Athens through centuries

Marily
Athens through centuries

Γειτονιές

Athens. Greece’s capital is named after the ancient goddess of wisdom and knowledge. But why? And when? To start with Athena, she was a beautiful young girl that sprung out of her father’s head after he, Zeus – suffering for long from a terrible headache- called Hephaestus (the DIY god) and ordered him to take a hammer and split his head open and be done with it. Yup, splitting headache are that old… Anyway, “this might hurt a little, but …you’re the boss” whispered Hephaestus, and banged hard. And out flew a small girl already dressed as a Greek hoplite, bearing a shield, a spear and a helmet. To get back to the “naming” story now, Athens was not always called Athens. But, to learn what happened you have to go back, before historic times and be prepared for a more “trippy” journey down the rabbit hole of Greek mythology. The place has been inhabited since 3200 B.C Initially the wider area –now called Attica- was called “Kranaa” that meant “harsh rocky land”. Later on, the settled part of the south coast was called “Aktiki” or “Akti” (meaning “beach” in modern Greek) after its ruler “Akteos”. Akteos’ daughter “Agravlos” married a guy named “Kekrops” or “Kekropas”, who was a charming fellow, human from the waist up and a dragon-like serpent from the waist down. Having the ego of a guy that believed to have Earth as his mother he named the place after himiself and called it “Kekropis”. Then came a new trend among the 12 gods of Olympus and each wanted one city as his own, to honor him and offer sacrifices to please him in exchange for his protection. But this city was chosen by two gods, Athena and Poseidon, god of the seas, earthquakes etc. As territorial and egocentric as gangsta rappers, they wouldn’t stand down, so in order for general mayhem to be avoided, the city’s humans were called by the other ten gods, up to the Acropolis to choose their city’s god. Poseidon made his case first. He banged his powerful trident against the rock and, miraculously, out came the first horse for humans to tame and a spring of water that started flowing. The humans were ecstatic to have fresh water, which meant a plentiful and prosperous life. But one of them tried to drink it and found out …it was sea water! Kekrops looked around from up there and he saw …sea all over his land, so he thought “we have enough salt water already…”. Then the young virgin warrior goddess –a very similar set of qualities to the one the Byzantines gave to Virgin Mary- came forward and planted the very first olive tree that instantly grew up. It could stand the climate and would give them a superfood, strong wood and oil that can nourish, clean and heal and be burned to lighten up the darkness; products that would eventually make them rich, healthy and wise - especially as they started traveling to trade them - as well as provide them with the symbol of peace, glory and prosperity. Then the people voted. The myth says that every man voted for Poseidon. Hard to find a guy who wouldn’t want his own proud divine horse I guess.  And every woman voted for Athena. Horses are not a top priority when you got babies to feed and you need your husband to stay around, not galloping away when the babies start crying.  But the women outnumbered the men by one so… Athena it was. The myth was so deeprooted that ancient Athenians always believed that the 3 big marks on the rock behind the “Erectheion” building on the Acropolis rock were the holes made by the trident’s strike.  And, nearby, they kept looking after a sacred olive tree, which they believed to be the same tree Athena planted and which gave birth to every other olive tree on the planet. Its symbolic power was so strong that the philosopher Plato was given 12 small branches cut from it and planted them next to the 12 gates of his school, the Academia, to mark the entrance to wisdom. The center of Athens has been inhabited for at least 5000 years. This makes Athens  an open-air museum with historical remains from all ages. However, it is not easy to find and connect them with history as they are mixed and sometimes hidden by modern buildings. At first glance such an extended history seems chaotic but you can easily remember it by its main periods. Athens is mostly known for its ancient history and particularly the Golden age of Pericles in 500 BC. Pericles was elected for 14 years consecutively in the most significant political position of his time. Under his authority, Athens became the most powerful state city of Greece. His main contribution was, of course, the establishment of democracy. Athens became the intellectual and art center of the ancient world. In addition to everything else he was responsible for the construction of the Parthenon. What follows is the Hellenic period and Alexander the great (323-146 BC). Athens is no longer the administrative center of Greece and has lost its political influence. However, Athens position is still dominant due to its intellectual power. Athens philosophical schools were famous and people from “all over the world” came to Athens to study, and also to participate in the social life of the city. As a result Athens kept its prominent position and flourished. Athens continued to do so during Roman times (146BC-330 AC). Romans not only adopted the Athenian culture but also tried to rejuvenate the city’s old glory by providing funds for its reconstruction.We owe them some of the most prominent historical sites such as the Herodion, Handrian’s Library and Roman Agora. They also constructed aqueducts, drainage systems and numerous others public facilities. The dawn of Athens, itself, might be considered during the 5th century BC and after that period begun a reign