NESTLED BETWEEN SEVEN HILLS
Nestled between seven hills lies Athens, a pulsating and vibrant metropolis, the Greek capital, and the country’s cultural, historical and economic centre. Its many ancient sites, impressive temples and ruins is almost overwhelming and testifies to the long history of the city; a city which can be aptly described as a hotspot for culture enthusiasts.
According to tradition, Athens was founded by King Cecrops I around 7,500 years ago, which is why it is considered one of the oldest and continuously populated cities in the world. But the ancient era, in particular, has left visible traces.
With over 3,000 years of history offering countless cultural treasures and sights, the home of some of history’s greatest philosophers, including Socrates and Plato, is also nicknamed the ’Classic City”’ In 1985, Athens was honoured to be named Europe’s first Capital of Culture.
According to myth, the sea god Poseidon and Athena, the goddess of wisdom, battle, crafts and art, fought over the city. In order to secure the goodwill of the citizens and become their namesake, they each brought a gift. Poseidon chose a well with salt water, Athena chose an olive tree, which meant food, oil and wood for the citizens. The choice fell on Athena, who has since been considered the patron goddess of the city and its residents.
It is particularly associated with the owl, considered a bird of wisdom, which also became a symbol of the city. Owls could be seen everywhere in the form of statues and pictures. This is where the well-known expression “carrying owls to Athens” comes from. If someone carries owls to Athens, then they are doing something superfluous.
Another interpretation refers to the old silver coins of the Athenians. As is still the case on the Greek euro today, that was an Owl depicted on it, which is why they were also called “owls”. As a very rich city, Athens already had enough of these “owls”, which is why it is useless to bring more owls to Athens!
Throughout its history, Athens experienced times of prosperity and peace, but wars, crusades and invasions also shaped the city. Perhaps it was precisely this fact that led to Athens becoming the birthplace of Western democracy. In 507 BC a system was introduced in which eligible citizens could vote directly on laws.
The long-distance marathon also has its origins here. The very first marathon runner, a man named Pheidippides, ran in 490 BC. to Athens to bring the joyful news of victory over the Persians in the small town of Marathon. The messenger reached his destination and delivered the message, but then collapsed exhausted and died.
The actual distance was 38 km and was set the same at the first modern Olympic Games, held in Athens on April 10, 1896, to commemorate the legend. But already in 1900, at the games in Paris, people ran 40.2 km. There was no concern about measuring the exact route; sometimes 38.5 km and sometimes 41 km were run, depending on the local conditions.
In 1908, when the London Olympics were held, the course was tailored at the request of Alexandra, Queen of Great Britain, so that she could watch the competition from her window. This meant the distance was exactly 42.195 km. In 1921, this route was officially designated as a marathon route by the International Athletics Federation.
The Acropolis, the “Upper City”, as the sacred district is called, is the symbol of the Greek capital. Built between 447 and 407 BC on a limestone plateau at 156 meters in the middle of the city, it symbolized the heyday of Athens and became the epitome of Greek civilization. Since 1987, the Acropolis has been one of Greece‘s 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, attracting approximately 18 million visitors each year.
The buildings include the Erechtheion, the Temple of Nike, the Propylaea and the Parthenon Temple, which is the largest. The ring hall, built of 46 Doric marble columns and named Athena Parthenos (Athena the Virgin) was built entirely of fine marble. Directly below, northwest of the Acropolis, between pine forests and hills is the extensive complex of the historic Agora, the market square. In addition to trade, court cases also took place here, so the Agora can be seen as the counterpart to the Acropolis, which was characterized by rituals and ceremonies.
This was the festival and meeting place for the free citizens of Athens, where they could debate current events, politics, religion, philosophy and legal matters. The Temple of Hephaisteion is the best-preserved structure. Built in 200 BC and dedicated to the Greek god of blacksmithing, Hephaestus, who was born around 440 BC. The 116-meter long “Stoa of Attalos” served as a market hall.
The Dionysus Theatre on the southern slope of the Acropolis is probably the oldest theatre in Ancient Greece. Classical tragedies, ritual song and dance performances and plays were performed here. The name of the semicircular amphitheater goes back to Dionysus, the Greek god of wine, ecstasy and madness. It was created in the 2nd century BC and held around 17,000 visitors, who at that time sat on stone rocks.
The lively district impresses above all with its Mediterranean flair and is now largely characterized by souvenir shops, selling traditional products or hand-made clothing as well as inviting taverns with traditional Greek cuisine, bars and cafés. In its thousands of years of history, Athens has experienced countless changes, but one thing that has remained the same is the name of the Tripod Street.
This holds the Guinness World Record as the oldest street in all of Europe, having had the same name for almost 25 centuries. It connected the ancient Agora with the Theatre of Dionysus, which is why it was known as the “Street of Theatre and Fine Arts” and was therefore always richly decorated.
A trip to Athens is a journey through history and culture, an experience between past and present with unforgettable impressions.
