The modern-day Athens took us by surprise. It was not the Athens we pictured in our mind. It was not a charming or romantic city we assumed it would be. It definitely lacked the polish and sexiness of other European capitals. Walking in its street felt like walking in a big city of a developing Asian country. It was grungy, it was smoggy, its traffic was crazy, and it was scorching hot in mid-September.  In other words, we didn’t fall in love with modern Athens.

However, we did enjoy Athens! Instead of focusing on its disappointing side, we decided to focus on what it offers best, mainly the glorious antiquities from its splendid ancient past and the warmth and hospitality of its people. For us, those are what give Athens its soul, the one we fell in love with.

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This was the street where our modern boutique hotel was located. It may look rough and shabby but this area of Psiri is considered the new fashionable and trendy area of Athens.

 

THE ACROPOLIS

There it is, the glory of the ancient citadel of Acropolis, the “Sacred Rock,” the most important ancient monument in Europe. This is what you go to Athens for! Most of the buildings that stand here today were built in the 5th century BC. We’re talking about 2,500 years old! Just having one of its ancient columns standing upright today is beyond amazing.

We climbed Acropolis slowly but surely (heat and smog didn’t make it easy) from the south slope where were stumbled into Asclepion,  a shrine dating back from 420 BC for the worship of Asclepius, who was the physician son of Apollo.

 

Further west from Asclepion is a structure from the Roman era, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a musical theater built in 161 AD by Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife Regallia. It has been restored and is being used today for various musical events.

 

Finally, we were face to face with the ruins of all great Greek ruins — the Parthenon!  This colossal temple was completed in 432 BC to house the great statue of Athena, the patron goddess of Athens.

Did you know that Parthenon was converted into a mosque in the 1460’s during the Ottoman Turks’ occupation?  It eventually became a storage facility for the Ottoman’s ammunition and in 1687, the Venetian bombarded the building causing the stored ammunition to explode, which severely damaged Parthenon and its sculptures.

 

We were thrilled to be standing in front of the great monument that epitomizes Greek’s ancient glory.

 

 We were imagining how magnificent it must have looked when the friezes were adorning the area above the Doric columns. Those friezes and other sculptures were removed in the 19th century by Lord Elgin, a British Ambassador to Greece during the Ottoman rule, and are now part of the controversial Elgin Marbles collection on display in the British Museum.

 

The Parthenon in its scaffolded glory. A lot of people expressed disappointment in seeing one of the world’s most celebrated ancient structure in this unsightly state. We must  remember that this structure is more than 2,500 years old and it deserves all the loving care it can get.

On the north side of Acropolis is the Erechtheion,  a temple built in 5th century BC for the worship of Athena, Poseidon and Ericthonius, the mythical king of Athen.

 

 Erechtheion’s Porch of the Caryatids is gracefully supported by columns of six maidens.

 

The elegant  Ionic columns that support the northern porch of  Erechtheion.

 

The ground where Erechtheion stands is consider the most sacred part of Acropolis. It was where the god Poseidon and goddess Athena competed over who would be named patron of the city. Poseidon thrust his trident into a rock and it turned into salt water well. Athena touched the ground with her spear and an olive tree sprung. Athena was declared a victor and the city was named for her.

 

The view of Lykavittos Hill from Acropolis.

 

The view of the Temple of Olympian Seuz from Acropolis.  The temple dates back from 6th century BC.

 

THE PLAKA

The Plaka is the oldest neighborhood in Athens located in the northeastern slope of the Acropolis and in close to proximity to most city’s ancient sites. It is lined with tavernas and cafes and provides pleasant break in between ruin hopping.

 

Plaka maybe touristy but we enjoyed its pleasant and lively atmosphere.  We actually found it the most charming neighborhood in Athens. Besides, its narrow streets are for pedestrians only, thus, providing nice respite from traffic noises and fumes.

 

We enjoyed an alfresco dinner at one of Plaka’s taverna.  The food may not be the greatest but we expected that from  a tourist-oriented places.

 

A colorful bar in the Plaka.

 

THE ANCIENT AGORA

The Agora was a marketplace as well as the center for  the political, commercial and social activities of Ancient Athens. It was first developed in the 6th century BC and where the ancient Greek democracy was born.

This is the reconstructed Stoa of Attalos, the original of which was built in 159 BC by King Attalos and was considered the most impressive stoa in Ancient Agora. A stoa is a Greek structure of covered colonnades where merchants trade their goods. The Stoa of Attalos housed high-end shops that catered to wealthy Athenians. The reconstructed stoa is used as Agora Museum. It is a good place to start exploration of the site.

 

One of the statues on display in Agora Museum. This was how a face from the 2nd century BC looked like.

 

 The Temple of Hephaestus,  also called Hephaisteion, was dedicated to Hephaestus who was the patron god of metalworkers and craftsmen. The temple was surrounded by metalwork shops and pottery workshops.

 

 Built in 339 BC, the Temple of Hephaestus is said to be the most preserved Doric temple in Greece. It was designed by Ictinus, one of the architects of Parthenon.

 

Some of the ancient rubles that were scattered in the Agora ground.

 

Keith in deep contemplation in the garden of Ancient Agora where Socrates used to philosophized.

 

THE ROMAN ATHENS 

The Romans ruled Athens from 86 BC to 267 AD during which a significant reconstruction was undertaken.  Remains of some of their structures can still be seen today.

Located in the National Gardens are the remains of the Roman Baths dating back from 3rd century AD. The well-preserved complex of baths were discovered during an excavation work for the construction of ventilation shafts for Athens Metro. It was made accessible to the public in 2004.

 

 The water jugs in the Roman Baths of Athens.

 

Located north of Acropolis is the The Library of Hadrian, built  by Emperor Hadrian in around 132 AD. Although called a library, it is actually a multi-purpose complex that also housed a cultural center, garden, public square, art works, etc.

 

East of Hadrian Library lies the Roman Agora, which became the main market place of Athens replacing the Greek Agora as the center of commerce. The entrance to the agora is through this well-preserved Gate of Athena built in 1st century AD and was funded by Julius Ceasar and Augustus.

 

THE NATIONAL ARCHEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

We believe that the National Archeological Museum is something not to be missed when visiting Athens. It contains the richest collection of Greek artifacts and is said to one of the greatest museum in the world. Below are some of the exhibits we found remarkable.

The statue on the left is The Artemesin Bronze also called God of the Sea. It was discovered in the  sea off Cape Artemision. There’s a debate on whether it is a sculpture of Zeus or Poseidon.

 

The Mask of Agamemnon dating back from 1550-1500 BC is a funeral mask made of gold.

 

A pottery from the 1500 BC.

 

 A statue of  Aphrodite from 2nd century AD.

 

The fresco above called Spring Wall and The Boxing Children below were uncovered from the prehistoric settlement of Akrotiri in Santorini. It was buried in the 16th century BC by a volcanic eruption.

 

THE BIG FAT GREEK BBQ

On our last evening in Athens, we had a great pleasure of experiencing Greek hospitality at its best.

George was a Greek acquaintance from our neighborhood.  He was in Athens visiting his family at the same time we were in the city. He invited us to his family’s Greek version of a BBQ party.  Having only wonderful encounters with local people we met, we could not pass it up.

 

George’s  whole family was so warm and welcoming. They embraced us as one of their own.

 

I had fun hanging out with George’s adorable nieces.

 

Opa! It was a great evening. There was a lot of eating, a lot of drinking, and a lot of Greek dancing. It was also a wonderful display of Greek’s zest for life. It was a great ending and  one of the highlights of our travel in Greece.

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