The song “The White Rose of Athens” was based on a traditional Greek song which translated as “When you whistle three times”. The song was originally adapted into German as “Weiße Rosen aus Athen” for Nana Mouskouri to sing for a soundtrack on a German documentary called “Greece, land of dreams”.
For most people that first thing that spring to mind when you mention Athens, is the Acropolis. The word acropolis basically means the highest point of the city. It is known that the area was inhabitated as far back as 3000BC but the buildings that stand on the site have been there since the 5th century BC.
The Acropolis is not one building but a collection of buildings including the including the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Erechteion and the Temple of Athena Nike. Unfortunately for us the Parthenon and many surrounding buildings were severely damaged in 1687 during the seige of Athens by the Venetians. Gunpowder being stored by the Ottomans was hit by a cannonball and exploded. See our post on Monte Cassino here.
The Parthenon is the most instantly recognisable building and was built as a temple dedicated to the Goddess Athena. It is considered to be the most important surviving building of classical Greece. In its time, it has served as both a Christian Church and a Muslim Mosque. Since 1975 there has been a concerted effort to restore the Parthenon including financial support from the European Union. Whilst the efforts have been highly praised, in 2021 the use of concrete for footpaths has been criticised.
Between 1801 and 1812 under the direction of the Earl of Elgin, many classical Greek sculptures from the Parthenon and other buildings were removed and are now on display in the British Museum. The Greek government has sought to have these so called “Elgin Marbles” returned. Elgin claimed that he was given permission to remove them by the then ruler of Greece, the Ottoman Empire though no paperwork has ever been discovered. Approximately half of the marbles remain in Athens today.
A worthwhile day trip from Athens is one that will take you to the temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion. When the Athenian defeated the Persians in 480 BC they had a captured Persian naval vessel displayed at Sounion as a dedication to the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon. The temple itself was built during 444–440 BC and stands on the edge of the cape at a height of 60m, so that it is clearly visible to passing vessels as a reminder of the power of Athens. The temple was constructed of white marble and originally there were 38 columns of which 16 are standing today. 4 of these were rebuilt in the 1990s.
Of course there is so much more to Athens and Greece that ancient monuments so we will be back before too long to discover more.
In the meantime contact Maggie today to book your break to Athens or Greece.
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