of foreign rulers. Nevertheless, Athens set a unique historical phenomenon, despite being a conquered city, it retained its glory and remained the intellectual center of the time. The decadence begun in Byzantine times (330- 1453) when philosophical schools and the faith in Olympians Gods were forbidden. Athens lost its character and as a result its influence. From now on Athens is a city of relatively small size, weakly fortified and deprived of many of its monumental buildings. This period gave the city numerous churches that we can still see in the historical center of Athens. During Ottoman times (1453-1821) Athens played no significant role or influence but it developed a small industry which consisted mostly of small workshops of tanners, textiles and soaps. Within the Ottoman Empire, the city flourished as a local center of commerce, with remarkable demographic and financial prosperity. The siege of the Acropolis in 1687 by the Venetians, which resulted in the destruction of the Parthenon, marked the beginning of a new period of Turkish rule, in which the city gradually declined. The appearance of the city during this period of time, very little of which is still preserved, is mainly known from depictions by foreign travelers. In the early stages of the War of Independence (1821 to 27), fierce fighting broke out in the streets of Athens, with the city changing hands several times between Turks and Greek liberators. Finally, in 1834 Athens becomes the official capital of Greece when the Bavarian king Otto transferred the capital from Nafplio, to connect the glory of ancient Athens with the beginning of the New Greek state. The city is under construction, builders and craftsmen came to restore the city. Athens had a population of only 4,000-5,000 people who were located in the district of Plaka. Athens grew steadily throughout the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. This ended abruptly in 1923 with the Treaty of Lausanne, which resulted in nearly a million refugees from Turkey descending on Athens, an event that marked the beginning of its much-maligned concrete. Modern day suburbs of the city such as Nea Ionia and Nea Smyrni began as refugee settlements. Athens was occupied by the Nazis in World War II and experienced terrible privations during the later years of the war. During that time, more Athenians were killed by starvation than by the enemy. This suffering was perpetuated in the civil war that followed. After WWII, Athens began to grow again, as people migrated into the city in search of work.The industrialization program launched during the 1950s (with the help of US aid) and the fact that Greece joined the European Union in 1981, brought in many new investments to Athens, but also increased social and environmental problems. Athens today is sophisticated and cosmopolitan and one of the few ancient cities in the world where the cutting edge, the hip, and the modern can suddenly coexist so harmoniously with the classical. A large part of the town’s historic center has been converted into a 3-kilometre pedestrian zone (the largest in Europe), leading to the major archaeological sites (“archaeological park”), reconstructing – to a large degree – the ancient landscape. Around  neighborhoods of the historical centre..... Plaka neighborhood (at the eastern side of the Acropolis), has been inhabited without interruption since antiquity.  When you walk through the narrow labyrinthine streets lined with houses and mansions from the time of the Turkish occupation and the Neoclassical period (19th c.), you will have the impression of travelling with a “time machine”.  You will encounter ancient monuments, such as the Lysikrates Monument, erected by a wealthy donor of theatrical performances, the Roman Agora with the famed “Tower of the Winds” (1st c. B.C.) and Hadrian’s Library (132 A.D.), scores of bigger and smaller churches, true masterpieces of Byzantine art and architecture, as well as remnants of the Ottoman period (Fetihie Mosque, Tzistaraki Mosque, the Turkish Bath near the Tower of the Winds, the Muslim Seminary, et al.).  There are also some interesting museums (Folk Art, Greek Children’s Art, Popular Musical Instruments, Frysira Art Gallery, etc.), lots of picturesque tavernas, cafés, bars, as well as shops selling souvenirs and traditional Greek products. Continuing from Plaka you arrive at Monastiraki, a characteristic area of “old” Athens, with narrow streets and small buildings where the city’s traditional bazaar (Yousouroum) is held.  Close to it is the Psyrri area, a traditional neighborhood which during the past few years has evolved into one of the most important “centres” of the town’s nightlife, with scores of bars, tavernas, ouzeris, clubs, etc. However, the “heart” of the historical centre is the traditional commercial neighborhood, with more than 2,500 shops of all kinds, which spreads out over the streets surrounding Ermou Street (the city’s best-known commercial street).  The western “border” of the area is Athinas Street, where the foodstuff commerce is concentrated, reminding one strongly of the Middle East.  Here are situated, among others, the neoclassical mansions of the Town Hall, the Municipal Market (where meat, fish and vegetables are sold) and spacious Kotzias Square. Within the boundary of Athens’ historical centre also are the picturesque neighborhoods of Makriyianni (close to the Acropolis, where the Acropolis Museume stands), Ano Petralona, Theseion (where you will find small interesting museums and scores of cafés, bars and restaurants), Kerameikos and Metaxourgeio, as well as the Gazi area, with the former Gas works, which now have been turned into a cultural centre of the Athens municipality (“Technopolis”).
