. Its name means hill
of wolves derived from ancient times when wolves
roamed freely on the hill. One legend has it
that Lykavittos hill appeared when Athena
accidentally dropped a large rock she was going
to use for the construction of the Acropolis
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Lykavittos Hill
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Temple of Olympian Zeus (530 BC)
Work on the Temple of Olympian Zeus began in 530
BC but was not completed until 132 CE by the
Emperor Hadrian. The 104 columns, each 17 meters
high, of the temple were made of Pentelic marble.
Only 15 of the Corinthian columns remain
standing to give a sense of the enormous size of
the temple which would have been approximately 96
x 40 meters.
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Odeion of Herodes Atticus (160-174 AD)
Odeia in the ancient times were amphitheatrical
spaces covered with roofs that hosted musical
contests and hearings. It was financed by Herodes
Atticus, in loving memory of his wife Regilla,
Today the Odeion of Hedores Atticus is fully
renovated and open to visitors.
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Odeion of Herodes Atticus
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Odeion of Herodes Atticus
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The Ancient Theatre of Dionysosis (6th Century BC
to 4th Century BC) on the southern slope of the
Acropolis.Here every Athenian citizen took their
turn in the Greek tragedies.
Sanctuary of Asclepius and Hygieia (419-418 BC)
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Theatre of Dionysosis
The Theater of Dionysois, built into the natural
hollow of the south slope of the Acropolis, was
the world's first theater built of stone and the
birthplace of Greek tragedy. This is where the
dramatic contests in the Greater Dionysia were
held.  Originally a place to honor the god
Dionysois in dance and song, in the fifth century
the plays of Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides and
Aristophanes were performed here. By the middle
of the fifth century there was scenery in the
background, usually in the form of a building.
The theater was built in several phases, each of
which corresponded, essentially, to the
developments in ancient drama.  What remains
today dates to the Roman Empire and could seat
17,000 spectators. The classical Greek theater
would have had a circular "orchestra" (literally,
"dancing space", the flat, paved area in front of
the stage where the chorus sang and danced)
instead of the semi-circular orchestra which
remains today .
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Erechtheion (421-405 BC)
The Erechtheion is thought to have been built on
the very spot where Athena and Poseidon had their
contest for possession of Athens. Indeed, some
said that the marks of Poseidon's trident are
clearly visible in the rock and, it is
traditional for an olive tree to grow near the
Erechtheion. The myth of the Erechtheion goes,
that the Erechtheion was also the place where the
goddess Athena allowed the sacred Olive tree to
grow. The tree was destroyed during the Persian
invasions, after which it miraculously began to
sprout again.
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Erechtheion
The Olive Tree
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Erechtheion
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Caryatid Porch of the Erechtheion and the columns
of six maidens
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Temple of Hephaistus Theseion (449-444 BC)
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Temple of Hephaistus
The Temple of Hephaistus (consecrated to the god
Hephaistos) is the most intact of all the known
Greek temples. A mixture of Doric and Ionic
elements, it is probably slightly older than the
parthenon. It stands on a slight rise overlooking
the extensive remain of the ancient market-place
(agora) at the north-west foot of the Acropolis,
and facing the restored Roman stoa of Attalos.
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Temple of Hephaistus
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The View from the Temple of Hephaistus
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The church was built on the foundations of an
ancient temple of the second century BC, which
was dedicated to the nymphs. During the Ottoman
period it was a parish church and called "of
Solakis", possibly after the family to which it
belonged. Photographs taken in the early 20th
century show that the area around the monument
was densely populated. Among the abundent
decorative motifs enlivening its walls are many
letters imitating old Arabic script
Agioi Apostoli Solaki (Church of the Holy
Apostles)
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Stoa of Attalos II (159-138 BC)
One Agora museum is housed in the Stoa of
Attalos, a reconstructed building of around 159
B.C. The characteristic feature of the museum is
that the exhibits are all closely connected with
the Athenian Democracy, as the Agora was the
focus of the city's public life. The Stoa of
Attalos was discovered during the excavations
carried out by the Greek Archaeological Society
between 1859 and 1902. In 1953-56 it was
reconstructed in order to house the finds from
the excavations at the Agora. In 1957 the Greek
state assumed responsibility for the
administration and security of the museum and the
archaeological site.
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Stoa of Attalos II (159-138 BC)
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The statue of Hadrian. Hadrian followed his uncle
Trajan as emperor of Rome, ruling from 117-38
A.D. As emperor he was known for touring and
consolidating the empire's far-flung frontiers.
In Britain he ordered the construction of what is
now known as Hadrian's Wall, near the modern
border of England and Scotland. The wall, 73
miles long, five meters high and three meters
wide, marked the northern edge of the Roman
empire. In 1987 the wall was named a World
Heritage Site by the United Nations
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View of Athens from atop the Akropolis
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Music on the street of Dionissiou Areopagitou
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Shopping at the Monastiraki Market
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Random Pictures from around the city
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Natural Museum of History
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