Ancient Theatres

Incredible ancient theatres are found all over Greece. Here interesting festivals take place during summer.

The famous Herod Atticus Odeon, widely known as “Herodeon”, dominates the western end on the south slope of the Acropolis. It was built between 160 and 174 BC by the immensely wealthy Athenian Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife Regilla. The famous traveller and geographer Pausanias referred to the monument in great admiration when he visited Athens describing it as “the finest building of its type”. The restored Herodeon was a perfect home for the newly-founded Athens Festival in 1955. Over the years Herodeon has hosted almost all the leading representatives of Greek and international music, dance, opera and theatre. The romantic souls should not miss the opportunity to attend a concert overflowing with romance and inspiration under the August.

The Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus is a major open-air theatre and one of the earliest preserved in Athens. It was used for festivals in honor of the god Dionysus. 

The ancient theatre of Epidaurus is situated at the sacred sanctuary of the god-physician Asklepios in Argolis (Peloponnese) and it was the most famous healing centre of the Greek and Roman world. Today it forms an important archaeological site and a UNESCO World Heritage Monument. Over the years, the stage of the renowned ancient theatre has hosted the most significant Greek actors of the older and younger generation; its stage has become the ultimate proof of success and recognition for Greek artists. Ancient drama is a genre particularly honoured at the Theatre of Epidaurus but occasionally opera, dance and music performances are hosted in this sacred theatre. 

VERGINA-THE TOMB OF PHILLIP II

The gold larnax of Phillip II (father of Alexander the Great) and his crown

Vergina is a small town in northern Greece, located in the prefecture of Imathia, Central Macedonia.  The place became known worldwide in 1977 when a Greek archeologist, named Manolis Andronikos, managed to discover the burial sites of the kings of Macedonia in ancient Greece, including the tomb of the king Philip II, who was the father of Alexander the Great. The tomb of Philip II is the biggest one in Vergina. Τhis monument belongs to the Unesco World Heritage list. Specifically it is considered as one of the greatest discoveries in 20^th century. In the burial chamber was found a marble sarcophagus, inside which was a gold larnax (=box) containing the ashes of the dead king and his crown. His weapons were also found as well as some ancient treasures that are now included in Vergina museum. 

The gold larnax  

The crown of King Phillip II

MYCENAE

The Mask of Agamemnon 

The Mask of Agamemnon named by Schliemann after the legendary Greek king of Homer's Iliad. This mask adorned one of the bodies in the graves at Mycenae. Schliemann took this as evidence the Trojan War was a real historical event. The mask of Agamemnon was created from one thick gold sheet, heated and hammered against a wooden background with the details chased on later with a sharp tool.

A Mycenaean boar’s tusk helmet

A Mycenaean boar’s (=uncastrated male pig) tusk (=ivory) helmet excavated from a tomb in Mycenae. Although it would not provide as good protection as a metal helmet, helmets such as these may have been worn by some leaders as a status symbol, or a means of identification.

The Old Town Of Corfu

The Old Town of Corfu, on the Island of Corfu, is a major tourist attraction and has played an important role since the 8th century B.C. The three forts of the town, designed by renowned Venetian engineers, were used for four centuries to defend the maritime trading interests of the Venetian Empire against the Ottoman Empire. In the course of time, the forts were repaired and partly rebuilt several times, more recently under British rule in the 19th century. The mainly neoclassical housing stock of the Old Town is partly from the Venetian period, partly of later construction, notably the 19^th century.

Corfu was a well thought of example of fortification engineering, designed by the architect Sanmicheli, and it proved its worth through practical warfare. Corfu has its specific identity, which is reflected in the design of its system of fortification and in its neo-classical building stock. As such, it can be placed alongside other major Mediterranean fortified port cities. Since 2007, the old town of Corfu has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List because the urban and port ensemble of Corfu, dominated by its fortresses of Venetian origin, constitutes an architectural example of outstanding universal value in both its authenticity and its integrity.

The Amphipolis Tomb

Amphipolis was an Athenian colony of strategic importance, near the fruitful Strymon valley and the Pangaion gold mines. Amphipolis was founded in 438/ 437 B.C., though the region had been inhabited in the prehistoric period. Under the Macedonians, Amphipolis remained a strong city within the Macedonian kingdom, with its own domestic autonomy and having considerable economic and cultural prosperity.

In 1956, the prominent Greek archaeologist Dimitris Lazaridis started the first excavation at the site and later suggested that there is an important burial complex under the Casta hill. Lack of funds never allowed the operation to continue. Since 2009, Dr Katerina Peristeri has been leading the excavations at the Casta Hill in Amphipolis, Greece.

The excavation of the burial site has brought to light amazing works: a stone arch, an open Portal and two headless - wingless Sphinxes and two exceptional Caryatids. 