124 helybéli ajánlásával
Athens
124 helybéli ajánlásával
Athens. Greece’s capital is named after the ancient goddess of wisdom and knowledge. But why? And when? To start with Athena, she was a beautiful young girl that sprung out of her father’s head after he, Zeus – suffering for long from a terrible headache- called Hephaestus (the DIY god) and ordered him to take a hammer and split his head open and be done with it. Yup, splitting headache are that old… Anyway, “this might hurt a little, but …you’re the boss” whispered Hephaestus, and banged hard. And out flew a small girl already dressed as a Greek hoplite, bearing a shield, a spear and a helmet. To get back to the “naming” story now, Athens was not always called Athens. But, to learn what happened you have to go back, before historic times and be prepared for a more “trippy” journey down the rabbit hole of Greek mythology. The place has been inhabited since 3200 B.C Initially the wider area –now called Attica- was called “Kranaa” that meant “harsh rocky land”. Later on, the settled part of the south coast was called “Aktiki” or “Akti” (meaning “beach” in modern Greek) after its ruler “Akteos”. Akteos’ daughter “Agravlos” married a guy named “Kekrops” or “Kekropas”, who was a charming fellow, human from the waist up and a dragon-like serpent from the waist down. Having the ego of a guy that believed to have Earth as his mother he named the place after himiself and called it “Kekropis”. Then came a new trend among the 12 gods of Olympus and each wanted one city as his own, to honor him and offer sacrifices to please him in exchange for his protection. But this city was chosen by two gods, Athena and Poseidon, god of the seas, earthquakes etc. As territorial and egocentric as gangsta rappers, they wouldn’t stand down, so in order for general mayhem to be avoided, the city’s humans were called by the other ten gods, up to the Acropolis to choose their city’s god. Poseidon made his case first. He banged his powerful trident against the rock and, miraculously, out came the first horse for humans to tame and a spring of water that started flowing. The humans were ecstatic to have fresh water, which meant a plentiful and prosperous life. But one of them tried to drink it and found out …it was sea water! Kekrops looked around from up there and he saw …sea all over his land, so he thought “we have enough salt water already…”. Then the young virgin warrior goddess –a very similar set of qualities to the one the Byzantines gave to Virgin Mary- came forward and planted the very first olive tree that instantly grew up. It could stand the climate and would give them a superfood, strong wood and oil that can nourish, clean and heal and be burned to lighten up the darkness; products that would eventually make them rich, healthy and wise - especially as they started traveling to trade them - as well as provide them with the symbol of peace, glory and prosperity. Then the people voted. The myth says that every man voted for Poseidon. Hard to find a guy who wouldn’t want his own proud divine horse I guess.  And every woman voted for Athena. Horses are not a top priority when you got babies to feed and you need your husband to stay around, not galloping away when the babies start crying.  But the women outnumbered the men by one so… Athena it was. The myth was so deeprooted that ancient Athenians always believed that the 3 big marks on the rock behind the “Erectheion” building on the Acropolis rock were the holes made by the trident’s strike.  And, nearby, they kept looking after a sacred olive tree, which they believed to be the same tree Athena planted and which gave birth to every other olive tree on the planet. Its symbolic power was so strong that the philosopher Plato was given 12 small branches cut from it and planted them next to the 12 gates of his school, the Academia, to mark the entrance to wisdom. The center of Athens has been inhabited for at least 5000 years. This makes Athens  an open-air museum with historical remains from all ages. However, it is not easy to find and connect them with history as they are mixed and sometimes hidden by modern buildings. At first glance such an extended history seems chaotic but you can easily remember it by its main periods. Athens is mostly known for its ancient history and particularly the Golden age of Pericles in 500 BC. Pericles was elected for 14 years consecutively in the most significant political position of his time. Under his authority, Athens became the most powerful state city of Greece. His main contribution was, of course, the establishment of democracy. Athens became the intellectual and art center of the ancient world. In addition to everything else he was responsible for the construction of the Parthenon. What follows is the Hellenic period and Alexander the great (323-146 BC). Athens is no longer the administrative center of Greece and has lost its political influence. However, Athens position is still dominant due to its intellectual power. Athens philosophical schools were famous and people from “all over the world” came to Athens to study, and also to participate in the social life of the city. As a result Athens kept its prominent position and flourished. Athens continued to do so during Roman times (146BC-330 AC). Romans not only adopted the Athenian culture but also tried to rejuvenate the city’s old glory by providing funds for its reconstruction.We owe them some of the most prominent historical sites such as the Herodion, Handrian’s Library and Roman Agora. They also constructed aqueducts, drainage systems and numerous others public facilities. The dawn of Athens, itself, might be considered during the 5th century BC and after that period begun a reign of