Athens is undoubtedly the capital of the classical world. In it were born Plato, Aristotle, Phidias, Euripides, Pindar and many other military, artists and intellectuals who laid the foundations of Western culture. A city that holds incalculable treasures has helped us to understand what Greek civilization was. Join us to know 35 Captivating Athens Curiosities .
Athens is the capital of Greece, the country where democracy was born. It currently has a population of around 664,000 people, although its metropolitan area exceeds 3.8 million. Its history includes more than 3,400 years and walking through its streets is a lesson in unforgettable living history that combines with all the elements of a modern city.
35 Captivating Athens Curiosities
1. Athens is the oldest capital in Europe. According to the existing records, the origins of the city go back more than 3,400 years ago.
2. The city occupies the central plain of the Attica region and is surrounded by four great mountains: Mount Parnés, Monte Pentélico, Mount Egaleo and Mount Himeto.
3. The goddess Athena , according to mythology, is the patron of Athens and won the post to Poseidon in a popular vote on the gifts they offered: Athena, an olive tree and Poseidon a salt water spring. If you want to know more about this "divine" dispute, we invite you to read the post: 3 Myths of Poseidon | The Greek god of the sea and earthquakes .
4. In Athens, 2 editions of the Olympic Games Summer of modernity, the first in 1896 and the second in 2004. In antiquity, the Olympic Games were held in Olympia and in Athens the Panathenaic Games took place from 566 a.C.
5. Unlike Rome and much of Greece, Athens was not devastated and plundered in the fourth century by the Visigoths of Alaric. This was because he opened his doors to the king and there was no confrontation, thus being saved from the fate that awaited him.
6. The air of Athens was so polluted for decades that in the late 70's of the twentieth century began to seriously affect the ruins of the Acropolis. The government decided to act and measures were taken in the 1990s that amended the situation although they did not fully resolve it.
7. In the region that dominates the city of Athens lives approximately 40% of the Greek population, therefore it is the largest and most densely populated in the country.
8. One of the curiosities of Athens it has to do with its climatology. It is one of the sunniest capitals in the world. The sun shines in it an average of 270 days a year.
9. Athens is also the birthplace of the Theater, so it is not surprising that there are more than 140 theatrical stages in the city today.
10. Not everything is old in Athens. One of the most spectacular buildings in the city is the National Opera and the National Library. This complex is the work of architect Renzo Piano and also has a park and an artificial lake.
11. One of the curiosities of Athens They were his sidewalks. They were paved with marble. Over the years this material was worn out and when it rained it caused spectacular falls in the passers-by. In 2003 there was a renovation making them more accessible. However, you can still see stretches of marble sidewalks in some places.
12. The highest hill in Athens measures 277m. It is the Lycabettus mountain and to reach its top you can arrive through an endless staircase or take the funicular. From above you will have a spectacular view of the city from the Acropolis to the Aegean.
13. In Athens, the highest "official" temperature reached in Europe was recorded. It was in the year 1977 and they reached 48º C.
14. Another of the curiosities of Athens It is an urban legend. Apparently, 25 years ago an extraordinary find was made underground. A space in which magnificent reliefs, paintings and 130 intact statues were found. It is said the discovery does not come to light because one of the statues is gold and ivory. How about? Do you think that can be true?
15. When the subway works for the 2004 Olympics were made, numerous remains were found along the suburban layout. In total there were more than 50,000 objects.
16. On the north side of the Acropolis is the neighborhood of Anafiotika. It seems a secret place separate from the big city. Its small streets are very similar to those of the villages of the Greek islands.
17. The Plaka neighborhood is one of the most traditional in Athens. One of the curiosities of Athens is that you can eat or dine on the stairs of Plaka. They are full of restaurants where you can enjoy Greek cuisine.
18. If you are fond of the markets in Monastiraki you have a very popular one. You can find old objects, furniture, and even things left by the Nazis during the war.
19. The Cathedral of Athens known as Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens or the Cathedral of the Annunciation of Santa María, is an icon-rich Orthodox church. In it, the kings of Spain, Juan Carlos and Sofia married in 1962.
20. Next to the Cathedral of Athens there is a small church from the 12th century. It is built with marble extracted from ancient Greek temples is the church of Agios Eleftherios.
21. The oldest hotel in the city is in Syntagma Square. It is the Hotel Grande Bretagne and the seat of the Nazi occupation government during the Second World War. Brittany
22. One of the main attractions of Athens is the Acropolis. Its name comes from the words "Acro" (high) and "polis" (city) and means "High City". It is the sacred hill on which the Athenians built temples in honor of their gods.
23. The most important of the temples of the Acropolis is the Parthenon. It is dedicated to the goddess Athena and was built in the fifth century BC. C.
24. Over the centuries, the Parthenon has been used as an ammunition depot, church, barracks and mosque. It was bombed in 1687 by the Venetians and centuries later the temple was sacked by Lord Elgin, the former British ambassador in Constantinople.
25. From the acropolis you can see the old Theater of Dionysus, which was home to 17,000 people.
26. The Nazis occupied Athens during the Second World War and placed their flag on the Acropolis.
27. The port of Athens is Piraeus and is the largest passenger port in Europe and the second largest in the world.
28. One of the curiosities of Athens It is the Piraeus metro station. It is located in a building dating back to 1929 and is in operation since 1869. Thousands of people use it every day and it is especially crowded during the tourist season when visitors come to the port to take the Cruises to the Greek Islands .
29. Within the metropolitan area of Athens is the municipality of Marusi in which is the Olympic complex built for the 2004 Olympics and designed by Santiago Calatrava.
30. The most important archaeological remains that you can see in Athens besides the Acropolis are the Ancient Agora, the Roman Agora or the Temple of Olympian Zeus, but there are many more places with first class archaeological remains distributed throughout the city.
31. In the Syntagma metro station you can see a vertical section of several archaeological layers.
32. In the Syntagma square is the Parliament and also a tomb to the unknown soldier.
33. Between the months of May and October the Festival of Athens takes place in which there are representations of dance, opera and theater. The theater of Herodes Ático and the Theater of Epidaurus, which is two hours away are some of the most spectacular scenarios for performances.
34. At the Omonia square in Athens the sporting triumphs, especially the basketball ones, of the Greek national teams are celebrated.
35. For the last of the curiosities of Athens we have asked ourselves if there are other places with that name in the world and we have discovered that only in the USA. There are ... 33!
Other Curiosities of Cities
And if you love to travel and know the secrets of the different countries and their urban centers, you can discover with us curiosities of Europe , from the most surprising data from other wonderful cities that you will surely be interested in such as:
- Curiosities of Barcelona
- Curiosities of Seville
- Curiosities of Madrid
- Curiosities of Bilbao
- Curiosities of London
- Curiosities of Paris
- Curiosities of Prague
- Curiosities of Venice
- Curiosities of Florence
- Curiosities of Amsterdam
- Curiosities of Berlin
- Curiosities of Brussels
As you see, the capital of Greece, hides many interesting places to discover. What do you think about our selection of curiosities of Athens ? Do you know any that we have not taken into account? Tell us and we can expand this list of curiosities.
Images: Leonid Mamchenkov , C messier , Tango7174 , bynyalcin ,