IX. Seven roots of one ticket. Temple of Zeus Olympic – Athens, Greece – Tourist Blog

On this day I planned to visit the unique stadium of Kallimarmaro, built from white marble and calculated about 70 thousand spectators. The object is quite well known and popular. In antique times, if you remember the story, the stadium served for the Panafine Games held in honor of the patroness of the city – the goddess Athens. Later was abandoned, repeatedly restored. In 1896, the Olympic Olympic Games were held here. After the next restoration, in the spring of 2010, Kallimarmaro Stadium reopened its doors to visitors *. On a date with this white miracle I went early in the morning. The route thought over in advance: I will reach the metro station "Sixtagma Square", slowly go through the National Botanical Garden, with the inspection of all his secret corners, hereinafter – to the stadium. As decided, I did.

Looking at the next shift of the guard from the parliamentary palace, feeding the goldfish in an artificial pond and important ducks on the pond with the remains of the morning buns, specially taken for this event, turning towards the stadium. Not having time to walk to King Constantine Avenue, separating me from the cherished goal, how unexpectedly began the rain. Touching under a mood of a light gazeboo, decided to wait. Minutes after 20 shower and really became small drops, barely dripping from the sky. Overcoming the "obstacles band" in the form of a double separation strip with an intense movement in both directions, passed by a plug formed due to flood, I manage to go to the souvenir kiosk, located halfway to the stadium. Shower just "joked", he was not going to spin on this day. I never reached my goal. On the stadium of me, like a dozen other people who wanted not let. Age Greek, arms crossed on his chest, "..And one thing is only telling":" Kindinos, Kindinos, Kindinos. ". I call my student and ask who this "Kindinos", because of which they do not allow the attraction. The translation turned out to be simple: "DANGER". Like this, the safety of tourists is above all! Although I myself perfectly understood that with a torrential rain, marble steps – not the best platform for a photo shoot.

"Ohhi, so ohh …" I thought and, as much as possible with an umbrella, quickly went towards the center. At some point, the gust of the wind raised the umbrella and I, unexpectedly for myself, I saw that I was standing right at the gate of the complex of the temple of Zeus Olympic. Fine! Taking the handbag from the outer pocket, the handbag was a wet and slipped input ticket, I hand it with a package of complex. The spine neatly cut off with manicure scissors and hanged drying on the fan. On the territory of the complex us three: I, rain and ruins.

Yeah! Proud and ambitious to the extremes of the Piscistratus in the absence of fantasy will not accuse: "Piscistratus encouraged classes with crafts, manufacturing exports outside thetics. With it, in Athens began extensive construction: the temple of Athens on the Acropolis was built, the construction of the sanctuary of Apollo and Zeus began. To supply the city of drinking water a water supply was arranged. To the era of the Piscistratus refers to the change of black-deficient style of famous VAZ more elegant redfish. This gave a new impetus to ceramic production. In the district of Goncharov – ceramics – new workshops open. In an effort to give a brilliance in the city and his board, the Piscistratus attracted to the court of outstanding figures of Greek literature and art, did not regret funds for the organization of public festivals … ".

Olympyion – just one object from his many ideas. Monumental creation stands on a three-stage podium and is a killer, surrounded by two rows of columns. From one hundred and four columns until today, only sixteen has been preserved. Fifteen, surviving numerous cataclysms, stand in centuries. And one of the columns, collapsed in the middle of the XIX century, not that during the hurricane wind, not that during the earthquake, and lies, having broken down on the components of her drums.

Prait rain, colonnade, breaking heavy gray clouds, marble slabs, as if fastened by rain from the oblivion of sarcophagus, reflection of the whole era in the transparent stroy of a big puddle .. "Beauty is a random meeting of the sewing machine and an umbrella on an anatomical table", I remembered suddenly surrealists, and as the "disappearing image" dissolve in the surrounding space.

Yes, yes, it is soluble. Looking at today’s Olympyon is difficult to immediately understand where the propelleans were located, and where the Topnos and how many columns, in fact. Therefore, I approached several times and moved away from the temple, until I saw another site of the excavation. The shower intensified, and I had to remove the camera, in order not to stay without technique.

"Madame, and we lost you," I hear a handsome male voice with a terrible accent in my back. Security. Judging by the expression of the face, he wanted to say something to me, but seeing my sincere interest in the knowledge of the history of his country, begins to explain, showing the items "chaotic" on the territory of the excavation. Something tells me that the guard of the complex is not in vain appeared near me at that moment when I tried to take a picture of an unusually beautiful ornament of one of the stele. This is true. Because of the limited viewing umbrella, I wandered "not a tourist" zone. The interlocutor, meanwhile, told that the terms and houses of the inhabitants were on this territory, that once the border of the city was held here. It is a pity that his reserve of Russian words was not very big, although attempt to tell the story of the native land immediately in the 3rd tongues could not not impress.

Thanking guards of the complex for a tour of the story, went to another attractions of Athens – Arc Adriana.

Arch Emperor Adriana

In a pair of meters from the temple of Zeus Olympic, near the avenue of Queen Amalia Oldenburg, standing by all winds, washed by heavy rains, the Arch of Emperor Adriana. It is very different from his Roman sisters (although, of course, it looks like): strict and modest, light and elegant, crowned with slender portico with columns. Once the arch connected the old and new city.

When building the Arch, the builders used Pentleconomic marble extracted on a nearby Mount Pentelikon. This marble served as the main material for an innumerable set of immortal monuments of Greek art: he was used in the construction of the legendary Parfenon and the legendary Tower of the winds, during the construction of the temple of Zeus Olympic, which I just visited. And this Pentleclical marble has one unique feature: during the centuries, under the influence of atmospheric phenomena, the milk-white marble color changes, acquiring a magnificent golden-brown patina. Therefore, the incorrectly chosen shade of modern "patches" on columns or cladding of the walls will always be given to poor-quality operation of restorers.

By the way, thanks to its color, he was subsequently appreciated in Rome higher than a brilliant yellowish Paros marble (from the island of Paros) or Sahahovid Carrara (produced in the Apuan Alps on the territory of Carrara).

Directly opposite the Arch of Adrian begins a small street of Lisicrath, which will invariably lead to the most colorful area of ​​Athens – a cry, the whole territory of which is busy cafes, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, souvenir shops and a little bit of history.

Having done with a dozen exclusive photo under the code name "In the fog of cloud ruins", I decided to sit in a cafe, drink coffee and sneeze. But my wet jeans and squalling lightweight sneakers drove me to the hotel. In the evening the sky again became clean and clear, which looked like a sunshine, though shining brightly, but no longer boiled. Evening city in the light of neon lights looked much more attractive than the day.

* paid separately, visiting the stadium in the cost of a single input ticket is not included