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The City of the Gods

By: EBR - Posted: Thursday, December 16, 2004

The City of the Gods
The City of the Gods

The Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion, the Theatre of Dionysos, the Ancient Agora, Anafiotika.
As you would expect from a city that has been a seat of civilisation since pre-1400BC, the list of Athens' grand historical attractions goes on and on.
Athens is the city of mythology.
It was named after the goddess of wisdom, Athena, and its early days are so closely woven with mythology, that it is hard to decipher what really happened.
What is certain however, is Athens now has some of the most important ancient monuments of the western world. It is dominated by the world-famous Acropolis.
The Acropolis has many inspiring monuments, including the Parthenon. This incredible and vast temple was built completely out of marble, except the roof. It was built to house the huge statue of Athena.
There is something magical about standing on these heights and looking through Doric columns as the changing light follows the course of the day.
During February, temperatures in the city average 14C with five hours of sunshine each day.
The Agora was the ancient civic centre and the focal point of community life. It is dominated by the wonderfully preserved Hephaistos temple. Nearby is the Agora museum, housed in the Stoa of Attalos, a building which dates back to around 150BC. The museum is closed for renovation work until the spring of 2004.
The Plaka, the oldest continually inhabited area of the city, is one of the prettiest, most atmospheric areas. There are many old-fashioned tavernas, antique and icon shops.
To round off the Athens experience, it is well worth going to the National Archaeological Museum which can justifiably claim to be one of the finest museums in the world with its priceless exhibits through the ages of Greek culture.
Athens is the window on the ancient world.

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