Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Best
Archaeological Sites
A walk around the archaeological park that is Athens takes in highlights spread
over millennia: from the neolithic period to the Classical, Roman and Byzantine
eras. In addition to the manmade monuments discussed here, it's worth strolling
the promenade up to Filopappou Hill and the Hill of the Pnyx to see ancient ter-
rain and views of the city centre and its shining Acropolis.
Classical Age
The Classical Age (5th to 4th centuries BC) represents the apogee of Greek building.
Marble temples (characterised by the famous orders of columns: Doric, Ionic and Corinthi-
an) are epitomosed by the mother of all Doric structures, the 5th-century-BC Parthenon.
The Greek theatre is also a hallmark of the classical period. The theatre's cleverly engin-
eered acoustics meant every spectator could hear every word uttered on the stage below.
Roman Athens
The Romans used many of the Greek sites, like the Panathenaic Stadium, adapting them to
their needs and occasionally modifying them, or even completing them, as Hadrian did
with Temple of Olympian Zeus.
Byzantine & Ottoman Athens
Church-building was particularly expressive during Byzantium in Greece (from around AD
700) and many churches remain, unlike the remarkably few monuments from the four cen-
turies of Ottoman Turkish rule (16th to 19th centuries). Examples of the latter include parts
of Plaka, its Fethiye Mosque and the Turkish Baths.
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