You have probably heard that Athens is dirty and there is graffiti everywhere. Yes, that’s true. For that reason, I had no expectations for the city and was merely looking forward to seeing the islands rather than the inland. However, I was taken by surprise once in Athens. It may be dirty, but it’s so full of life and culture.
My favorite time to see a city is on Saturday mornings. Everything is so calm and peaceful after a night of partying. Stores are starting to open, and it’s a great time to grab a bite to eat from a café. That’s how I was introduced to Athens.
I wanted to get an early start to see the Acropolis. It had rained all night and was starting to drizzle a little on my walk to the Acropolis. I ordered a croissant to eat along with a coffee before making my way toward the main attraction. The map on my phone took me all over the place, but I was glad of that. I saw these AMAZING, small, Byzantine churches all over the city. More on that later.
The Acropolis
Technically, “acropolis” in Greek means a high point over a city. The term can be applied, and is applied, to many places around Greece. Greece is definitely full of mountains! However, this acropolis is the most famous, obviously.
You can see the Acropolis from many points around the city. On the way up, you walk through steep and winding streets. They are super cute and definitely worth the walk itself. If you want to splurge a little, there are also some great restaurants in this area, too.
To go up to see the temples, it is going to cost you a bit. A single ticket is €20, unless you qualify for a discount or free ticket. Apparently, there is also a combination ticket that will get you into six different sights around Athens for €30, so that would be well worth it.
The Temples
After a short climb, you arrive at the temple of Athena Nike. Yes, like the shoe. Nike symbolizes “winged victory”. Since Athena was the patron goddess of Athens, the ancient Athenians believed all of their battle victories were because of her.
This itself is a great marvel to see, but then you walk through and get to see one of the most well-known monuments in the world: The Parthenon. The Parthenon is currently under renovation. It’s going to take a lot of time and money to complete this renovation. As of 2019, one of the façades is completely under scaffolding.
No one is permitted inside the Parthenon, but neither was anyone 2500 years ago. The temple was dedicated to Athena and once held a magnificent statue of Athena made of gold and ivory that was incredibly tall. It was so sacred that no one was allowed inside.
If someone did want to make an offering to Athena, there was an adjacent temple. It’s called the Erechtheion and was dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon.
Athena and Poseidon
Side story here. A long time ago, Athena and Poseidon vied for the patronage of the city. The citizens said it would belong to whoever produced the best gift. Poseidon granted the city a spring full of salt water. Athena created the first every olive tree when she plunged her sword into the ground.
The Athenians obviously chose Athena to represent them, although Poseidon was not too happy about it and destroyed the olive tree. A new one grew in its place. The olive tree is very abundant around Greece. Everywhere you can see different type of olive products, including things made from olive wood.
Back to the Parthenon
The Parthenon faced several disasters over the years. Three stick out. First, the Persians came in the 400s BC. They ransacked the city. To help save some of the objects, the Athenians buried statues and treasures. You can see some of these objects in the Acropolis Museum.
Then, when the Ottomans were at war with the Greeks, a cannonball hit the Parthenon, which took out a large chunk of it. Another disaster for them was when Thomas Bruce from England took statues from the top of the Parthenon and gave them to the UK. You can now see these statues at the British Museum.
When you climb back down from the tippy top, you can also see a few more ruins. There is the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, which was renovated from ruins in 1950 and still hosts events. The Theater of Dionysus is more of what you would expect to see of ancient ruins.
Acropolis Museum
To accompany the trip to the Acropolis, the Acropolis Museum is just across the street from the southeastern slope of the Acropolis. The museum is rather new; only ten years old. Inside, you can find all the statues, vases, and other objects that once sat on top of the hill. Due to industrialization and other factors, the priceless pieces have been moved into the museum to prolong their lifespan.
One of my favorite part of the museum were the Korai (which are young girls/women). As I mentioned earlier, the ancient Athenians buried some of their treasures to prevent them from being destroyed by the Persians. They were forgotten until the 1800s when they were dug up again. Because they were buried, they retain some of their original color.
The top floor is entirely dedicated to the Parthenon. There, they have all of the statues and friezes that once sat on top of the Parthenon. Now, they are laid out as if they were still standing there.
Admission is €10, €5 for reduced, and EU students can access the museum for free. I suggest in all landmarks in Greece to see if you qualify for any reduction. It doesn’t hurt to ask.
That’s It … For Now
As I was writing my blog for Athens, I realized I just had too much to say. Come back next week for Part 2 of my time in Athens.
