Καλημέρα Athens!

 

Although Athens is the capital of Greece, it possess a small Mediterranean city spirit. Warm, authentic and hospitable. Old part of the city at the skirts of the Acropolis has typical narrow streets.

On the way to Acropolis, I came across to the Roman Forum & Tower of Winds. Here is the second Agora (market place) of Athens. In the 1st century AD, Romans moved the original Agora here. Here is a very interesting place to see. Romans, late Greeks and Ottoman Turks left all their marks.

Tower of Winds

Tower of Winds was build by a Syrian astronomer Andronikos Kyrrhestas in about 50 BC. It is also known as Horologion of Kyrrhestos. It has an octagonal structure and it served as a weather vane initially. The ornaments around the octagon are supposed to be personifications of the winds. Moreover, a water clock inside the tower run by a stream from Acropolis and there supposed to be a sundial on the tower. The tower of winds was used also as a church in the early Christian period and it served as a dervish monastery in the  late Ottoman period.

Fethiye Mosque at the other corner of the Forum is another important mark left by the Ottoman Turks. It was erected in 1456 after conquer of Athens. The name refers to conquer Fetih.

 Fethiye Mosque

As other structures in the Forum, the mosque needs serious restoration. Its minaret is missing, the outer part of it is reinforced faintly. The interior is not open to public.

New Agora

Climbing all the way further up, brought me to Acropolis.

Acropolis Rock and Propylaia

 Propylaia (above) is the grand entrance to Acropolis (high city).

 

Parthenon

 The heart of the Acropolis (high city) is Parthenon. This temple is created in a classical ancient Greek style and according to some historians it replaced a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. During the Christian period it served as a church and during the Ottoman period it served as a mosque. When I visited Parthenon, there was heavy restoration work was going on. According to project description, the architectural members inside were conserved and, where necessary, they were filled in with new Pentelic marble. New titanium clamps and dowels replaced the rusted clamps and dowels of earlier interventions. Well, it seemed to me the restoration work may take some time.

Restoration at Acropolis 

Erechtheion

 

Built in Ionic style,  Erechtheion is named after mythical king of Athens Erechtheus. It was constructed between 431 B.C. - 406 B.C. The construction was interrupted during the Peloponnesian War. The myth says Athena and Poseidon competed over the patronage of the city. During the contest Poseidon struck the rock with his trident and the rock turned into a salt spring. The trident marks tombs of Athenian kings Kekropos and Erechtheus.

 Southern and northern facets of Erechtheion

Erechtheion consists of a rectangular cella divided by two sections. The eastern section was dedicated to Athena Polias and it is at least 3 m higher than the western section. The western section has 3 parts and it was dedicated to Poseidon-Erechtheus, Hephaistus and the hero Boutes. The northern facets of the cella is magnificent with 6  Ionic columns and the southern facets are dominated by famous Porch of Maidens (Korai). Unfortunately what you can see are the copies of them. The originals have been exhibited in British Museum like many other oriental antiques.

Dionysus Theatre

 This mosaic-tiled theatre was dedicated to Dionysus, the god of plays and wine, according to Greek mythology. It was a major amphitheatre of ancient Greece with 15 000 seats capacity.

 View of Athens city from Acropolis

 Temple of Olympian Zeus

The majestic temple of Zeus had been constructed between 515 BC and 161 AD. Construction of it took nearly 700 years! It took its final shape at thetime of Roman emperor Hadrian. There supposed to be a statues of Zeus and Hadrian inside made of gold and ivory. 16 columns left out of 104 original ones.

The ancient Agora

Athens ancient Agora (market place) was built in 6th century B.C. It was the centre of all kinds of civil activities such as philosophy, commerce, politics, arts and religion for about 1200 years. Socrates met his public here and here is accepted as the birth place of democracy as well as western civilization.

The Stoa of Attalos

The Stoa of attalos, a gift of Attalos II, King of Pergamon, to the Athenians was constructed on the east side of Agora in the 2nd century B.C. This building served as a meeting place and as a commercial centre to Athenians.

The Agora is a museum now. The commercial places are moved in front of Agora. For shopping authentic goods and gifts etc., I visited Adrianou. An antique book shop was especially interesting to visit, the shop of Mr. Korovessis. The shopkeeper who also translated books into Greek was a very hospitable person. I found there very nice prints and lithos of old Athens. If you cross Adrianou don't miss: Adrianou 7, 10555 Athens. Unfortunately, I lost the prints and the records I bought at the airport:(

A narrow street with stairs

Don't forget to make stop and taste the local food.

A lovely record shop at Gazi

Although some tourist guides state Gazi is not a safe part of the Athens city, I had an experience opposite to this judgement. To have a drink I stopped by a Taverna. I paid and walked away. The waiter run after me to bring my purse which I forgot on the table.

Gazi is very cheap but hip and funky part of the city which attracts many people living on an alternative lifestyle (or vice verse). Unsafe is the faith of all touristic quarters more or less, independent of shabbiness.

This street lighting with light-shades and chandeliers gave me a cosy feeling.

Gateway of Athens to Aegean Sea is Piraeus Harbour. Anchored yachts along the bay move smoothly with breeze. To breathe the sea and taste more fish I visited Pireus and Tourkolimano (Mikrolimano). In order to reach  Tourkolimano, using metro to Faliro was quite handy. Here was less buzzing than Pireus maybe but more picturesque.

Harbour of Pireus was the place where people with Turkish origin loaded on ships and sent to Turkey and where people sent from Turkey with Greek origin unloaded from ships in 1922. In many places it is quoted as an exile and a disaster. Indeed, it was a disaster for the people but it happened due to an agreement between two countries on demand of Greece. After 1st World War, lack of sufficient labour force was a problem for all parties. Similar to the situation in Germany after 2nd World War. Each party asked for their men.

Don't forget eating fish at Tourkolimano (Mikrolimano) 

Tourkolimano is a small circular bay which was used by the Turkish army. The name is coming from those times. Call it faith or coincidence, the owners' father of the taberna I ate at, was a retired captain who was born in Izmir/Turkey.

Turmoil in Greece-like in many other places-is reflected to the streets. Which makes it real, which makes it alive.