Sunrise over Athens Piraeus
Port city to Athens for over twenty centuries (!!!), Piraeus is about a 20-minute drive from the Acropolis.
I had a heck of a time trying to identify the elliptical stadium in this photo. It turns out to be the Stadio Eirinis kai Fillias (The Peace and Friendship Stadium)
What a name!
The stadium hosted indoor volleyball for the 2004 Olympics. The sad fact is that many of the Olympic stadiums in Athens have been abandoned and fallen into disrepair, which says something about the state of the city. So does the prevalence of graffiti I saw throughout the city.
Still, none of those things seemed to matter once I visited the Acropolis.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Hmm... where have I heard the name Herodes Atticus before? Could it possibly be here? That's right, he is the same benefactor who commissioned the Nymphaeum at Olympia.
The two images, pieced together, is my poor attempt of manually generating a panoramic view of the odeon.
Impressively, the odeon is still in use for special concerts and recitals. Andre Bocelli performed here. So has Elton John. How amazing would that be, to attend a concert in a building that has lasted more than two millennia?
What luck! We arrived just in time just to see the march of the Evzoni, the Greek honour guard.
The tights+pleated skirt+tasseled garter uniform aside, they were pretty impressive looking. Of course, all of them being almost a foot taller than me certainly helped with the impressiveness factor.
Temple of Athena Nike
Propylaea
The gateway to the Acropolis.
Propylaea was built in such a manner that it sits directly behind, rather than in front, of all the temples (i.e. the gateway faces the west while all the temples face the east.) The tour guide had explained that the reason the temples face the east was so the gods could see the rising sun. I suppose had the Propylaea been built in the east, it would have blocked the gods' fantastic view of the rising sun over Athens (and hurt the temples' real estate value? Not to mention incur the wrath of the gods.)
The grounds of the Acropolis is highly uneven and booby-trapped. By booby-traps, I mean the exposed marble surfaces scattered throughout the grounds. They are dangerously slippery even on the sunniest of days. I saw two people slip and almost fall during my time on site. Luckily, the Acropolis was so crowded in particular areas that in both cases, someone nearby caught them before a serious injury could occur (I suppose that's one benefit of a small crowd.)
Slipping on the marble is probably a rite of passage most experiences when visiting the Acropolis. At least, that's what I told myself when I slipped.
The Caryatid Porch of the Erechtheion
Also known as the "Porch of the Maidens." What is seen here at the Acropolis are reproductions. The originals (minus one) are now in the Acropolis Museum. There were six maidens. One was stolen (along with countless number of other priceless artifacts including the Parthenon freize) by Lord Elgin (technically, he's the seventh Earl of Elgin, but whatever) to decorate his home back in Scotland. He wanted a pair but he broke the other during the removal process (Needless to say, the Greeks are not big fans of him, neither am I now that I have read more about the guy.)
Legend has it that at night, the remaining five maidens roam the Acropolis crying for their lost sister.
The maidens (even though they are only reproductions) look incredibly graceful, even from this distance. It's hard to believe that they alone are able to support the weight of the porch roof.
Erechtheion
Dedicated to Athena and Poseidon, it is said to have housed the gifts from the two gods - the sacred olive tree and the well of sea water - in their bid for the city of Athens. The temple was designed by the Great Phidias, the same individual who made the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, as well as the Parthenon's famous frieze and the Statue of Athena (Athena Parthnos) inside.
View from the Acropolis
On the bottom left corner is the Rock of Ares (supposedly where the god of war was put on trial.) The remarkably well-preserved temple near the middle is The Temple of Hephaestus. They are both going on my "To visit-Athens" list.
Built in 1896, it is the first stadium of the modern Olympic Games. The stadium, based on the ruins of an ancient stadium funded by Herodes Atticus (there's that name again...), was built entirely from white marble (a little extravagant for a stadium don't you think?)
The Plaka
One of the oldest neighbourhoods in Athens, it is now a tourist shopping destination full of souvenir shops and jewelry stores. I would have much preferred to visit the nearby Agora and the Tower of the Winds, but alas, it was not to be. Maybe I just didn't go deep enough into the Plaka to fully enjoy its charms. After all, it's rated #20 on TripAdvisor. Next time.
Port city to Athens for over twenty centuries (!!!), Piraeus is about a 20-minute drive from the Acropolis.
I had a heck of a time trying to identify the elliptical stadium in this photo. It turns out to be the Stadio Eirinis kai Fillias (The Peace and Friendship Stadium) What a name!
The stadium hosted indoor volleyball for the 2004 Olympics. The sad fact is that many of the Olympic stadiums in Athens have been abandoned and fallen into disrepair, which says something about the state of the city. So does the prevalence of graffiti I saw throughout the city.
Still, none of those things seemed to matter once I visited the Acropolis.
The Acropolis
As we climbed the hill, I finally got my first glimpse of the Acropolis - The Temple of Athena Nike. It was an incredible feeling, to be standing in the shadow of the Acropolis.
Odeon of Herodes Atticus
Hmm... where have I heard the name Herodes Atticus before? Could it possibly be here? That's right, he is the same benefactor who commissioned the Nymphaeum at Olympia.
