The birthplace of European society and many Western beliefs, Ancient Athens was inhabited for over 3000 years, and has a fascinating history of cultural development and scientific growth, with exponents in many areas that are still appreciated today.
The values and principles of Ancient Athens began to expand in the fifth century B.C., during the reign of Pericles. From political thoughts to artistic styles and philosophical roots, Ancient Athens took over other regions, which resulted in their impressive intellectual growth.
Along with Olympia, it is considered an important religious and cultural center, visited by thousands of people who can see the remains of temples dedicated to Greek gods, as well as the headquarters of the first Olympic Games held in the history of mankind. It is a melting pot of knowledge, and below you will learn about its most important sites.
The Agora of Ancient Athens is a social center where people assembled to discuss all kinds of topics: business, politics, current events or the nature of the universe and the divine. Agora was where ancient Greek democracy first came to life.
In 1859, the first excavations started in Agora, and huge sculptures were found during the construction of a trench railway. Given the impressive archaeological discovery, specialists devised the project to unearth the iconic place for the Greek culture.
Nowadays, people can visit the Museum of Ancient Agora, built in Stoa of Attalos, a rectangular structure built by King Pergamum, during his reign in the years 241 and 133 B.C. Inside the museum you can see the old samples of pottery, jewelry, weapons and coins.
A second building to appreciate is the Temple of Hephaestus. One of the best preserved of all Greek structures, the Temple of Hephaestus was built on top of Agoraios Kolonos hill, where a series of valuable ornamental sculptures were found.
The Temple of Hephaestus was where people worshiped the god of metallurgy, Hephaestus and the goddess of crafts, Athena, so around it, remains of crafts and pottery shops in honor of these deities were found. It was a Christian church for a while, but in 1934, specialized work of archeology and cultural recovery began there.
Apart from these two buildings, you must visit the Parthenon and the Temple of Zeus. The first is located in the central area of the Acropolis, the Parthenon was a religious center ordered by Pericle, to thank the gods after defeating the Persians in a battle. The Temple of Zeus, after many years of building, was finished by Emperor Hadrian in the year 129, and back then, it was considered the largest center in Ancient Athens.
ALFA