Classical Tours

Acropolis of Athens

The greatest and finest sanctuary of ancient Athens, dedicated primarily to its patron, the goddess Athena, dominates the centre of the modern city from the rocky crag known as the Acropolis. The most celebrated myths of ancient Athens, its greatest religious festivals, earliest cults and several decisive events in the city’s history are all connected to this sacred precinct. The monuments of the Acropolis stand in harmony with their natural setting. These unique masterpieces of ancient architecture combine different orders and styles of Classical art in a most innovative manner and have influenced art and culture for many centuries. The Acropolis of the fifth century BC is the most accurate reflection of the splendour, power and wealth of Athens at its greatest peak, the golden age of Perikles.

 

Delphi

At the foot of Mount Parnassos, within the angle formed by the twin rocks of the Phaedriades, lies the Pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi, which had the most famous oracle of ancient Greece. Delphi was regarded as the centre of the world. According to mythology, it is here that the two eagles sent out by Zeus from the ends of the universe to find the navel of the world met. The sanctuary of Delphi, set within a most spectacular landscape, was for many centuries the cultural and religious centre and symbol of unity for the Hellenic world. The history of Delphi begins in prehistory and in the myths of the ancient Greeks. In the beginning the site was sacred to Mother Earth and was guarded by the terrible serpent Python, who was later killed by Apollo. Apollo’s sanctuary was built here by Cretans who arrived at Kirrha, the port of Delphi, accompanied by the god in the form of a dolphin. This myth survived in plays presented during the various Delphic festivals, such as the Septerion, the Delphinia, the Thargelia, the Theophania and, of course. the famous Pythia, which celebrated the death of Python and comprised musical and athletic competitions.

 

Olympia

In western Peloponnese, in the beautiful valley of the Alpheios river, lies the most celebrated sanctuary of ancient Greece. Dedicated to Zeus, the father of the gods, it sprawls over the southwest foot of Mount Kronios, at the confluence of the Alpheios and the Kladeos rivers, in a lush, green landscape. Although secluded near the west coast of the Peloponnese, Olympia became the most important religious and athletic centre in Greece. Its fame rests upon the Olympic Games, the greatest national festival and a highly prestigious one world-wide, which was held every four years to honour Zeus. The origin of the cult and of the festival went back many centuries. Local myths concerning the famous Pelops, the first ruler of the region, and the river Alpheios, betray the close ties between the sanctuary and both the East and West.

 

Knossos

The most important monuments of the site are:  The Palace of Knossos. It is the largest of the preserved Minoan palatial centres. Four wings are arranged around a central courtyard, containing the royal quarters, workshops, shrines, storerooms, repositories, the throne room and banquet halls. Dated to 2000-1350 B.C.  The Little Palace. It lies to the west of the main palace and has all the features of palatial architecture: scraped wall masonry, reception rooms, a pristyle hall, a double megaron with polythyra (pi er-and-door partitions) and a lustral basin-shrine. Dated to the 17th-15th centuries B.C.

 

National Archeological Museum of Athens

The National Archaeological museum of Athens houses some of the most important artifacts from a variety of archaeological locations around Greece.

The art work of ancient Greece materializes the foundation of western thought as it developed the ancient Greek cities, and its form development traces the growth of man as an independent entity on earth.

The concept of humanity’s importance as a living organism on this earth, and hence the importance of man as an individual, grew out of ancient Greek culture and was externalized in both abstract systems such as Democracy, Philosophy, and Logic, and concrete forms of art that transcend eons.

These forms of ancient Greek sculpture, along with ceramics art, goldsmithing, metalsmithing, and painting are exhibited throughout the halls of the National museum of Athens. They are silent vehicles for passenger willing to travel back in time through art to touch the origins of self-awareness and self-importance.

Through the exhibitions the National Museum one can trace the development of the Art of Greece from the prehistoric days to the golden age of Greek thought, and all the way to the Roman times. The extensive Ancient Mycenaean art collection along with the Archaic sculptures represents a period during which ancient Greece accepted and assimilated external aesthetic influence while it grew secure in its own beliefs. On a similar path, the Cycladic Art collection refer to a culture that was exuberant and self-reliant, and the artifacts of the national museum complement the exhibit of the National Museum of Cycladic Art which can be seen also in Athens.

The sculptures of the classical period bear witness to the unique vision of ancient Greece which emphasized reason and centered its attention on the human body. Classical sculpture realizes the importance of humans as living organisms, and treats the world as an entity which can be observed and explained in rational ways for the first time in the history of humanity. Classical Greek Art worships reason almost as if it were a metaphysical entity, and it remains highly idealistic despite the strong current towards naturalism.

The ideals of the Classical world of Greece find their logical conclusion in the highly expressive statues of the Hellenistic period, and reach the end in the realism and pragmatism of Roman art and architecture.

It was this art of Greece that influenced in later times a rebirth of the Greek ideals, and the shift of focus towards the world and mankind during the Italian Renaissance.

 

Epidaurus

The sanctuary of Asclepios at Epidaurus is a spiritual place worth traveling around the world to visit! In fact the ancient Greeks did just that in order to pay tribute to their spiritual entities in the face of Asclepios, and to ask the gods for remedies for their physical ailments. It was a healing center as well as a cultural center in ancient times. Epidaurus was built round the 3d Century BC and it is adorned with a multitude of buildings most famous of which is the ancient Theater of Epidaurus.

This is one of the very few theaters that retains its original circular “Orchestra” and it is a rear aesthetic sight. During Roman occupation of Greece, most theater “Orchestras” were changed from a circle to a semicircle but luckily The Theater at Epidaurus escaped intact. The view, aesthetics, and acoustics of the theater are breathtaking. The theater is still in use today with frequent plays, concerts, and festivals.

