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Athens' ancient citadel is one of the world's most impressive classical ruins, and one of the most important. Visible from almost anywhere within the Greek capital, the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Acropolis is crowned by the Parthenon, one of several buildings of great architectural and historical significance.
The most emblematic of Athens' ancient wonders, the Parthenon is one of the world's greatest cultural monuments. The largest Doric temple ever completed in Greece, the Parthenon took 15 years to build, and dates back to 438 BCE.
While the Parthenon epitomizes the glory of ancient Greece, the Acropolis is in fact a city of temples. The Erechtheion, for example, is a complex of ancient sanctuaries built between 421 BCE and 395 BCE. The outstanding architectural highlight here is is the Porch of the Caryatids (pictured), with six statues of draped maidens in place of Doric columns.
Set at the foot of the Acropolis' southern slope, the Acropolis Museum houses one of the most valuable and comprehensive collections of ancient Greek art in the world. The facility reveals layers of history, though the emphasis is on the Acropolis of the 5th century BCE.
Work your way up from the ground floor through the Gallery of the Slopes of Acropolis and then the first floor Archaic Gallery to reach the museum's sensational summit, the Parthenon Gallery. This glass atrium contains the temple's 160m (524 ft)-long frieze, which depicts the Panathenaic Procession.
Another don't miss museum is the city's National Archaeology Museum. The world's finest collection of Greek antiquities are found here, a priceless ensemble of treasures dating from the Neolithic era to Classical periods. Displayed thematically, the five permanent collections feature more than 11,000 exhibits.
The Agora was ancient Athens' heart. It's here that everyday life went about its busy way, a lively hub of administrative, commercial, political, and social activity. A key site is the grand Temple of Hephaestus, one of the best-preserved ancient Greek temples.
The 11th-century Byzantine Church of the Holy Apostles nestles in greenery and is the only monument in the Agora other than the Temple of Hephaestus to survive intact since its foundation.
Set both within and outside Athens' ancient city walls, Kerameikos, named for the potters who settled it around 3000 BCE, was used as a cemetery through the 6th century CE.
Under Roman rule, Athens' Agora served as the city' market area. Standing on the edge of the ancient commercial zone are the ruins of Hadrian's library, founded by Emperor Hadrian in 132 BCE.
Standing smack in the center of Athens, the imposing Temple of Olympian Zeus was once the largest in Greece. Dedicated to Zeus, the temple's foundations date back to the 6th century BCE: it was completed in the 2nd century CE by the Emperor Hadrian.
After admiring the temple and arch, wander over to the nearby ruins of the 3rd century CE Roman bath complex built over where the Ilissos river once ran.
What you see today is a 19th-century recreation of the Panathenaic Stadium, ancient Athens' largest building. It's a replica of the original stadium, which was rebuilt for the first modern Olympic Games of 1896, but mirrors exactly what the historic stadium would have looked like when it was inaugurated in the 4th century BCE.
Originally built of white Pentelic marble between 427 BCE and 424 BCE and carefully reconstructed in the early 19th century, the Temple of Athena Nike sits at the southwest edge of the Acropolis. Most of the temple's frieze and relief sculptures are now housed in the Acropolis Museum.
The Byzantine Empire rose out of the ashes of the eastern half of the Roman Empire after it fell in the 3rd century CE. This excellent museum is crammed with religious art from the Byzantine period as well as pieces from the early Christian, medieval, and post-Byzantine eras. Pictured is a 14th-century icon of Saint Catherine.
Anyone interested in Greek culture will be pleasantly surprised and well informed at the delightful and engaging Benaki Museum of Greek Culture. The extensive collection of Greek regional costumes (pictured) is especially appealing.
The view of Athens' Roman amphitheater from the Acropolis is sensational. But sit here as a member of the audience during the annual Athens–Epidaurus Festival, when the ancient venue hosts summertime drama, music, and dance performances, and the atmosphere is pure magic.
Easily overlooked, the charming Panagia Kapnikaréa Church is an 11th-century Byzantine gem that deserves a peek inside for its collection of paintings.
