Discovering Athens and the surrounding area

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The Temple of Olympian Zeus or Olympeion is a colossal ruined temple in the center of Athens, at the foot of the Acropolis. Construction began in the 515 B.C. under the rule of Peisistratos the Young who was seeking to build the largest temple in the world. The temple was finished in 124/125 A.D. under the rule of Hadrian. Its glory was short lived as it was pillaged during a barbarian invasion in the 3rd Century A.D. and never restored since. In the following centuries the temple was quarried and parts of it were used as building material. The Temple was composed of some 104 Corinthian columns, 17 meters high, of which only 15 remain standing. Hadrian had erected a huge statue of Zeus in gold and ivory but nothing has remained to this day.

Of Street Art in Psirri

Walking around the Psirri area this afternoon, I came across some amazing Street Art.

The Sygrou Park

The beautiful Alsos Sygrou, as it is called in Greek, is situated between Marousi and Kifisia and covers a surface of some 95 hectares. It is riddled with small roads and narrow paths and you will need to go there quite a few times to explore it in full. An invigorating oasis of green just on the outskirts of Athens. You will also notice that there is quite a bit of agricultural activity as the land originally owned by the Sygrou family was meant to be used for the training of farmers and gardeners.

Temple of Hephaestus

The Temple of Hephaestus, also known as the Hephaisteion or earlier as the Theseion, is a well-preserved Greek temple; it remains standing largely as built. It is a Doric peripteral temple, and is located at the north-west side of the Agora of Athens, on top of the Agoraios Kolonos hill.

Views out of the Ymittos Mountain

The Pnyx

The Pnyx is a hill in central Athens (the capital of Greece) facing the Acropolis. As early as 507 B.C. Athenians would gather in their popular assemblies forging the future of the city of Athens. It is one of the best vantage points to admire the Acropolis and take some wonderful pictures. The surrounding area is very green, and is the perfect place to take a breather after having been to the nearby archaeological site(s). It is in its way quite awe inspiring as you imagine the Athenians debating in front of thousands of their fellow citizens creating the first democratic process.

Athens Map

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