Hostel in Athens Greece
3 Must-See Sights in Athens.For a glimpse into how life may have been back in the 5th century, you needn’t go any further than Athens, Greece. Many important structures are still standing, some are even being restored to prolong their life so people can come to view and wander through the spectacular ruins.
Acropolis which translates literally to Acro (edge) and polis (city), is considered to be the ‘Sacred Rock’ of Athens. It is an important area symbolising the artistic development that took place throughout Greece during the 5th century and is a must see sight as it also includes the well known Parthenon. The Parthenon was initiated by Perikles and dedicated to Athena Parthenos who is the goddess of Athens. It is made from pentalic marble and is designed in the Doric style. The structure conveys the wealth and values of Athens at the time and still today is one of the most visited sites in Europe.
The Olympieon site should be the next stop on your list as the area holds many impressive and important monuments. Hadrian’s Arch is a bold statement of triumph built on the road that leads from the old city of Athens to the new. The structure is made from pentalic marble and there are two inscriptions on the arch. The first which faces the old city on reads, ‘This is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus.’ On the other side and facing the new city the second inscription reads, ‘This is the city of Hadrian and not of Theseus.’
The Poseidon Temple is not to be missed. Located at Sounion, you will need to put a day aside to travel there and see the excavations. The temple was first mentioned in Homers ‘Odyssey’ when on returning from Troy, Menelaos stopped here and chose it as the place to bury his helmsman, Phrontes Onetorides. Research carried out on the site has also concluded that there were at least two meeting points for organised cults to gather upon this site.
