The Acropolis

The Acropolis

The Acropolis is located in Athens in Greece. It is situated high above the city and the name originally means high city.

The Acropolis consists of several places and buildings and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

The most famous building is the Parthenon which was built in 447-432 BC, when the Athenian empire was at the height of its power. It is a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena.

Another famous place is the theatre which was built in honor of the god Dionysus. It was an open-air theatre and could seat about 17 000 spectators.

The Erechtheion is another temple which is famous for its six columns which look like female figures.

The Agora was the market place. It was also the centre of the political life in the city.

Ancient Olympia

Ancient Olympia Ancient Olympia was the site of the first Olympic Games which were

held in 776 B.C. in honour of the god Zeus. Originally the Olympic Games were held every four years. Today there

are both winter and summer games occurring every two years but four years apart.

According to the myth, all wars between the city states of Greece were post-poned during the games.

During the first Olympic Games there were also horse and chariot racing events.

Women were not allowed to take part in the Olympic Games. In Olympia there was also a statue of Zeus which was 13 meters tall and

made of gold and ivory. It was regarded as one of the seven wonders of the world until it was destroyed in the 5th century AD.

Ancient Olympia is part of UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Ancient Nikopolis

Ancient Nikopolis Nikopolis is situated in the suburbs of the city of Preveza. It

was built by Octavian in 31 BC to celebrate his victory over Anthony and Cleopatra.

The city developed greatly as the inhabitants were granted land and freedom. It was a beautiful city with temples, theatres, gymnasiums, mansion houses and other monuments.

Today part of the stadium, the two theatres, the amphitheatre, the aqueduct, the fortification walls are still preserved.

The aqueduct of Nikopolis is a great technical accomplishment considering the means of those times.

The Monastery of Great Lavra

The Monastery of Great Lavra Mount Athos is a mountain and peninsula in northern

Greece. There are 20 different monasteries on Mount Athos and

today many Greek refer to it as ‘the holy mountain’. Only men over 18 who are either monks or workers can live

here. The number of visitors to Mount Athos is restricted. Only

men are allowed to visit and all visitors need a special permit.

The Monastery of Great Lavra is the first monastery built on Mount Athos. It is located on the southeastern foot of the mountain at an elevation of 160 metres.

Mount Athos is a World Heritage Site.

Meteora, Kalampaka

Meteora, Kalampaka Meteora means ”middle of the sky” or ”suspended in air”.

The Meteora consists of six monasteries built on sandstone rock pillars which were formed around 60 million years ago. Water, wind and earthquakes have given them the shape they have today.

The monasteries can be reached via staircases cut into the rocks.

The Meteora has appeared in the James Bond film For Your Eyes Only. It has also served as inspiration for the computer game Tomb Raider and the fantasy series Game of Thrones.

The Meteora is part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The Palace of the Grand Master

The Palace of the Grand Master The Palace of the Grand Master is a medieval castle in the

city of Rhodes. The palace was built in the early 14th century by the

Knights of Rhodes who controlled Rhodes and some other Greek islands from 1309 to 1522, to house the Grand Master of the Order.

Some parts of the palace were damaged by an ammunition explosion in 1856.

When Italy occupied Rhodes in 1912, the Italians made the palace a holiday residence for the king Victor Emmanuel III and later for Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.

On the floors of the palace there are many beautiful mosaics.

The Vergina Tombs

The Vergina Tombs The Vergina Museum in northern Greece contains some of

the most astonishing ancient tomb discoveries in history – namely those of Philip II of Macedon, father of Alexander the Great, and of Alexander IV, son of Alexander the Great.

Alexander the Great became king at the age of 20 and created one of the largest empires of the ancient world, stretching from Greece to Egypt and Pakistan.

The tombs were discovered by a Greek archaeologist in 1977 and many believe that the tombs in fact do belong to the famous historical figures.

On the site there is now a museum which opened in 1993 and was built in a way as to protect the tombs.

The Ancient Town of Dion, Mount Olympus

The Ancient Town of Dion, Mount Olympus Dion is situated in northern Greece. In ancient times

it was a sacred place for the worship of the god Zeus. Today it is best known for its archeological site and museum.

Dion is located at the foot of Mount Olympus which, according to the myth, used to be the home of the ancient Greek gods.

Zeus was the leader of the gods who dwelt on Mount Olympus, Other inhabitants on Mount Olympus were Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Ares, Hermes and Dionysus.

Knossos Palace

Knossos Palace Knossos palace is situated on Crete and is considered the oldest city in

Europe. The first palace was built around 1900 BC (around the same time as the

pyramids in Egypt). The first palace was destroyed in an earthquake around 1700 BC but it

was rebuilt soon after. According to the myth, King Minos kept a minotaur (a creature with

the head of a bull on the body of a man) locked away in a labyrinth in the palace.

Knossos was rediscovered by Arthur Evans in 1894. He was able to purchase the land and carried out excavations between 1900 and 1936.

The most famous part of the palace is the Throne Room but there was also a theatre and several store rooms with large clay containers for oil, fish, grains and olives.

Delphi

Delphi Delphi is an ancient Greek city most well-known for its Temple

of Apollo, dating back to the 4th century BC.

Delphi was also the home of an oracle belonging to the god Apollo. She was able to see into the future and it is said that no Greek person in ancient times dared to make an important decision in life without consulting the oracle first.

Today researchers claim that the oracles were in fact ordinary women who breathed in poisonous volcanic gases and thus were able to deliver ideas about what the future would hold.

In ancient Delphi there are many important archeological sites, for example a theatre which could seat 5000 spectators.

Today there is a modern city also called Delphi, situated close to the acheological site.