There is a small museum on site worth visiting for the statues and replicas it contains. It also provides a welcome relief from the relentless summer sun. The ruins sanctuary of Asclepios is an extended arcaeological site with many interesting buildings and a newly excavated stadium. The most interesting building is by far the Tholos that unfortunately must be experienced by some distance since arcaeologists are working on resroring it.

The site at Epidaurus is exposed to the elements (sun rays) and the climb through it can be challenging at times (though not as rough as Mycene), so proper attire is advised (sneakers-head gear-sunglasses), and a good supply of water and film as they are commodities not easily obtained once there.

 

Sounio

What a sight it must have been when the ancient Greek seafarers laid their eyes on the majestic Temple of Poseidon at cape Sounio. There must have been no better reward for sailors who braved the waves of the Aegean Archipelago than the view of the orderly marble columns atop the rugged rocks that form the cape of Sounio.

A sign of approaching safe harbor for sailors who navigated towards Athens and a sign of farewell for departing ones, the temple of Poseidon has stood silently for thousands of years as a reminder of respect for mighty Poseidon and his capricious ocean. The temple’s proportions are humble and serene, and yet the structure is elevated in a showmanship manner through the massive foundation that raises it so it can be easily spotted by sailors from afar. While most of the ornaments have been removed, the Doric columns impose a statement of strength, durability and serenity on the entire landscape. The aesthetics of the temple communicate a message most appropriate and welcome for those who braved the ocean in small vessels at the mercy of Poseidon’s desires.

Cape Sounio has been recognized since prehistoric times as a special place of worship, and was an important sanctuary during the Greek Archaic, Classical, and Hellenistic periods. There are two sanctuaries present on the cape: the sanctuary of Poseidon and the sanctuary of Athena; two gods that were held in high esteem by the ancient Athenians. The ruins as we see them today are the result of the renovations that took place during the 5th century B.C., and replaced a succession of buildings that date back to the archaic period.

The location of cape Sounio at the tip of Attica rendered it as a location of strategic military importance, and thus it was fortified with a mighty wall and guarded constantly by a garrison which ensured that the shipping lanes to Athens remained open. It is also most likely the place that Aegeus plunged to his death after he glimpsed the dark sails of Theseus’ ship approaching, thus naming the Aegean Sea after his legend.

 

Vergina

Vergina is the location where ancient Aigae existed in Macedonia. It was the royal capital of Macedonia and it was adorned with an impressive palace, a theater, and a series of tumuli (earth mounts covering royal tombs) that have yielded an incredible amount of Hellenistic era treasures and art.

 

Plaka Archaeological Sites

The Plaka is loaded with archaeological sites both large and small. The famous Tower of the Winds is just a block up from Adrianou on Aeolou street and it is a part of the ancient Roman Agora. It was believed by later generations to be a place of great magic and to be the grave of Phillip of Macedon but it was actually a meteorological station from the first century built by the Syrian Astronomer Andronikos Kyrrhestes. It had a hydrolic clock fueled from a reservoir on the south side and inside was a mechanical device that represented the sun, the moon and the five known planets. The freize which represents the winds and their personalities is the most interesting part of the building and deserves a closer look.

The Mosque on the grounds of the Roman Agora was called the Mosque of Mehmet the Conqueror, built around 1458 for the visit to Athens by Sultan Mehmet a fan of the ancient Greek philosophers. Later the Mosque was known as the Wheat Bazaar Mosque because it was next to the yearly wheat market. It was briefly a Catholic church during the five months that the Venetians occupied the city. The minaret was demolished after Greece won it’s independence and the mosque became a school for teachers and then a bakery for the army. Now it is just used for storage by the archaeologists working on the Roman Agora.

Across from the Tower is the doorway of the Medrese, originally a theological school founded in 1721 by Mehmet Fahri. During the War of Independence the Turks used it as a prison and hung many Greeks from the platanos tree and after the war the Greeks used it for the same purpose. In the minds of the Athenians it became a cursed place. The poet Achilleas Paraschos in 1843 predicted that one day it would be chopped up and used for firewood. He was right. In 1919 the tree was struck by lightning and the rest was chopped down and used for firewood. The building itself was demolished except for the door.

The whole area around the Roman Agora is surrounded by tavernas, most of them catering to tourists, but in general they are all OK. It seems like everywhere you look in the Plaka there is evidence of some past civilization, being it Greek, Roman or Ottoman Turkish. In some places the pavement has been opened to reveal ancient columns and houses. Some say that in their zealousness, the archaeologists have sacrificed many of the beautiful old buildings of the 19th century to expose the ancient sites and have spoiled the area. In a way it is true because when you wander through the Plaka you wish there was more of it. You wish the whole city of Athens was like the Plaka.

On the Makrianni side of the Plaka is the Monument to Lysikrates built to commemorate a series of plays. It is the last remaining of many which lined what is now Tripodon street. The Jesuits had a house next to it which in 1658 was bought by the Capuchins who then bought the monument and used it as a chapel. The Capuchan Monastery was the closest thing Athens had to a hotel. Chateaubriand stayed there as did Lord Byron, where he wrote part of Childe Harold. Amazingly, Lord Elgin wanted to take the monument apart and reassemble it in England and was only stopped because it belonged to the Capuchans and for that reason the Turkish Viavode (Governor) could not give his permission. Just above the monument is a cafe that used to be the last Karagiozis Theater. If you take a right on.Tripodon and walk with the acropolis on your left you will see the new Karagiozis school.

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