Vic and I visited Greece in 2005, and on that trip travelled outside of Athens, visiting Delphi, Epidaurus and Mycenae. We also took a cruise of the Greek islands and visited Istanbul and Ephesis in Turkey. Sadly, Vic came down with a nasty case of pneumonia and missed out on most of Athens, so this trip we focused on the city.
The most visited -- and most photographed -- site in Athens, is, of course, the Acropolis, which is crowned by the Parthenon. It is visible from pretty much anywhere in the city, here seen through Hadrian's Arch.
Most of the photos of the Acropolis focus on the Parthenon, the iconic temple dedicated to Athena Parthenos (Athena the Maiden), so it's easy to get the idea that it sat in splendid isolation on the top of the hill. In it's heyday, though, the Acropolis was a busy site with multiple temples, amphitheatres, a bronze foundry, and a sanctuary dedicated to Asclepios (God of Medicine) and his daughter Hygieia (Goddess of Health) among other things.
The only way to get to the top of the Acropolis is to climb the winding path up the hill. I took the back way, past the remains of the Theatre of Dionysos, the birthplace of Greek theatre, where plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes were all performed. It's also the first theatre built of stone, although not much of the original remains. What's here now is the remains of a re-build by the Romans that could seat 17,000 people.
The path also takes you past a second amphitheatre, the Theatre of Herodes, build much later (in the 2nd Century AD) and still in use for plays and concerts. It's amazing to think of the number of opening nights it's seen! In this photo, you can see modern Athens lapping up against the base of the Acropolis and in the far distance, a glimpse of the sea.
You're gong to see multiple views of the Parthenon, but first, my favourite Acropolis temple, the Erechtheion. This lovely temple was built between 421 and 406 BC on what is considered the most scared site on the Acropolis. You may have heard the story of the gods, Athena and Poseidon, competing to be the protector of the city. (Spoiler alert: Athena won, which since the city isn't named "Poseidons," you may have already figured out.) Anyway, each god offered gifts to the city: Athena, offered the olive tree, which sprouted from the rock and Poseidon struck the rock with his trident, and from the salt water that flowed out, a horse emerged. Tough call, I'd say, but the city chose the olive tree and peace -- the olive branch symbolizes peace even today. The Erechtheion was built on the place where this is reputed to have happened and is dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon.
The temple is architecturally interesting, being built on two levels, one three metres lower than the other, which I think you can see in this photo.
The Erechtheion is also home to the Porch of the Caryatids, one of my all time favourite things.
The original statues are now in the new Acropolis museum, but the replicas are impeccable copies. Here's a close up of the maiden on the far right.
I read in a guide book that among other uses over the years, the Erectheion was a harem for the wives of the Turkish commander in 1463, when the Turks occupied the city.
The Parthenon was designed by the architects Kallikrates and and Iktinos, and building started in 447BC and finished up in 438BC, when it was dedicated. Over the centuries, the Parthenon has been a church, a mosque, and in 1687, an arsenal which was bombarded by the Venetians, resulting in an explosion that pretty much demolished it. Presently, it's being restored and rebuilt -- a process that will take years and pretty much guarantees that for the foreseeable future the Parthenon is basically a building site. Even so, it's amazingly photogenic.
Usually a city's acropolis is built on the highest hill (the word "acropolis" means "high city"), but in Athens, the highest point is actually Lykavittos (or Lycabettus) Hill. It comes to a pretty sharp point, though, so you can see why it wouldn't work as a site for multiple structures. We had a great view of Lykavittos Hill from the rooftop restaurant at our hotel. You can see it in the background, behind the Temple of Zeus.
Clustered at the top are the tiny chapel of Agios Georgios and a restaurant built into the side of the hill. You can climb up on foot or take a very quick and comfortable funicular to the top. (Guess which option we chose?) I mention this because Vic's conference banquet was held in the restaurant and though the food was unremarkable, the view was spectacular. We got to drink wine and watch the sun set behind the Acropolis and the lights come on as it got dark. The photo below is a view of the Parthenon from Lykavittos Hill. It was a hazy evening, but what I like about this picture is that it shows the scale of the building -- those tiny dots are people.
This is the illuminated Acropolis at full dark.
Athens is not a medieval European city, so sadly, no gargoyles. The closest I came was this downspout on a corner of the parthenon.
The Temple of Olympian Zeus was conveniently located across the street from our hotel. It was the largest temple in Greece, begun in the 6th century BC but not completed for 650 years. there are only 15 columns left (of the original 104) but it's still quite impressive.
