|
| |
The plan ...has
been set up to undertake the creation of a large open
museum, a project of crucial importance for the capital is
aesthetic appearance and cultural role, a project which
shall unify the rich heritage of the past and the city's
everyday life.
It is a particularly ambitious and long-term project, the first phase of
which shall nevertheless be completed before the landmark year 2004, the
final aim being the possibility of an uninterrupted walk in space and
historic time from the city's birth to the present day. Some walking through the
center of the city is necessary in order to see some monuments and
sights. The sights shown below are all with in walking distance.
|
|
| |
THE GREEK
PARLIAMENT.
The plain, neoclassical building which is the Parliament of the
Greeks today, was built between 1834-1838 as the palace of the first
kings. In front is the monument of the Unknown Soldier, with the two
guards, called "Evzoni".
who are the presidential guards (changing of the guards every two
hours). Every Sunday there is a parade and a band playing the
National Anthem at 10:45 a.m.
-
SYNTAGMA SQUARE . Here beats the heart of the modern city.
The Parliament at the east of the square reminds
us the deviation of its name. In 1843, the
Greeks, received their first constitution from
King Otho, after numerous and
persistent demonstrations.
- NATIONAL GARDEN.
The green lung in the center
of the city. Beautiful and rare flowers, trees and bushes as well as
little ponds decorate the garden, which is open all day long.
|
|
|
 |
| |
PANEPISTIMIOU STREET
(EL. VENIZELOU). El. Venizelou street,
which is known as Panepistimiou street, is one of
the central roads of Athens. Beautiful
neoclassical buildings decorate it: "Iliou
Melathron", meaning the palace of
Troy. This was the house of Erik Schlieman.
"The Academy", the
highest spiritual institution of the country.
"The University","the
National Library"with thousands of manuscripts and books,"the
Bank of Greece" etc. These buildings are typical copies of
ancient Greek architecture and will help you to imagine how Athens
looked 2500 years ago. |
|
|
|
| |
PLAKA.
Come to the heart of the city, to the neighborhood of the Olympic Gods, come to Plaka. 5' walk from Syndagma. At
the foot of the
Acropolis, there spreads out, the most alive part of
the city, an open exhibition of the history of the Athens and a
panorama of people, monuments and tastes too. Narrow small roads, numerous
taverns, restaurants, coffee shops, small
picturesque squares and beautiful interesting
corners. Walk through it- get to know it - feel
it. Being in Plaka, you cannot but come upon some monument,
witness of the past. You cannot but have at every corner an
opportunity to do your shopping, to buy something for the ones you
love and care about. Plaka is a place of contrasts. It can be vivid
and tranquiller, it can be crowdie and quiet, noisy and calm. It all
depends on the place you pick up to enjoy a cold glass of beer or
ice coffee. After dark Plaka comes alive. The taverns with their
cavernous rooms decorated with barrels and their trellis covered
terraces are illuminated with multicolored lights: savoring the
Greek cuisine with glasses of retsina, listening to the
bouzouki music and the latest singers and dancing the
modern sirtaki.
MONASTIRAKI.
This was the centre of the Turkish town with the bazaar and the
shops as well as the main mosques and administrative buildings. Now
it is popular commercial district incorporating the Athens flea
market. Start from Syntagma
Square. Go west down Odos Ermou, a busy shopping street lined with
boutiques selling feminine apparel, dress materials and ready - to -
wear clothes, furs and shoes, leather goods and jewelers. Some columns
from the Adrian's library are in site, a mosque
which has been turned into a library and a
beautiful small church (Kapnikarea built on 11 C) are some of the
interesting monuments of this place.
|
|
|
|
| |
ATHINAS STREET.
