By Sarah Chawla, Courier Staff Writer
Athens is the capital of Greece and the historical capital of Europe. The city dates back to 3000 B.C., is home to over 3 million people, and a common tourist spot.
The most notable historical site is the Acropolis, which overlooks the city. After a mild climb, you can view both the world famous monument from 460 B.C. and aerial view of Athens. During the walk up, there are beautiful views of the city and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. The Odeon was built in 161 A.D. and was a theatre used for events until 276 A.D. when in was destroyed and left in ruins. It was renovated in 1950 and has since been used for some modern events, including a performance by Frank Sinatra in 1962.
The Acropolis museum was right next to Acropolis and contained many statues and archaeological artifacts. It mostly contains findings from Acropolis. The museum had a rooftop restaurant with views of the Parthenon and the city of Athens.
Monastiraki square is one of the main centers of the city, and is right next to the hill to Acropolis. The square is littered with street vendors, but there are also many musicians and a flea market filled with hidden treasures. You’re bound to find something, whether it’s a cheap souvenir or a valuable antique.
The city is also filled with graffiti and stray cats. While most of the graffiti is just meaningless tags, there is a lot of art on the walls of Athens. Few walls are spared, possibly because of the economic downfall of the country. Youth unemployment is high in Greece, and the police have bigger issues to worry about. The cat surplus is because no one stops them from breeding in the wild, and the lack of harsh winters and abundance of food makes it easy for them to survive.
Staying in an apartment from Airbnb provided me with a more authentic experience that a hotel would have. The apartment had a view of the Parthenon and was situated in the middle of the city. It was right across the street from Monastiraki square, which was filled with life all day and night. The square had an equal amount of tourists and Greek people interacting.
The city is filled with hidden alleys containing small shops selling unique art, jewelry, and trinkets. There is a very large variety of handmade products, with a majority of them depicting the Greek eye. The Greek eye, also known as the evil eye, is meant to protect the wearer of it from bad fortune and jealousy and spite of other people. Because of the meaning, the eye is very prevalent in souvenirs and products of Greece.
The city of Athens is named after the Greek goddess of wisdom and warfare, Athena. The story goes, Athena dropped a seed to the ground which sprouted into an olive tree, meaning that she was offering the city the fruits of peace and wisdom. The citizens accepted her offer and named their city Athens.