ATHENS TOP TEN

1.The Parthenon

The Parthenon  is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the maiden goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although decoration of the building continued until 432 BC. It is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece, generally considered the culmination of the development of the Doric order. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points of Greek art. The Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece, Athenian democracy, western civilization and one of the world's greatest cultural monuments. The Greek Ministry of Culture is currently carrying out a program of selective restoration and reconstruction to ensure the stability of the partially ruined structure.

2.Lycabettus

 The hill is a popular tourist destination and can be ascended by the Lycabettus Funicular, a funicular railway which climbs the hill from a lower terminus at Kolonaki (The railway station can be found at Aristippou street). Lycabettus appears in various legends. Popular stories suggest it was once the refuge of wolves, possibly the origin of its name (which means "the one (the hill) that is walked by wolves"). Mythologically, Lycabettus is credited to Athena, who created it when she dropped a mountain she had been carrying from Pallene for the construction of the Acropolis after the box holding Erichthonius was opened.
The hill also has a large open-air theater at the top, which has housed many Greek and international concerts.
The panorama from the top is priceless – all the way to Mount Parnes in the north, west to Piraeus and the Saronic Gulf, with the Acropolis siiting like a ruminative lion half way to the sea. There's also a cafe/restaurant up there.

3.Plaka-Monastiraki

The area of Plaka is one of the most attractive districts of Athens. Under the slopes of the Acropolis Plaka attracts all the visitors of Athens with its neoclassical mansions and houses with roofs from red tiles, its small winding roads with their steps, balconies with bougainvilleas ,geraniums and jasmines. Plaka is called many times in the Greek literature as the neighbourhood of the Gods and that because over Plaka dominates the sacred rock of the Acropolis "the sacred rock of the gods"  who made the modern Athenians with the same humour like their Ancient ancestors, to  personalise the Olympian gods having fun like them in Plaka with lots of Retsina wine and Dance. Sometimes being romantic on a sunny day you feel  that  the Greek goddess Athena  looks down to Plaka with a smile in her divine face as the modern Athenians enjoy the sunshine in the street cafes at Adrianou street overlooking Thission the Ancient Agora and the rock of Arios Pagos.

Monastiraki is a famous district of Athens that extends from the Monastiraki square at the end of Athinas street until Thission, Monastiraki is a large part of the district of Plaka. The old name of the area was Monastirion because of the small church right on the Monastiraki square the today's church of Koimisis Theotokou. At the square you will find the Monastiraki Athens Metro station and the main entrance to the flea market.

4.The Odeon of Herodes Atticus

 The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theatre structure located on the south slope of the Acropolis of Athens. It was built in 161 AD by the Athenian magnate Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. It was originally a steep-sloped amphitheater with a three-story stone front wall and a wooden roof made of expensive, cedar of Lebanon timber. It was used as a venue for music concerts with a capacity of 5,000.

5.The Hellenic Parliament

The Hellenic Parliament (Greek: Βουλή των Ελλήνων; Parliament of the Hellenes transliterated Vouli ton Ellinon), is the Parliament of Greece, located in the Parliament House (Old Royal Palace), overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens, Greece. The Parliament is the supreme democratic institution that represents the citizens through an elected body of Members of Parliament (MPs).
It is a unicameral legislature of 300 members, elected for a four-year term. During 1844-1863 and 1927-1935 the parliament was bicameral with an upper house, the Senate, and a lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, which retained the name Vouli. Several important Greek statesmen have served as Speakers of the Hellenic Parliament

6.The Temple of Olympian Zeus

The Temple of Olympian Zeus (Greek: Ναὸς τοῦ Ὀλυμπίου Διός, Naos tou Olympiou Dios), also known as the Olympieion or Columns of the Olympian Zeus, is a colossal ruined temple in the centre of the Greek capital Athens that was dedicated to Zeus, king of the Olympian gods. Construction began in the 6th century BC during the rule of the Athenian tyrants, who envisaged building the greatest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD some 638 years after the project had begun. During the Roman periods it was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world.



7.The Panathenaic Stadium

The Panathenaic Stadium is one of the largest stadiums of the ancient times. It is situated at the foot of two small hills of Athens: the Ardittos Hill and the Agras Hill.

In ancient Greece the panathenaic games were held in the Panathenaic Stadium. Around the second century A.D. marble seats from the Odeon of Herod Atticus were added to it.

At the time of Turkish domination, the Panathenaic Stadium was nearly devastated. It was rebuilt, though, at the expense of G. Averof and the first Olympic Games of 1896 were held in it.

8.The Acropolis Museum
 

The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological site-specific museum, housing more than 3.000 famous artefacts from the Athenian Acropolis, the most significant sanctuary of the ancient city. Located in the historical area of Makriyianni, southeast of the Rock of the Acropolis, the Museum narrates the story of life on the Rock from prehistoric times until the end of Antiquity. From its opening in June 2009 until March 2012 more than 4 million local and foreign visitors have passed through the Museum’s door.


9.The National Archaeological Museum

 

 

The National Archaeological Museum is the largest museum in Greece and one of the world's great museums. Although its original purpose was to secure all the finds from the nineteenth century excavations in and around Athens, it gradually became the central National Archaeological Museum and was enriched with finds from all over Greece. Its abundant collections, with more than 20,000 exhibits, provide a panorama of Greek civilization from the beginnings of Prehistory to Late Antiquity.


10.The Temple of Poseidon
 

Follow the road to Cape Sounion, circling the idyllic Saronic Gulf, and you come to one of the most iconic sights in Greece: the columns of the Temple of Poseidon, framing the blue sea backdrop since 44 BC. One of the temple’s remaining Doric columns is inscribed by none other than Lord Byron, who visited the temple in the early 19th century.

The ancient Greeks certainly knew how to choose a temple location, as Cape Sounion is a remarkable site. The Temple of Poseidon is perched on a rocky hilltop overlooking the sea, a gleaming white beacon for ancient (as well as modern) travelers along this dangerous stretch of coast.The view across the Aegean is magnificent, extending all the way to Kea and the Peloponnese on a clear day.