Forget Me Not: 5 Reason to Remember Athens

Posted by Jude Buttle on Monday, August 18, 2008

Referred to as the birthplace of western civilization, Athens is synonymous with ancient history, philosophy and democracy. A city that has an unequalled past is presently looking forward to the future.

Acropolis: Parthenon (West Side) - photo by wallyg

1. Dining Out

Eating out in Athens is a national pastime and the Greeks like to eat their food at a leisurely pace. Much of Greek cooking concentrates on simple seasoning and fresh meat and vegetables.

Bakery-fresh tiropitas (flaky cheese-filled pastries) are the choice to start the day for many Athenians. The Greeks like to eat lunch and dinner late, so they are known to snack in-between on souvlaki (garlic-marinated lamb kebabs).

It's common for Greeks to make a lunch of mezedes, or hors d'oeuvres. Popular dishes include fried meatballs, seafood, cheese, olives, stuffed vine leaves, tzatziki (garlicky yogurt and cucumbers), small sausages and giant beans. You can find mezedes at an ouzeri (serving ouzo, an anise-flavoured liqueur) or at a mezedopolio (serving locally produced wine or beer); both of these types of restaurants are open only during the day.

For the evening meal, Greek tavernas serve such specialities as moussaka (lamb, eggplant and béchamel sauce), pastitsio (lamb or goat meat with macaroni and tomatoes), stifado (braised beef with onions) and paidakia (grilled lamb or goat chops). 

2. Archaeology

With its amazing history, it's no surprise that Athens is one of the world's main centres of archaeological research. With national institutions like Athens University and the Archaeological Society providing the breeding ground for the study of past cultures.

Athens also boasts several archaeological Museums (including the National Archaeological Museum, the Byzantine Museum, the Cycladic Museum and the Epigraphic Museum).

Additionally, the city hosts 17 Foreign Archaeological Institutes which promote and facilitate research by scholars from around the world.

As a result, Athens has more than a dozen archaeological libraries and three specialized archaeological laboratories, and is the venue of several hundred specialized lectures, conferences and seminars, as well as dozens of archaeological exhibitions, per year. All in all, Athens is one great place to go digging.

3 & 4. The Acropolis and the Parthenon

You can't refer to one without mentioning the other; the Acropolis and the Parthenon come as a pair.

The Acropolis of Athens is the quintessential symbol of Greece and of the Greek Empire; it is the most famous acropolis (high city, The "Sacred Rock") in the world and home to the magnificent Parthenon.

Once a fortified citadel and the state sanctuary of ancient Athens, the Acropolis developed into the safe haven of the goddess Athena, the patron divinity of the city.

In the second quarter of the 6^th century B.C., there was a surge of architectural activity and the first monumental stone, Doric temple of Athena, was built on the Acropolis.

Another monumental temple was built after the Athenian victory over the Persians at Marathon in 490 B.C. and in the mid-5th century, the Athenians were persuaded by the statesman Pericles to rebuild the temples on the Acropolis on a grand scale. And it is during the second half of the 5th century B.C. that the most famous building on the Acropolis was created - the Parthenon.

The Parthenon is a temple of the Greek goddess Athena and widely considered a key landmark of early Western civilization. The Parthenon was built in the 5th century B.C. on the Acropolis and is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece. Its decorative sculptures are considered the zenith of Greek art. The Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of ancient Greece and of Athenian democracy, and is one of the world's greatest cultural monuments.

The Parthenon, the centrepiece of the Acropolis, has a museum adjacent to it that houses marble carvings, statues, and other artefacts from the area.

5. The Central Market

The Central Market on Athinas Street is a lively, bustling place, full of fresh fish, meat, fruit and vegetables from all over Greece.

The market is open from Monday through to Saturday and the area is comprised of a long, narrow meat market, separate produce market, and dozens of surrounding shops selling everything such as spices, herbs, sweets, pottery and kitchenware.

The restaurants in the meat market offer food at some of the cheapest prices in Athens.

Conclusion

Athens is an amazing city with an incredible history of ancient monuments and archaeological discoveries. With one foot planted firmly in its famous past and the other moving in a modern direction, Athens is an alluring mixture of old and new.

 

Search for Property in Greece

If you are looking for Property for sale in Athens, such as villas, apartments or other types of real estate, why not check out TheMoveChannel.com Greece, which has a large number of listings from Greek estate agents and developers selling properties in the area: http://greece.themovechannel.com/

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