Travel

Ancient City Of Athens

Districts Of Athens:
Athens, the capital and the largest city of Greece has a huge population which crosses its urban metropolitan limits. The municipality of this world-city has been divided into many districts:

The Acropolis:
The acropolis is a district of Athens, with ancient relics and artifacts, it is a site of historical eminence. It is located in the highest grounds of Athens, it was a home of the ancient Greek gods. Acropolis basically means Citadel located on high goround, and athens has the best acropolis in Greece among the many Acropolies. Most of the foreigners visit Athens in order to see the Acropolis, The Erechtheum, the Parthenon, the temple of Athena Nike and the Propylaea along with the New Museum of the Acropolis, some of the monuments like The ancient Agora, the theatre of Dionysus, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus and Philopappou Hill are the ones that viewed by most of the visitors. Close to the district of Acropolis is Ermou street from where Plaka is not too far either along with Monastiraki and from Monastiraki you can reach Thission. Ermou Street is near Syntagma square. These places mentioned above are very famous for shopping as well, right from antiques to modrn day equipment, and other consumer goods. The most important fact is that the Acroplis is connected to the other neighbourhoods of Athens with well linked routes.

Plaka, Monastiraki and Thission:
Plaka, lies just at the foot of the Acropolis, fampus for its neoclassical architecture, most of the streets have restricted automible functioning it is a prime tourist destination with a number of picturesque tavernas, it used a be a district of the nightclubs, however it is a commercialized neighbourhood with live performances and street salesmen, Museums in Plaka include the Greek Folk Art and the new Jewish museum. Nearby is Monastiraki which is known more for its string of small shops and markets, especially the crowded flea market that are held during the weekends and tavernas specialising in souvlaki ( Greek fast food also known as the hamburger of Greece it extends from the Monastiraki square at the end of Athinas street until Thission. Thission is filled with cafes for students who frequent the place just west of Monastiraki. Thission is home to the 11th Century Byzantine church, as well as a 15th Century Ottoman mosque and to the ancient Temple of Hephaestusas well.

Kolonaki:
Kolonaki district is a picturesque area flowered balconies. The streets that surround the district are platia Etaireias or platia Kolonaki and Lykavitos, which was used as a marble quarry until the end of the 19th century, and it is an ideal place ; to enjoy the panorama of the city . You can climb up on foot or travel by cable-car.The main shopping street is Voukourestiou Street, and places of archealogical interest are The Benaki Museum; Byzantine Museum, War Museum of Athens;Goulandris Museum of Cycladic Art. The main square of Kolonaki is the center of Athens officially known as Plateia Filikis Etaireias.

Kifissia:
Kifissia is situated at the foot of Mount Pendeli in suburban north of Athens; being close to the mountains the district is cooler compared to the other parts of Athens especially during summer. Kifissia district contains many up-market restaurants and villas. Kifissia has developed into a shopping district which makes it an ideal place for the establishment of cafes that are filled with tourists. Kifissia is nthe last station on metro line 1. The prefectural district of athens is a metropolitan area with quite a number of archtectural sites that on ecan enjoy. In Maroussi which is a nearby neighbourhood, you can visit the Spathario Shadow Theater Museum and the Yannis Tsarouchis Museum, the renowned Greek painter’s converted home which features a large collection of his work. The Kifissia flower show which is held at the Kifissia park anually exhibits atleast 50 different species of far. Golden Hall and The Mall Athens are two very famous malls in the avenue of Kifissia.

Nea Smyrni:
Nea Smyrni is a suburb south of Athens. There is a manycafeterias in square, on the streets. The Omirou Street is a commercial street of Nea Smyrni, which is the main place for shopping for items that are available at wholesale prices or at a price slightly lower than the prices of goods sold in other areas of Athens.At the El. Venizelou Avenue, where the tram leaves you you can find almost all the banks. Close to the Square is the Estia ( the bational newspaper publishing house) of Nea Smyrni, the culture museum is a neocalssical building which contains artifacts from Asia Minor.The stadium Nea Smyrni is located in Nea Smyrni, this district was first inhabited by refugees that came from Smyrna in Asia Minor in 1922. Nea Smyrni is about 4 km south of the centre of Athens.

Omonia:
Ominia is a working class district of Athens Greece. Omonia consists of the National Historical Museum, along with several local markets selling meat fish vegetable, flower markets etc...etc... it is not a place for tourists who visit for a historic view of Athens, however it is a place of connectivity for transports.

Piraeus:
The district of Piraeus contains the main port of Athens the Piraeus Archaeological Museum, The ferry routes have become a booming network for travelling in the Aegean Sea. Piraeus has been a major part of Athens or much rather the Greek world from the Golden Age of Greece, and was planned by an ancoient architect named Hippodamus and the Greek spelling of Piraeus is Pireas. Piraeus is seven miles away from Athens.

Psiri:
Psiri is located north-west of Monastiraki, Psiri is an old neighbourhood that used to belong to the lower class, it consists of leather workshops and warehouses, and very close to the Monastiraki area. There are some cafeterias in Psiri which serve ouzo.

Syntagma Square:
Syntagma Square is also known constitution square because the Greek constitution was announced from the palace that overlooks the square; The Syntagma Square is surrounded by Vassileos Georgiou Street to the north, Othonos Street to the south, Filellinon Street to the west and Amalias Avenue. The Syntagma Square can be reached easily from anywhere in Athens. It is a nexus for public transportation like the metro, trolley-buses, and trams. The Municipality of Athens offers free wireless internet in the Syntagma Square. The Greek parliament building is to the east of the Square. To the north and south of the Square one finds rows of large shade trees, while at the center of the Square contains a large water fountain, where you can spot many birds and people who come doen for a stroll or outing.

*********************************************