ATHENS:Walking Through Ancient Times

When I was in high school, I can still remember how I wanted to be an archeologist someday. With the love of history and geography, I dreamt of going to places one-day discovering things that were connected in the past.

I can't believe one day will come that I will set foot in one of the birthplaces of the ancient civilization in the world.

Athens, not only a place of the gods and goddesses, mortals, and immortals in the Greek mythology but also the founding father of the western culture. Started during the 7th century BC, Athens played a very important role in the world history.

While I was walking through the ruins of the Acropolis, I felt that I traveled back in time, before I only see and read these on history books and now I am here having the experience on what it  looks like living some thousands of  years ago.

Athens is the final leg of my 23day euro trip, after spending some days in Santorini I decided to take a whole day trip in this ancient city before going back to the Philippines. 

I started my day at Syntagma Square, the city's main square and home of the Grand Parliament building. It is here you can see the Greek national guards in their traditional dress and also the changing of the guards is the main highlights that shouldn't be missed every morning. 

Theater of Dionysus

After spending a few minutes, I went to the Acropolis to start my history tour. Being the most visited site in Athens, expect a large crowd any time of the day. Entrance to the Acropolis includes ticket entries to several ancient sites. At the foot of the hill, you will find the Theater of Dionysus, this theater was a very important venue for the ancient Dionysiac festival.  Many famous Greek writers such as Sophocles, Euripides, and others performed their plays in honor of the god Dionysus.

Odeum of Herodes

While traversing the ruins at the foot of the Acropolis hill, you will find some archeological sites that are in the process of restoration, and just before you enter the Parthenon, you will find the Odeum of Herodes Atticus. The structure was an amphitheater  of the typical style of the Imperial age. It was used for musical events and could accommodate five thousand people. The original odeum was destroyed some hundred years ago after it was constructed, and today the theater was renovated and restored to its original look, and it is used now as a music hall and concert venue.

The Parthenon

And then there is the Parthenon, considered the most architecturally and historically significant building in the Western World. It is probably the crowning glory of the Ancient Greece. The Parthenon was built in honor of the patron god of Athens, Athena. It was made of marble and made up of 46 doric columns. Now it is undergoing restoration and it is believed to be constructed in its original piece. While looking at the architecture, I couldn't help but wonder how this temple looks like in the past, it has a massive foundation that was made of limestones and the columns were intricately designed.

inside the Acropolis Museum

And of course, to know more about the history of Athens, I went to the Acropolis Museum, it is a must-see attraction in Athens to add more depth to the overall experience of my historical tour. Set at the base of the Acropolis, 

the Acropolis Museum is architecturally modern and state of the art and at the same time, it has the ancient vibe. It has glass floors where you can see the archeological excavation at the bottom of the museum. It is here you can find the portions of the Parthenon and some objects that were excavated at the Acropolis. A unique experience that you can see in a modern minimal design museum.

My short and fulfilling stay in Athens made me like history more and appreciate the old times compared to the modern and digital world, and I must say that the lives of the people living in the past are more interesting than today, the mere fact that they were able to create such an amazing structures without the use of technology. Truly, the Greek civilization has taught the world so many things that are still being used today.

If you love history like me, I am sure you will appreciate Athens and what it has to offer.