The birth of democracy, the flourishing of theatrical drama, and Socrates’ founding of Western philosophy are considered to be material evidence of the fact that the flourishing of the city kept up with its intellectual accomplishments.
Athens boasts of many archaeological sights and cultural riches. Among them is the Acropolis, which is considered to be the most famous sight in Athens and in all of Greece. It was built in the Fifth Century B.C.
Athens is considered to be a portal for commerce. The Port of Piraeus is six miles from the center of Athens. It is the location of fleets of ships that take visitors to all of the Greek islands.
Athens
Legend, Charm, and History
The capital of Greece is a true mix of wisdom, democracy, cultural riches
and natural beauty
In it the sun shines brightly, so that its rays spread out over archaeological sights that embody beauty and strength at the same time. Its captivating charm embraces its cultural riches, and together they form one of the most renowned and most beautiful European cities. It is a city that has nursed the philosophers and the mighty, and that has enchanted writers and poets. It is Athens, a rare gem that glistens under the Greek sky and that attracts millions of people.
Greece is famous for its attractive beauty and its calming nature, and it is distinguished by a temperate climate. It is dry and hot in the summer, and warm and rainy in the winter. However, the country does not rely only upon its moderate climate to attract visitors. This storied, tourist country contains many antiquities, side by side with manifestations of modern life. Greece attracts tens of millions of tourists each year. There are those who go there either to see the tourist sights, of which the most famous are represented by the Acropolis, the Kafitios, and the Agora, in addition to thousands of other archaeological sites, or to visit the new tourist areas, which are represented by the hundreds of Greek islands that are scattered in the Aegean Sea and that are distinguished by captivating nature. In the heart of Greece, the capital, Athens, looks down haughtily, with its captivating charm. The city is more than 5,000 years old, and it is considered to be one of the oldest European cities. It lies in the southeastern part of Greece, on the Attica Plain, between the Ilisus River and the Kifisus River, surrounded on three sides by the summits of the Himitos, Pentelecon, and Parnis Mountains. From the fourth side, it overlooks the Gulf of Zarunish, which is connected to the Mediterranean Sea. It is the capital of the country, and it has more than three million inhabitants. The Greek language is the mother tongue and the predominant language in the country. Athens has a long and storied history, which is rich with Greek mythology. It is known as the birthplace of democracy and the cradle of Western civilization. It is also considered to be the birthplace of the ancient and modern Olympic Games.
There are many hotels in Athens, which provide visitors with distinguished comfort and services. If you like quiet and relaxation, you can find numerous hotels that are remote from the din of the city center, and that overlook the Acropolis. Athens is also replete with hotels that combine the ancient with the modern.
The cuisine of Athens resembles the cuisines of the eastern Mediterranean. It usually consists of mutton, cooked in various fashions, as well as many types of fish and seafood, all of which are served in the distinguished Greek way. One of the famous dishes is feta. It is made from sheep’s or goat’s milk, and it is prepared in the Greek way. It is delicious. In Athens there are many Arab cafés that have taken their names from famous Arabs or from ancient Arab symbols or cities. There are the Pyramids Café, the Pasha Café, the Ramses Café, the Nile Café, the Dream Nights Café, the Cleopatra Café, the Umm Kulthūm Café, and many more.
You can walk about in the markets of Athens in order to buy whatever pleases you, in terms of clothes, perfumes and handicrafts, such as jewelry that is inlaid and decorated with engravings, copper, brass, as well as other products. The most popular shopping areas are in the northwest sector of the city. During your stroll in the streets of Athens, you will notice that it is different with regard to its names, but it is the same with regard to two main things – the bookshops and the cafés, which are spread out all along the street in a symmetrical fashion.
Legend has it that Athena acquired the city after her victory over Poseidon. The Acropolis was built to glorify that victory. In the Fifth Century BC, Athens reached the peak of its flourishing as an independent city. That is attributable to the vision of the statesman Pericles (429 BC–416 BC) and his interest in building, which left this quantity of great, classical buildings, such as the Parthenon, the Arctheon, Hevesteon, and the Temple of Soneon, which is considered to be the symbol of ancient Greece. The birth of democracy, the flourishing of theatrical drama, and Socrates’ founding of Western philosophy are considered to be material evidence of the fact that the flourishing of the city kept up with its intellectual accomplishments.
Athens was built around the rocky hills of the Acropolis. It was the capital of the state of Attica, which was unified before 700 B.C. Its inhabitants were Ionites. At the time when it was established the city consisted of houses of clay and straw, and its streets did not have sidewalks. In its time, it was smaller in size than the ancient cities, and its area did not exceed that of a small village. However, it was a state that was run in a democratic fashion, by means of a council of the people. The people of Athens elected the council by balloting. Discussions took place in the council, and decisions were made by voting. Athens took an interest in the dramatic arts, and it had an open-air theater. It was a center of Mycean civilization in the last Bronze Age. In the time when it was ruled by Pericles, it became a city of the arts and of culture. It remained a school of culture until the year 529 BC, inasmuch as the famous Greek tragedies and comedies emerged there. The Persians attacked it in 490 BC, and it was victorious over them on land in the Battle of Marathon, and by sea at Salamis in 480 BC.
