13 interesting facts about Athens

Almost any city boasts an impressive selection of interesting facts, and Athens is no exception. We collected 13 of the most interesting facts about the Greek capital associated with its history, culture and attractions. Over time, this list, of course, will be supplemented and expanding. So if you have something to add or fix us (we are also people and allow mistakes), then write about it in the comments. Perhaps someday, we will get to gather the same impressive collection of unusual and interesting facts as About Hong Kong, In the meantime, without long prefaces – let’s start!

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Athens are among the oldest cities in the world, but at the same time, despite their age, it is the youngest European capital. They became the capital of modern Greece only in 1834, and the first capital of the modern Greek state was no less interesting city – Nafplion.

To Athens The capital of modern Greece was Nafplion (view from the Palamidi fortress)

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According to 2011, the population of Athens was about 4.5 million people, and the population of all Greece – 11.1. This means that about 40% of the country’s total population lives in Athens. At the same time, if you look at the square occupied by the Greek capital, then this is just 1% of the country’s total territory.

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Everyone knows that Athens received their name in honor of their patroness – the goddess Athens, but not everyone knows that her rival for the right to be a patron of the city was Poseidon. According to the legend, two deities had to make a gift to citizens: Athena gave its inhabitants an olive tree, and Poseidon – water. The inhabitants almost unanimously decide that the water is more important, but when they tried it, it turned out that it was salted and not suitable for eating or watering, so Athena won in this dispute and became the eternal patronage of the Greek capital.

Olive trees in Acropolis

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For its centuries-old history, the inhabitants of Athens experienced almost all the well-known forms of government: the monarchy, a democratic state, socialism, capitalism and even communism bored, although it would seem where Greece and where the Communists, but the fact remains.

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Athens are considered to be homeland democracy. It originated approximately 500 to our era.

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And the Athens is the birthplace of the modern Olympic Games, which were held at Panathinaikos Marble Stadium in 1896. In the time of ancient Greece, Olympic sports events were never held in Athens, the city’s place was always the city of Olympia. Athenian games were called Panificine.

The marble stadium Panathinaikos, on which the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896

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Athens are also homey theaters. Greeks have always been serious about theatrical art, so theatrical layouts have always been monumental. Nowadays, tourists arriving in Athens can see the two most famous theater of the Greek capital: Ruins of theater of Dionysus, built in the 4th century BC, and no less famous Odeon Gerody Attica, which is the main concert venue of the Annual Athens Festival.

Odeon Gerods in Athens

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Marathon running was also born in Athens. According to the legend, after the end of the famous Marathon battle of Miltiadia sent the Euclale’s messenger to Athens with the news of victory. Poor soldier overcame without stopping about 40 km to bring good news by the Athenians. In his memory and was created such a sports discipline like a marathon. Perhaps that is why among the runners, the Athenian Marathon is among the most prestigious.

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The main attraction of Athens, of course, is the Acropolis and Temple of Parthenon. For his many years of history, what only tests did not fall into their share: for example, Parfenon was used as a warehouse of ammunition, it was also an Orthodox church, and a mosque, and how many times the main temple of the city were trying to destroy and it is difficult to calculate at all. But in our days, Parthenon and Acropolis are under threat. The fact is that numerous tourists are trying to take away from them as a souvenir of some ancient pebbles. A few years ago, I even walked a rumor that workers at night specifically scatter around Parfenon stones so that people took them with them, and not most valuable artifacts. So it is or not to say difficult, but one of the first rules in the Acropolis – you can not take and endure stones from its territory and follow. We ourselves checked when the child tried to collect white pebbles and throw them, the guard immediately came to us and made a warning.

The temple of Parfenon in the XVII century bombed Venetian, and in the XXI century – tourists

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To the 2004 Olympic Games, which were held in Athens, was reconstructed by the subway: the old paths and the rolling stock were changed, new stations were opened. As a result of construction work, more than 50,000 ancient artifacts were found. Them would be enough for another archaeological museum in Athens. Some of the finds are represented in the museums of the country, and part of the 8 stations can be completely free, where improvised museums are arranged.

Archaeological Collection at the Acropoly Station in Athens

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The oldest hotel in Athens is located on Syntagma Square and is called Hotel Grande Bretagne. In the XIX century, he served as a royal guest house, and all high-ranking guests stayed in it. And during the German occupation in the hotel rooms, the headquarters of the Nazi troops are located. Now anyone can stay in the famous hotel, if you are ready to pay from € 450 per classic room per day, Breakfast at the hotel will cost additional € 42.

Hotel Grand Brittany in Athens – the oldest city hotel

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Surprisingly, a fact: until recently, there were no Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens. The National Museum of Contemporary Art from 2000 to 2014 was located in the building of the brewery, then in the Athenian Conservatory, and only a few years ago he received his own premises.

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Athens became the first cultural capital of Europe. It happened in 1985 due to Meline Mercury – the famous Greek actress and the Minister of Culture, which offered a native city as a candidacy.

This article was stolen from http: // poznamka.Ru.

On this we will finish our list of facts about Athens. We very much hope that at least one of them has become new for you. If you know something very unusual about the Greek capital and consider that this fact must certainly add to our list, then welcome to the comments, we will be happy about feedback!

13 Interesting facts about Athens 2017-07-15T16: 45: 49 + 03: 00 2019-07-22T09: 18: 04 + 03: 00 Natalya ‘Poznamka’