Not as grandiose as the aforementioned Odeon of Herodes Atticus, the ancient Greek Theatre of Dionysos, located on the south slope of the Acropolis hill, is still worth investigating. It's located near the Acropolis Museum.
Away from Athens' classical grandeur, the city's Anafiotika district is a maze of narrow lanes lined with colorful facades and dozens of traditional Greek restaurants.
Likewise, the city's Monastiraki hub is thronged with equally authentic places to eat and drink, and is the perfect location in which to end a day's sightseeing.
Sources: (Smithsonian Magazine) (Greek City Times) (DW News)
See also: Five reasons why Greece should be your next destination
Built within the shadow of the Olympian, Hadrian’s Arch is a monumental gateway that bears all the hallmarks of a Roman triumphal arch, constructed to honor the emperor's arrival in the city.
Summiting at 227 m (908 ft) and crowned by the little Chapel of Agios Georgios, the landmark Lykavittos Hill, known as "Hill of Wolves," from ancient times, makes for an invigorating ascent on foot. The less energetic can take the 10-minute funicular railway from the top of Ploutarhou. Either way, the views from the top are jaw-dropping.
Among Roman Agora's better preserved sites is the ingenious octagonal marble Tower of the Winds, an ancient time-and-weather station likely constructed in the 2nd century BCE.
One of the Acropolis Museum's more unusual exhibits is the so-called magic sphere, an odd marble ball etched with mysterious and mystical carvings, one of which depicts Helios, the god of the Sun (pictured). You can ponder its use on the first floor, North wing Section: Athens and Rome.
Numismatics is the study or collection of currency. If you're into coins, you won't be shortchanged at the Numismatic Museum of Athens. This museum displays a near-peerless collections of coins, ancient and modern, housed in a beautiful 1881 mansion, once the home of Heinrich Schliemann (1822–1890), the archaeologist who excavated Troy.
The museum's exceptional Antikythera mechanism has been described as the world's oldest example of an analogue computer. Used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses decades in advance, this incredible and mysterious artifact is dated back to 205 BCE and is still baffling scientists and scholars.
Ideally, the museum's vast inventory should be explored over half a day. But if you have only a couple of hours to spare, don't miss the astonishing Artemision Bronze, an ancient Greek sculpture that was recovered from the sea off Cape Artemision and probably representing Zeus. It's dated back to c. 460 BCE.
Another museum must-see is the beautiful Mask of Agamemnon. Discovered at the ancient Greek site of Mycenae, this gorgeous gold funeral mask dates to about 1600 BCE.
You can figure it all out at Athens' wonderful Museum of Cycladic Art, dedicated mostly to the ancient art of the Cyclades (the islands in the Aegean Sea encircling the Island of Delos near Mykonos) and their iconic minimalist marble Cycladic figurines, dating from 3000 BCE to 2000 BCE. Pictured is a flute player, a white marble idol from Keros.
Athens, the capital of Greece, represents the very heart of Western civilization. As the epicenter of ancient Greece, Athens boasts an illustrious history stretching back 3,000 years. Its cultural landmarks rank among the greatest and most significant in the world, a compelling ensemble of classical treasures that stand as breathtaking relics of a glorious past.
Click through and unveil the grace and grandeur that is Athens.
The evzones, the traditionally dressed Greek soldiers of the Presidential Guard, stand in front of the Hellenic Parliament on Syntagma Square 24-7, guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier. Those on duty are relieved every day, every hour, on the hour at the changing of the guard. Sunday at 11am is the best time to witness this age-old ceremony, when a grand change takes place, complete with marching band.
Unveil the grace and grandeur that is Athens
Discover the Greek capital's landmark treasures
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Athens, the capital of Greece, represents the very heart of Western civilization. As the epicenter of ancient Greece, Athens boasts an illustrious history stretching back 3,000 years. Its cultural landmarks rank among the greatest and most significant in the world, a compelling ensemble of classical treasures that stand as breathtaking relics of a glorious past.
Click through and unveil the grace and grandeur that is Athens.