MONUMENTS / SIGHTS

(www.culture.gr) 

Á journey into Hellenic culture takes us on a tour of the museums, archeological sites and monuments of the country.

        In Thessaloniki visitors can admire finds of the classical and Byzantine periods at the Archeological Museum (http://alexander.macedonia.culture.gr) and the Museum of the Byzantine Culture. In the city of Vergina, ancient Aiges and the capital of the Ancient Macedonian Kingdom, visitors can admire the Royal Tombs, the Palace, the Theatre, the Acropolis, the Walls, etc. 

        The most renowned archeological site is that of the Acropolis of Athens. The Acropolis is the so-called 'Sacred Rock' of Athens. During the Golden Age of Pericles, the ancient Greek civilization was represented in an ideal way on the hill and some monumental masterpieces were erected on its grounds. One of the most significant monuments on the Acropolis is the Parthenon, which is still the international symbol of western civilization. It was dedicated to Athena Parthenos and was built on the initiative of Pericles by the architects Iktinos and Kallikrates and the sculptor Phidias. Other monuments on the Acropolis of Athens are the Erechtheum, the Temple of Athena Nike and the monumental gate called the Propylaea. 

The ancient site of Dodoni, near the city of Ioannina, is the home of Zeus' sanctuary and the ancient theatre of the city - built at the end of the 3rd century BC - one of the largest in Greece, seating 18,000 spectators.

In Delphi the Sanctuary and Oracle of Apollo were established. The numerous finds from the sanctuary are now housed in the Archaeological Museum of Delphi. The most important monuments of the archeological site are the Temple of Apollo (4th century BC), the Stoa of the Athenians (5th century BC), the theatre of the sanctuary and the Tholos (380 BC).

        One of the most important sanctuaries of antiquity, dedicated to Zeus, the father of the gods is located in Olympia. Olympia is the place where the ancient Olympic Games took place. Visitors can visit the remains of the Temple of Zeus and the Gymnasium where the athletes practised.

Mycenae is situated upon a small hill-top in Eastern Peloponnisos. Visitors can see the Cyclopean Walls and the Palace. Many finds from the excavations in Mycenae are housed in the National Archeological Museum of Athens and the Archeological Museum of Nafplio.  

        Knossos, on the island of Crete, was the capital city of the Minoan civilization. According to tradition, Knossos was the seat of the legendary King Minos. The Palace is also connected to fascinating legends, such as the myth of the Labyrinth with the Minotaur, and the story of Daedalus and Icarus. The most important monuments of the Knossos archaeological site are the Palace, the House of Frescoes and the Temple Tomb. The earliest Greek scripts were discovered here (Linear B tablets).