The two images, pieced together, is my poor attempt of manually generating a panoramic view of the odeon.
Impressively, the odeon is still in use for special concerts and recitals. Andre Bocelli performed here. So has Elton John. How amazing would that be, to attend a concert in a building that has lasted more than two millennia?
What luck! We arrived just in time just to see the march of the Evzoni, the Greek honour guard.The tights+pleated skirt+tasseled garter uniform aside, they were pretty impressive looking. Of course, all of them being almost a foot taller than me certainly helped with the impressiveness factor.
Temple of Athena Nike
PropylaeaThe gateway to the Acropolis.
Propylaea was built in such a manner that it sits directly behind, rather than in front, of all the temples (i.e. the gateway faces the west while all the temples face the east.) The tour guide had explained that the reason the temples face the east was so the gods could see the rising sun. I suppose had the Propylaea been built in the east, it would have blocked the gods' fantastic view of the rising sun over Athens (and hurt the temples' real estate value? Not to mention incur the wrath of the gods.)
An artist's rendition of the Propylaea (Left) and what it looks like today (Right).
The grounds of the Acropolis is highly uneven and booby-trapped. By booby-traps, I mean the exposed marble surfaces scattered throughout the grounds. They are dangerously slippery even on the sunniest of days. I saw two people slip and almost fall during my time on site. Luckily, the Acropolis was so crowded in particular areas that in both cases, someone nearby caught them before a serious injury could occur (I suppose that's one benefit of a small crowd.)Slipping on the marble is probably a rite of passage most experiences when visiting the Acropolis. At least, that's what I told myself when I slipped.
Propylea on the left. The Carytid Porch (Erechtheion) on the right.
The rubble in the middle? The Old Temple of Athena (destroyed in 480 BC)
The Caryatid Porch of the Erechtheion Also known as the "Porch of the Maidens." What is seen here at the Acropolis are reproductions. The originals (minus one) are now in the Acropolis Museum. There were six maidens. One was stolen (along with countless number of other priceless artifacts including the Parthenon freize) by Lord Elgin (technically, he's the seventh Earl of Elgin, but whatever) to decorate his home back in Scotland. He wanted a pair but he broke the other during the removal process (Needless to say, the Greeks are not big fans of him, neither am I now that I have read more about the guy.)
Legend has it that at night, the remaining five maidens roam the Acropolis crying for their lost sister.
ErechtheionDedicated to Athena and Poseidon, it is said to have housed the gifts from the two gods - the sacred olive tree and the well of sea water - in their bid for the city of Athens. The temple was designed by the Great Phidias, the same individual who made the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, as well as the Parthenon's famous frieze and the Statue of Athena (Athena Parthnos) inside.
Now, for the main event. The Parthenon.
AWE-wait for it-SOME.
There are no words. Period.
Time to go.
One more shot of the Propylea. Look at that crowd, all waiting to visit the Acropolis.
When I see Greek letters, I think of math. Is that weird?
The Dogs of Acropolis (and the Odd Cat)
Sometimes during the period when the Acropolis laid largely abandoned, feral dogs claimed the hill as their own. Even today, they probably view it as their territory and the people just visitors (under their supervision, of course.)
So don't be surprised to see dogs roaming the ancient site, or just basking in the sun on one of the temple steps. The guide assured us that the dogs are extremely well taken care of as they are considered to be part of the Acropolis, hence are under the jurisdiction of the government.
As for the cat, I don't know about him/her. A spy perhaps?
View from the Acropolis
On the bottom left corner is the Rock of Ares (supposedly where the god of war was put on trial.) The remarkably well-preserved temple near the middle is The Temple of Hephaestus. They are both going on my "To visit-Athens" list.
Panathenaic Stadium
Built in 1896, it is the first stadium of the modern Olympic Games. The stadium, based on the ruins of an ancient stadium funded by Herodes Atticus (there's that name again...), was built entirely from white marble (a little extravagant for a stadium don't you think?)One of the oldest neighbourhoods in Athens, it is now a tourist shopping destination full of souvenir shops and jewelry stores. I would have much preferred to visit the nearby Agora and the Tower of the Winds, but alas, it was not to be. Maybe I just didn't go deep enough into the Plaka to fully enjoy its charms. After all, it's rated #20 on TripAdvisor. Next time.
Didn't Lord Elgin "buy" the marbles from Greek officials? Apparently there's a reciept and everything? I also heard that Elgin took thn for safekeeping since Greece was in a war with Turkey(?) at the time and they didn't want the marbles to get damanged?
ReplyDeleteWhat is history but a fabled agreed upon? (Tell me who said that and you get a cookie!)
It's tricky now because Greece wants the marbles back and ... yeah.... tricky.
Were you able to go to the museum?
*Raises hand* Bonaparte said that!!! The master propagandist himself! A cookie please.
DeleteThe truth is probably somewhere inbetween but his version of "safekeeping" also meant interior decoration for his manor house (!) Well, he got his because the British government ended up buying the marbles from him at a substantially lower value then the market rate.
It's incredibly tricky. I mean, how far back do you pursue these things? Egypt could demand back all the obelisks being used in Bernini's fountains/statues in Rome...
We didn't go to the museum. You'll see why in the next post.
*than
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