Places to visit in Athens
Athens gardens (plan)
Syntagma Square (Greek: Πλατεία Συντάγματος, pronounced [plaˈtia sinˈdaɣmatos], "Constitution Square") is the central square of Athens.[1] The square is named after the Constitution that Otto, the first King of Greece, was obliged to grant after a popular and military uprising on 3 September 1843.[2] It is located in front of the 19th century Old Royal Palace, housing the Greek Parliament since 1934. Syntagma Square is the most important square of modern Athens from both a historical and social point of view, at the heart of commercial activity and Greek politics. The name Syntagma (Greek: Σύνταγμα) alone also refers to the neighbourhood surrounding the square.
The palace was designed by Bavarian architect Friedrich von Gärtner for King Otto of Greece and his wife, Queen Amalia, with funds donated by Otto's father, King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Previous proposals had placed the new palace at the sites of Omonoia Square, Kerameikos and even on top the Acropolis of Athens.
The National Garden[1][2] (formerly the Royal Garden) (Greek: Εθνικός Κήπος) is a public park of 15.5 hectares (38 acres) in the center of the Greek capital, Athens. It is located between the districts of Kolonaki and Pangrati, directly behind the Greek Parliament building (The Old Palace) and continues to the South to the area where the Zappeion is located, across from the Panathenaiko or Kalimarmaro Olympic Stadium of the 1896 Olympic Games. The Garden also encloses some ancient ruins, tambourines and Corinthian capitals of columns, mosaics, and other features. On the Southeast side are the busts of Ioannis Kapodistrias, the first governor of Greece, and of the Philhellene Jean-Gabriel Eynard. On the South side are the busts of the celebrated Greek poets Dionysios Solomos, author of the Greek National Hymn, and Aristotelis Valaoritis.
Georgios Karaiskakis (Greek: Γεώργιος Καραϊσκάκης), born Georgios Karaiskos (Greek: Γεώργιος Καραΐσκος) (January 23, 1780 or January 23, 1782 – April 23, 1827), was a famous Greek military commander and a leader of the Greek War of Independence.
The Zappeion (Greek: Ζάππειον Μέγαρο, Záppeion Mégaro, listen (help·info)); is a building in the National Gardens of Athens in the heart of Athens, Greece. It is generally used for meetings and ceremonies, both official and private.
The Third Ephorate of Ancient Antiquities is an archaeological authority responsible for preserving, managing, and studying antiquities and cultural heritage in a specific region or area in Greece.
The Euphrates is named after the ancient Greek institution of the ephors, who were magistrates responsible for various administrative and judicial duties in ancient Sparta. In modern Greece, the regional authorities responsible for archaeological research and conservation are separated.
The Third Ephorate of Ancient Antiquities is based in the city of Thessaloniki and is responsible for the management of archaeological sites and monuments in the regions of Central Macedonia and Eastern Macedonia, and Thrace. Some of the notable archaeological sites and monuments under its jurisdiction include the ancient cities of Dion and Philippi, the Roman Forum and Rotunda in Thessaloniki, and the archaeological site of Vergina, which was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Macedon and the burial site of the kings of Macedon, including Alexander the Great's father, Philip II.
The Third Ephorate of Ancient Antiquities plays a crucial role in the preservation and study of Greece's rich cultural heritage and history. Its responsibilities include conducting archaeological excavations, managing archaeological sites and monuments, preserving and restoring artefacts and monuments, conducting research and documentation, and promoting public awareness and education about Greece's ancient past.
The Arch of Hadrian (Greek: Αψίδα του Αδριανού, translit. Apsida tou Adrianou), most commonly known in Greek as Hadrian's Gate (Greek: Πύλη του Αδριανού, translit. Pyli tou Adrianou), is a monumental gateway resembling – in some respects – a Roman triumphal arch. It spanned an ancient road from the center of Athens, Greece, to the complex of structures on the eastern side of the city that included the Temple of Olympian Zeus. It has been proposed that the arch was built to celebrate the adventus (arrival) of the Roman Emperor Hadrian and to honor him for his many benefactions to the city, on the occasion of the dedication of the nearby temple complex in 131 or 132 AD.[1] It is not certain who commissioned the arch, although it is probable that the citizens of Athens or another Greek group were responsible for its construction and design. There were two inscriptions on the arch, facing in opposite directions, naming both Theseus and Hadrian as founders of Athens. While it is clear that the inscriptions honor Hadrian, it is uncertain whether they refer to the city as a whole or to the city in two parts: one old and one new. The early idea, however, that the arch marked the line of the ancient city wall, and thus the division between the old and the new regions of the city, has been shown to be false by further excavation. The arch is located 325m southeast of the Acropolis.
The Temple of Olympian Zeus (Greek: Ναός του Ολυμπίου Διός, Naós tou Olympíou Diós), also known as the Olympieion or Columns of the Olympian Zeus, is a former colossal temple at the center of the Greece capital Athens. It was dedicated to "Olympian" Zeus, a name originating from his position as head 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 period the temple -that included 104 colossal columns- was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world.
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