foreign rulers. Nevertheless, Athens set a unique historical phenomenon, despite being a conquered city, it retained its glory and remained the intellectual center of the time. The decadence begun in Byzantine times (330- 1453) when philosophical schools and the faith in Olympians Gods were forbidden. Athens lost its character and as a result its influence. From now on Athens is a city of relatively small size, weakly fortified and deprived of many of its monumental buildings. This period gave the city numerous churches that we can still see in the historical center of Athens. During Ottoman times (1453-1821) Athens played no significant role or influence but it developed a small industry which consisted mostly of small workshops of tanners, textiles and soaps. Within the Ottoman Empire, the city flourished as a local center of commerce, with remarkable demographic and financial prosperity. The siege of the Acropolis in 1687 by the Venetians, which resulted in the destruction of the Parthenon, marked the beginning of a new period of Turkish rule, in which the city gradually declined. The appearance of the city during this period of time, very little of which is still preserved, is mainly known from depictions by foreign travelers. In the early stages of the War of Independence (1821 to 27), fierce fighting broke out in the streets of Athens, with the city changing hands several times between Turks and Greek liberators. Finally, in 1834 Athens becomes the official capital of Greece when the Bavarian king Otto transferred the capital from Nafplio, to connect the glory of ancient Athens with the beginning of the New Greek state. The city is under construction, builders and craftsmen came to restore the city. Athens had a population of only 4,000-5,000 people who were located in the district of Plaka. Athens grew steadily throughout the latter half of the 19th and early 20th centuries. This ended abruptly in 1923 with the Treaty of Lausanne, which resulted in nearly a million refugees from Turkey descending on Athens, an event that marked the beginning of its much-maligned concrete. Modern day suburbs of the city such as Nea Ionia and Nea Smyrni began as refugee settlements. Athens was occupied by the Nazis in World War II and experienced terrible privations during the later years of the war. During that time, more Athenians were killed by starvation than by the enemy. This suffering was perpetuated in the civil war that followed. After WWII, Athens began to grow again, as people migrated into the city in search of work.The industrialization program launched during the 1950s (with the help of US aid) and the fact that Greece joined the European Union in 1981, brought in many new investments to Athens, but also increased social and environmental problems. Athens today is sophisticated and cosmopolitan and one of the few ancient cities in the world where the cutting edge, the hip, and the modern can suddenly coexist so harmoniously with the classical. A large part of the town’s historic center has been converted into a 3-kilometre pedestrian zone (the largest in Europe), leading to the major archaeological sites (“archaeological park”), reconstructing – to a large degree – the ancient landscape. Around  neighborhoods of the historical centre..... Plaka neighborhood (at the eastern side of the Acropolis), has been inhabited without interruption since antiquity.  When you walk through the narrow labyrinthine streets lined with houses and mansions from the time of the Turkish occupation and the Neoclassical period (19th c.), you will have the impression of travelling with a “time machine”.  You will encounter ancient monuments, such as the Lysikrates Monument, erected by a wealthy donor of theatrical performances, the Roman Agora with the famed “Tower of the Winds” (1st c. B.C.) and Hadrian’s Library (132 A.D.), scores of bigger and smaller churches, true masterpieces of Byzantine art and architecture, as well as remnants of the Ottoman period (Fetihie Mosque, Tzistaraki Mosque, the Turkish Bath near the Tower of the Winds, the Muslim Seminary, et al.).  There are also some interesting museums (Folk Art, Greek Children’s Art, Popular Musical Instruments, Frysira Art Gallery, etc.), lots of picturesque tavernas, cafés, bars, as well as shops selling souvenirs and traditional Greek products. Continuing from Plaka you arrive at Monastiraki, a characteristic area of “old” Athens, with narrow streets and small buildings where the city’s traditional bazaar (Yousouroum) is held.  Close to it is the Psyrri area, a traditional neighborhood which during the past few years has evolved into one of the most important “centres” of the town’s nightlife, with scores of bars, tavernas, ouzeris, clubs, etc. However, the “heart” of the historical centre is the traditional commercial neighborhood, with more than 2,500 shops of all kinds, which spreads out over the streets surrounding Ermou Street (the city’s best-known commercial street).  The western “border” of the area is Athinas Street, where the foodstuff commerce is concentrated, reminding one strongly of the Middle East.  Here are situated, among others, the neoclassical mansions of the Town Hall, the Municipal Market (where meat, fish and vegetables are sold) and spacious Kotzias Square. Within the boundary of Athens’ historical centre also are the picturesque neighborhoods of Makriyianni (close to the Acropolis, where the Acropolis Museume stands), Ano Petralona, Theseion (where you will find small interesting museums and scores of cafés, bars and restaurants), Kerameikos and Metaxourgeio, as well as the Gazi area, with the former Gas works, which now have been turned into a cultural centre of the Athens municipality (“Technopolis”).