In 1985, Athens was declared the first cultural capital of Europe. In 1987, the Acropolis was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list, and in 1990 the Temple of Daphne was added to the list. The first Olympic Games of the modern era were held in Athens in 1896. Approximately one century after that, the summer Olympic Games of 2004 were also held there. The economy of the city depends on tourism, construction, the banking sector and insurance companies. The major industries include textiles, leather goods, foodstuffs, paper and printed materials. Around one-half of the industrial companies in Greece are found in Athens. Athens’s location on the southeastern side of Europe has given it a commercial importance, along with the countries of the Middle East and the Orient in general. Likewise, the summer Olympic Games of 2004, which were held in Athens, contributed to improving the infrastructure there, in particular the infrastructure that is related to public transportation. A new international airport for the city was opened in 2001, the new Alphatherios Vanzelios International Airport. This airport symbolizes a new era for Greek air transport. It is considered to be one of the best airports in the world, and it has obtained the sixth place on the international level, and the second place among the airports of Europe. It is located at a distance of 25 kilometers northeast of the capital, Athens. This airport has contributed to a large extent to the increased influx of tourists to Greece. Likewise, the first subway line was inaugurated directly before the beginning of the Olympic Games. Add to that the opening of numerous sport stadiums and halls. It must be pointed out that Athens is the point of intersection of two principal highways, which connect the country from its north to its south and to its west. The port of Athens lies in the area of Piraeus, to the south of the city.
Athens boasts of many archaeological sights and cultural riches. Among them is the Acropolis, which is considered to be the most famous sight in Athens and in all of Greece. It was built in the Fifth Century B.C., and it constitutes the historical center of Athens. It includes an ancient sports stadium that was built of marble as well as an antique theater. While visiting it, you can walk briskly around the ancient garden that surrounds it. It is the fortified part of the ancient Greek city where Athens was born. It is now an area for pedestrians that includes many monuments.
Among the most famous of the city’s sights is also the hill of Kaftios, which is the second most famous archeological site in Athens after the Acropolis. From above it we see all of Athens, as well as natural views of the city. The altitude of the hill reaches around 1,000 feet. In the evening it appears as if it were an illuminated circular form, while during the day it appears as if it were a green and white hill. A cable-car line cuts through the mountain to arrive at the top of the hill in two minutes. There are ladders around the hill to arrive at the summit.
As for the ancient Agora tourist area, it lies in the center of Athens. In Arabic, the name “Agora” means marketplace. In ancient times, the Agora was the center of the great city. For its part, Kiramikios is considered to be the most important entrance in the walls of the great city. It is a big palace that is surrounded by thick walls, with four towers in the corners and two portals inside. The building resembled a great tribunal, provided with a square with sidewalks, in which there was a fountain and a round marble. The area of Kiramakios was the meeting point of three main roads: the road that led to the academy (university); the road of tombs, which led to the port of Piraeus (west of Athens), and the road to Elisis.
Athens is also distinguished by the parliament building or Virios, in the front of Sindgama Square. It is a large square building, which is scaled by big ladders from all sides. It was built in the year 1835 at the expense of King Ludwig, and it is exposed to the light and to the sun all along its vast façades on the two wide main streets in the center of the city. This historic palace suffered internal damage in the year 1910. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was built nearby it, as well as large gardens that are open to everybody all day long.
Athens is considered to be a portal for commerce. The Port of Piraeus is six miles from the center of Athens. It is the location of fleets of ships that take visitors to all of the Greek islands. The port is considered to be one of the principal ports in the Mediterranean basin. It has been embellished lately with gardens that are adorned with flowers and with many cafés. The port also contains many antiquities that date back to ancient times, including high walls, and museums of the maritime history of the city.
Likewise, in the past few years, the city council has taken an interest in renovating the beaches and constructing open-air theaters. The city’s port also contains a revolving port, crowded with beautiful yachts, sailboats, and restaurants. In the morning, it is transformed into a fishing village, teeming with fishermen who are repairing their nets, in a splendid sight under the rays of the sun. It takes around 20 minutes to arrive there from the city center.
After enjoying visiting these magnificent archeological sites, one must visit Gazoun Gallery. It is an attractive open area that includes all forms of arts that you can imagine, or rather, that you cannot imagine. In order to enjoy a coastal view, you can head for Agios Mousmas. It is part of the Athenian Riviera. You can sit in a café that overlooks the water, and observe the other world that passes before you. Do not forget to ride the subway to Irini and see the magnificent Olympic stadium, which has room for eighty thousand people. It is one of the architectural exploits of the modern era in this city. Do not forget to visit the Greek restaurants and cafés in order to taste the delicious foods and dishes that do not differ very much from our Middle Eastern dishes.
Words and lines convey you to that enchanting European capital, and it reveals to you the secrets of its beauty and its renown. How many books and articles have sung the praises of Athens – its charm, its culture, and its archaeological and intellectual riches? However, savoring the beauty of Athens with the naked eye remains the best means of getting acquainted with one of the most beautiful European capitals, a precious cultural and intellectual treasure.