A central road of Athens
connecting Omonia square with Monastiraki. Its
here that one can feel the oriental character of
the city. The main market of the city, the little
shops, with their peculiar merchandises make this
busy, noisy street very attractive.
|
|
| |
The
restoration of Plaka, and then
Thission,
Psyrri and the other old neighborhoods
in the centre of Athens started in the early 1990s. A
vast network of pedestrian streets, together with
financial incentives given to the owners of properties to
renovate their homes completely changed the face of these
areas. They have now become favorite spots for a quiet
stroll during the day or at night. Athenians and tourists
alike gather at the multitude of nice, tiny restaurants
in Psyrri, or climb up to the northern side of the
Acropolis, through the picturesque streets of Plaka,
lined with beautifully restored private homes. The so-called
historic triangle of Athens, the old commercial part of
the city, has also improved dramatically.
Ermou, the
principal commercial street, as well as many other
narrower side streets have been freed from traffic and
turned over to pedestrians, giving new life to this
lovely part of downtown Athens, which for years had
declined progressively. The
Unification of Archaeological sites plan, which also
incorporates these restored neighborhoods, consists of
the creation of a long network of pedestrian ways and
open spaces.
These stretch from Ardettos hill,
the marble Stadium and the temple of
Olympian
Zeus, all the way to Kerameikos,
through Dionysiou
Areopagitou
and Apostolou Pavlou streets, on the
southern side of the
Acropolis, crossing
the Thission. The plan also includes the
area past Kerameikos, reaching as far as Gazi - the
former large gasworks plant, which is now a very lively
cultural center. We needed to take in to account the
needs of locals and visitors alike as we carefully
knitted together the urban areas with the archaeological
and the natural sites , explains Maria Kaltsa,
an architect and Yale graduate, who is part of the team working on the
project. Dionysiou Areopagitou and its continuation, Apostolou Pavlou
Street, running along the southern and southwestern sides of the
Acropolis, is the backbone of the plan.
Acropolis Museum
|
|
|
|
During the large-scale excavations carried out with state-of- the-art
instruments for the long awaited Athens Metro ( Web Site:
http://www.ametro.gr/), more incredibly interesting ancient monuments and artifacts
have surfaced. The Metro, although only partly finished, has greatly
improved the life of Athenian commuters. But besides providing stress-free
transportation, it has also created several underground museums at most of
the new stations. At Syntagma, for example, one can admire the stunning
cross-section of the ground, illustrating the various eras that once
flourished in Athens. There are also cases of ancient objects found during
the work on the station. Many people also are drawn particularly to the
turn-of-the-century photographs of Syntagma square, which speak louder than
words about the changes the capital of Greece has undergone in its most
recent past. At the newer
Acropolis station, visitors can admire a different
permanent exhibit: copies of the Parthenon s eastern frieze, wonderfully
depicting goddess Athinas creation, together with many other of the most
important Parthenon sculptures that enrich the British Museum of London. The
station pays homage to the late Melina Mercouri, the well-known actress who
- as Minister of Culture - had made it her life s goal to get these
so-called Elgin Marbles back to Athens. Melina is shown sitting in front of
the Parthenon in a large photograph, while another most impressive picture
on display at the station shows hundreds of ancient vases being unearthed as
the huge crane moved the earth while digging for the station. It is not only
the works of the various ancient creators and craftsmen that adorn the
various stations of the Athens Metro. The compositions of modern, well-known
Greek artists may also be admired. Yannis Moralis work can be seen at
Panepistimiou station, Zongolopoulos flying umbrellas hang at an atrium on
the Syntagma stop, Chryssa s creation is at Evangelismos, while at Dafni,
Dimitris Mytaras bas-reliefs inspired by the 4th century BC depiction of the
fighter Dexileos cover an area 3 x 11 meters and dominate the station. These
are just an example of the many important artworks that can be admired at
the Metro stops, which have created small underground art museums in various
parts of the city, forcing even commuters who would never consider going to
an art gallery or museum to get a glimpse of what they have been missing. On
the other hand, these new well designed stations make Athenians appreciate
their city again, restoring the pride which was almost lost after all they
had to endure on their way to work.
Web design and hosting by
Nick
email
http://www.panoramio.com/user/45649/tags/Athens
|
|
