Athens Greece City Walking Tour Syntagma Square to Monastiraki Square
Situated in the center of Athens, Syntagma Square is not only located in the heart of Greece’s capital, it is also an important historical public area.
Monastiraki is one of the oldest neighborhoods of Athens, located at the heart of the city. Monastiraki square is a famous meeting place for Athenians and the area around it offers many things to see and do! Standing in the middle of the square, you can see a blend of historical eras, architecture and cultures, and many roads leading to different directions.
The Acropolis
The Acropolis, also called the Sacred Rock, is the most important ancient heritage of the country. It is also the trademark and most famous site of Greece. It has been the main attraction of Athens since the 5th century BC and is dedicated to Athena, the Olympian goddess of wisdom and protector of the city. The Parthenon, the most famous ancient Greek temple ever, stands proudly over the modern megalopolis, serving as a recollection of the great civilization and development the city has undergone. The Acropolis is conspicuous in almost every neighborhood of Athens. It was and still is, without any doubt, the ultimate achievement of the city’s architectural glory.
Athens Greece City Walking Tour Syntagma Square to Monastiraki Square
Philopappos Hill is a park located right southwest of the Acropolis in the very heart of Athens, Greece. The park covers an area of 700 square km and the highest point of the hill reaches an elevation of 147 meters AMSL. The hill takes its name from the prominent monument that stands on its top: the mausoleum of a mogul and benefactor of Athens who lived in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD and went by the name Philopappos. In antiquity, it was known as the Hill of the Muses and in the Middle Ages as Seggio Hill.
A testament to Ancient Greek culture, art & architecture
The Acropolis is an ancient citadel perched atop the city of Athens. Home to the iconic Parthenon, dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, Erechtheion, and Propylaea, this archaeological site is the cornerstone of the ancient Greek civilization. The elevated site also offers breathtaking views of the city below.
The Acropolis of Athens was built and developed over several centuries. It was initially fortified by the Mycenaeans in the Bronze Age. However, the most significant and iconic structures, including the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena Nike, and the Erechtheum, were built during the Golden Age of Athens in the 5th century BCE. The Acropolis served as the primary political and religious center in ancient Greece.
The construction of these magnificent temples and monuments was carried out under the leadership of Greek politician Pericles by renowned architects and sculptors, such as Ictinus, Callicrates, and Phidias. The vision and efforts of these skilled artisans, along with the support of the Athenian people, led to the creation of one of the most celebrated architectural complexes in history.
Syntagma Square
The Syntagma Square (or Platía Syntágmatos) is the largest square in the modern part of the city of Athens. It is often very busy here because it is a well-known roundabout where major roads intersect and many buses and trams start and end here. It is also an important constitution square for politics in Greece. The parliament building is located here. That is why there are often demonstrations on this square.
The square was created in 1834 when King Otto had the new Royal Palace built. After several fires broke out in the palace, it was no longer suitable as a residence for kings. This palace was then designated as a parliament building after the works. Excavations have shown that a cemetery used to be located on this square.
Piraeus Port is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa, being the natural port of Athens and Greece’s main gateway.
The Port of Piraeus is the chief sea port of Piraeus, located on the Saronic Gulf on the western coasts of the Aegean Sea, the largest port in Greece and one of the largest in Europe.
Athens, historic city and capital of Greece. Many of Classical civilization’s intellectual and artistic ideas originated there, and the city is generally considered to be the birthplace of Western civilization.
Athens, with its tall buildings and contemporary shops, is the first European city when approached from the Middle East. When approached from the west, from elsewhere in Europe, what strikes the visitor is the influence of the East—in the food, music, and clamorous street life—perhaps vestiges of a time when Athens was divorced from European society under the yoke of Ottoman rule. Nevertheless, it is wrong to say that Athens is a mixture of East and West: it is Greek and, more particularly, Athenian. The city, after all, nurtured Western civilization thousands of years ago. Athens remains on the world stage to this day.
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