The second chamber, the one behind the two Caryatids, is 4,5 meters wide and 3,0 meters long. The chamber floor is covered with a pictorial mosaic in glorious colours and detail. The mosaic covers the entire floor surface of the second Chamber. The mosaic is in white, black, grey, blue, red and yellow and shows a chariot pulled by two white horses and two male figures. The Charioteer is a bearded man with a laurel wreath upon his head. Running ahead of the Chariot, is Hermes, the guide to the under world.

Archaeologists have also found of a grave made of limestone which contained a wooden coffin with an integral human skeleton. The grave was found 1.60 meters beneath the third chamber floor. The identity of the skeleton is still unknown; however, it certainly belonged to a prominent figure. The skeleton of the buried has been transferred to a laboratory in order to determine his or her identity. 

Knossos palace

The palace of Knossos, the most important centre of the Minoan civilisation, is located in Heraklion, Crete. It covers an area of approximately 20,000 sq.m. The palace was founded circa 2000 B.C. (Protopalatial period) and, following many destructions, was rebuilt on the same site and flourished in the Neopalatial period (1750-1430 B.C.).Originally uncovered by Minos Kalokairinos in 1878, the palace was excavated by Sir Arthur Evans in the first three decades of the 20th century, and is still being investigated by the British School of Archaeology today.

The palace consists of wings set around a rectangular paved court, while the West Court was an important point of reference in the whole architectural complex. The West Wing housed the storerooms, the sanctuaries and the Throne Room, while the East Wing contained the private apartments and the workshops. The city spread out over a wide area around the palace, with particularly important monuments and buildings, roads, cemeteries, workshops, quarries and sacred spaces.

Phaistos Disc

Phaistos was one of the most important centres of Minoan civilization and the most wealthy and powerful city in southern Crete. It was inhabited from the Neolithic period until the foundation and development of the Minoan palaces in the 15th century B.C. It came to light during the excavations carried out by the Italian archaeologist F. Halbherr in the last two decades of the 19^th century while the Italian School of Archaeology continues investigations in the area today.The most important finding from Phaistos is the famous "Disc of Phaistos". The disc of Phaistos is the most important example of hieroglyphic inscription from Crete and was discovered around 1903-05 in a small room near the depositories of the "archive chamber", in the north - east apartments of the palace, together with a Linear A tablet and pottery dated to the beginning of the Neo-palatial period (1700- 1600 B.C.). The disc of Phaistos can be seen at the Archaeological Museum of Herakleion.

The castle of Koroni 

The castle of Koroni along with the castle of Methoni are the finest examples of the Venetian fortress architecture. The castle of Koroni dominates Akritas cape, on the southern edge of the Messinian Gulf, in Peloponnese. It was built by the Venetians in the 13th century and reconstructed by the Ottomans in the 16th. It is amongst the few of its kind to encompass houses and churches. It is the only one which is still inhabited nowadays.

The castle of Methoni 

The castle of Methoni is located at the southernmost point of the west coast of the Peloponnese, in a place which had been fortified since the 7th century BC. Until 1204 AD it was used as a fort by the Byzantines, while in 1209 AD the Venetians, according to the treaty of Sapientza, became the rulers of the area. During the first era of Venetian occupation (1209-1500), Methoni was established as a financial centre and commercial port and the town reached its peak. It was then that the magnificent castle was built with its massive fortification walls, one of the most distinctive defensive structures of the medieval Venetian architecture. The fort was strengthened much more and flourished until 1500 AD when it was conquered by the Turks. Between 1500 and 1573, on the rocky islet to the south of the castle, the Ottomans built Bourtzi (meaning tower); this was an octagonal fort aimed to reinforce the defensive system of the area, but it also served as a prison and torture chamber. Today, the castle is in excellent state of preservation, while considerable remains of the medieval town still survive within its area.

Pythagorean and Heraion of Samos

Samos was the leading maritime and mercantile power in the Greek world in the 6th century B.C., and this importance is reflected in the extent and richness of the archaeological remains, which are largely untouched by subsequent development. It consists of the ancient city (Pythagorean) and the classical Temple of Hera (Heraion). Pythagorean is a classic site from the period of Greek colonization, situated round a good natural harbour on a peninsula that is protected by steep mountains behind it. It also had the advantage of being very close to the mainland of Asia Minor. The great Temple of Hera (Heraion) is the most important of the sanctuaries dedicated to Hera. Hera was the wife and one of three sisters of Zeus in the Olympian pantheon of Greek mythology and religion. The temple has its origins in the 8th century B.C., when it was the first Greek temple to be surrounded by a peristyle of columns. This monument belongs to Unesco World Heritage list. 

Meteora

Meteora is a cluster of vast sandstone dark rocks that rise out of Kalambaka,near the first hills of Pindos and Chassia. The monasteries of Meteora, which are built on top of some rocks, are currently the second most important monastic group in Greece, after Mouth Athos. Of the thirty monasteries only seven are currently operating, which, since 1988, have been in the list of UNESCO World heritage.

