Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tury artists, such as Picasso and Modigliani, with their simplicity and purity of form. The
rest of the museum features Greek and Cypriot art dating from 2000 BC to the 4th century
AD.
(
210 722 8321;
www.cycladic.gr
;
Neofytou Douka 4, cnr Leoforos Vasilissis Sofias, Kolonaki; adult/child
€7/free;
10am-5pm Mon, Wed, Fri & Sat, to 8pm Thu, 11am-5pm Sun;
Evangelismos)
Understand
Byzantine Athens
With the rise of the Byzantine Empire, which blended Hellenistic culture with Christianity, the Greek city of
Byzantium (renamed Constantinople in AD 330, present-day İstanbul) became the capital of the Roman Empire
headed by the Roman Emperor Constantine I, a Christian convert. While Rome went into terminal decline, this
eastern capital began to grow in wealth and strength as a Christian state. In the ensuing centuries Byzantine
Greece faced continued pressure from the Persians and Arabs, but it retained its hold over the region.
Christianity was made the official religion of Greece in AD 394, and worship of Greek and Roman gods was
banned. Athens remained an important cultural centre until AD 529, when the teaching of 'pagan' classical
philosophy was forbidden in favour of Christian theology. From 1200 to 1450 Athens was occupied by a succes-
sion of opportunistic invaders - Franks, Catalans, Florentines and Venetians. By the time it was chosen as the
new Greek capital in 1834, it was little more than a dusty outpost of the Byzantine Empire.
The Byzantine Empire outlived Rome, lasting until the Turks captured Constantinople in 1453.
3
National Art Gallery
ART MUSEUM
This rich collection of Greek art spans four centuries. The newer wing houses its perman-
ent collection and traces the key art movements chronologically. The 1st floor includes the
post-Byzantine period, the gallery's prized El Greco paintings, including
The Crucifixion
and
Symphony of the Angels,
and works from the Ionian period until 1900. The 2nd floor
holds leading 20th-century artists. Works by European masters include paintings by Picas-
so. It hosts major international exhibitions.
(
210 723 5857;
www.nationalgallery.gr
; Leoforos
Vasileos Konstantinou 50, Kolonaki; adult/child €6.50/free;
9am-3pm Mon & Wed-Sat, 10am-2pm Sun;
Evan-
gelismos)
4
Lykavittos Hill
LANDMARK, PARK