As seems to be true for most parts of Athens, there's a lovely view of the Acropolis from the Temple of Zeus.
I did a fair bit of walking aimlessly, as is my tendency when I'm alone in a foreign city while poor Vic is working, and there are several quite lovely corners to explore in Athens. The neighbourhoods of Plaka and Monastiraki are both wildly touristy but fun to walk through.
fun restaurants -- I had a snack here just because I loved the sign…
and the beautiful little church of Aiya Aikaterinia. (Please note the blooming roses!)
I walked through Plaka on my own, but saw Monastiraki while on a truly great walking tour. I love walking tours and this one -- from Alternative Athens -- was exceptionally good. One of the joys of a good walking tour is it offers insight into the places you're passing, places you might have not even noticed. Monastiraki is a warren of little streets, with something to see around every corner. I was surprised by the "street lights…"
and nearly driven to consider vegetarianism by the meat stalls in the Central Market…
after which the spice market offered a bit of relief.
These markets -- the meat market, the fish market, and the spice market are well-used -- busy, crowded and hectic.
One of my favourite parts of Monastiraki was the cafe where our guide, Vassia, took us for a cool drink and a rest during the 4-hour tour. We went through an unmarked doorway, through a very dim hall, and into a gorgeous space covered by a canopy and built among lovely old buildings. It's a place I'd never have found on my own and probably wouldn't be able to find again.
Monastiraki is named for the small monastery in its main square, from which you can see evidence of three of the eras in Athens' history -- the classical period (the Acropolis), the Roman period (the pillars from Hadrian's library), and the Ottoman period (the mosque, which is now the Folk Art Museum).
Athens, overall, is covered with graffiti -- some of it quite impressive street art, but lots of it just layers of tagging. Monastiraki had quite a lot of both kinds, as is visible in this one building.
One unexpected part of the walking tour was a visit to a an underground Nazi detention centre which is now preserved as a memorial. It is in the centre of the city, very close to Syntagma Square, on a pedestrian street, right across from a Starbucks. The story is that when the Ethniki Insurance Company built its headquarters in 1938, they included a bomb shelter in the basement. After the Nazi's invaded in 1941, the building was taken over by the Germans and the bomb shelter was used as a holding area for prisoners about to be shipped elsewhere. There are two basement levels, and the walls are covered with graffiti left by the prisoners. It was eerie and moving and I probably would have walked right past it and not known what it was. No photos allowed, but I did get a shot of the very evocative sign.
Vic and I took a short bus tour to Sounios, about an hour's drive outside of the city and the site of the Temple of Poseidon.
The temple is built on a high, rocky peninsula and surrounded by spectacular views.
This site has been visited by tourists for centuries, and our guide assured me that somewhere in the mess of graffiti carved into the stone is Lord Byron's name. Sadly, even my telephoto lens couldn't find it, so we'll have to take her word for it.
I only visited two museums this trip, one of which was the amazing new Acropolis Museum. It opened in 2013 and was purpose-built to show off the treasures of the Acropolis. Sadly, no photography was allowed inside. Being a good Canadian, I followed the rules, but I swear, I was the only person in the building not taking pictures. I did get an exterior view looking down from the Acropolis.
I also revisited the Archaeological Museum with Vic, who missed it last visit. This time, photography was allowed and I outdid myself. The collection is huge so I'll just show you a few of my favourite things.
First -- Arla and Ariel, this is for you! -- the bronze statue of The Jockey.
As I said, the collection is huge, overflowing with well-muscled gods and athletes…
gorgeous goddesses (This is Aphrodite whacking an importunate satyr with her sandal.) …
and some strange little creatures, like this "nude ithyphallic Silen dancing ecstatically." Clearly, he's ecstatic about something.
Arguably, the most famous piece in the collection is the Mask of Agamemnon, found at Mycenae by Schleiman in the 19th century, dating from the mid-1600s BC.
And the award for the most weirdly scary piece goes to this head of a goddess or sphinx from Mycena, 13th century BC.
Of it all, I think my favourite is this bust of a "mature woman," who looks strangely contemporary and like someone I might like to know. According to the label, she's probably Octavia, the elder sister of Emperor Augustus and wife of Marcus Antonius.
I think that's enough, although this barely skims the surface of Athens. I'll leave you with these photos of the cats who patrol the Acropolis…
and the Temple of Zeus, respectively…
because are you even allowed to post something on the internet without a cat in it?