The Archaeological Site of Delphi

Delphi is one of the most famous archaeological sites in Greece. It is located in Fokida. Τhe most famous oracle of Ancient Greece resided there. It was dedicated to the ancient Greek god Apollo who delivered his oracles through Pythia, a priestess whose prophesies were ambiguously phrased so as to show the oracle in a good light regardless of the outcome. The Archaeological Museum of Delphi harmonically supplements the ancient site offering guests the chance to enjoy masterpieces of art, such as the famous “Charioteer” (“Eneochos”). In 1987, UNESCO awarded Delphi Oracle and the surrounding Delphic Landscape the “World Heritage Site” status.

The Antikythera Mechanism

The Antikythera Mechanism is believed to be the first analog computer designed to predict astronomical positions and eclipses. This extraordinary mechanism was found by sponge divers at the bottom of the sea, in a shipwreck near the Greek island of Antikythera in 1901. The machine dates from around the end of the 2nd century B.C. and was designed and constructed by Greek scientists. It is the most sophisticated mechanism known from the ancient world. The Antikythera Mechanism was housed in a wooden box. Inside the box were many detailed gears made of bronze whose complexity baffled scientists, since this type of “technology” was not thought to have been in existence until around 1575. The National Bank of Greece has created the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project, a group of scientists and historians who have dedicated themselves to researching this very important discovery. Currently work is still underway to completely decipher the inscriptions found on the inside of the Antikythera Mechanism. The final interpretation is to be released to the public in the near future. The Antikythera Mechanism is now on display for millions of yearly visitors at the National Archaeological Museum located in Athens, Greece.

The Akrotiri of Thera

It is one of the most important prehistoric settlements of the Aegean. The first habitation at the site dates from the Late Neolithic times (at least the 4th millenium B.C.). During the Early Bronze Age (3rd millenium B.C.), a sizeable settlement was founded and in the Middle and early Late Bronze Age (ca. 20th-17th centuries B.C.) it was extended and gradually developed into one of the main urban centres and ports of the Aegean. The large extent of the settlement (ca. 20 hectares), the elaborate drainage system, the sophisticated multi-storeyed buildings with the magnificent wall-paintings, furniture and vessels, show its great development and prosperity. The various imported objects found in the buildings indicate the wide network of its external relations. Akrotiri was in contact with Crete but also communicated with the Greek Mainland, the Dodecanese, Cyprus, Syria and Egypt. The town's life came to an abrupt end in the last quarter of the 17th century B.C. when the inhabitants were obliged to abandon it as a result of severe earthquakes. The eruption followed. The settlement was destroyed in the Theran eruption about 1627 BCE and buried in volcanic ash, which preserved the remains of fine frescos and many objects and artworks. The volcanic materials covered the entire island and the town itself. These materials, however, have protected up to date the buildings and their contents, just like in Pompei. This site belongs to the tentative list of Unesco World Heritage monuments.

  

  

The Medieval City of Rhodes

Rhodes is a nice island with a rich history close to Crete. In the Ancient times the Collosus of Rhodes was considered to be one of the seven miracles. The island has a center with extinct butterflies where you can see any kind of butterfly. Also in Rhodes harbour there is a large lighthouse with a deer on its top. Inside the historical castle of Rhodes an annual festival is held about the ancient history of the island. In the heart of Rhodes in the medieval city, a haunting and mysterious air strolls through the streets. The famous Order of the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem, the Hospitallers, has left an indelible mark on the island. If one walks around the always lively town, one can almost hear the hoofbeats of the horses and the whispering voices of history. The town was never deserted or abandoned. It is one of the rare survivors of the medieval world; it remains untouched, in all its vibrant beauty. In 1988, UNESCO declared the architectural complex of the Knights of Rhodes to be in the World Heritage List.

Our Cultural Heritage

Acropolis 

As a thirteen year old student,I have realized that I am very lucky to be living in a beautiful country as Greece.” As Greeks we have the privilege to live in a country that has a rich culture and history”.

When I first visited the Acropolis with my primary school 3 years ago I did not understand what a “wonder” this was and how were they able to build it. I was really amazed but confused at the same time. The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a high rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and is made up of several ancient buildings one of which is the Parthenon. It was Pericles who decided to create this beautiful monument (c.495-429 B.C.).What is really important to me is that the Acropolis represents culture, history and a world which was full of life thousands of years ago.

When we visited the new Acropolis Museum I was so in awe of the marble steps, the glass floors and all the history and culture around me. The magnificent statues, vases, coins, jewellery, which are on display show us the wealth of the people who lived there at that time, and the artists who were so creative and brilliant. Wow! This is the only word that came into my mind then and now as I am writing this post. The museum was founded in 2003 and opened in June 2009. Since then it has won many awards for tourism, architecture, conservation and and restoration of its marbles especially the”Caryatids”.

In conclusion, I believe that our heritage is something we must protect with our own two hands because it will remain for future generations all over the world to observe and connect the past with the present to come.