Athens - the ancient sites ...

Broad panorama from Lybetticus Hill, across the Athens Agora to the Acropolis. This view is from the hill of the Temple of Hephaestus. [9299]

The ancient sites in Athens can be visited by the purchase of EUR30 package tickets which, weirdly, allow once only entries to multiple sites over five days. Tickets to each site can be bought individually for EUR10 or less, and, confusingly, the package tickets are only available at some outlets. To allay our confusion and for maximum convenience, we just bought the package tickets. Online purchases are encouraged, but we found it easy and quick to buy them at the main kiosk at the Acropolis, avoiding, of course, the early morning queues. We managed to use our passes to visit most of them.

Hadrian's Library as seen from The Dolli hotel. [6556]

The Acropolis is, of course, the highlight of Athens, and was crowded throughout its opening hours, visibly moreso when, we think, cruise ships were in Pireaus. On his 7:30am walks, Mike estimated queues several hundred long waiting to buy tickets and enter the site which opened at 08:00. We're not sure that "go early" advice was good information, because later in the day, say after lunch, the queues drop to zero. Maybe the early birds are trying to avoid the heat of the afternoons? "Acropolis" merely means highest point in the city, and so there are many hills with that name in Greece. The Athens version is a flat topped rocky hill with at about 150m above sea level and 3ha in area, and it's not even the highest point in the city.

At the top of the entrance path to the Acropolis, part of the Monument of Agrippa, in honour of the son-in-law of Roman Emperor Octavian Augustus. [9174]

Detail of the Parthenon, after earthquakes, explosions and looters. [9212]

These female sculptures at the Erechtheion, the Porch of the Caryatids, on the Acropolis, represent virgins from the Laconic city of Karyes. The building contained a sacred olive tree planted by Athena. The statues are replicas, the originals survive at the Acropolis Museum, except for one stolen by Lord Elgin around 1800. [9218]

The most important thing you can do on a visit to the Acropolis is get a selfie, even when you are chanelling Athena. [9225]

Like many large cultural sites, the Acropolis has a long and chequered history. Somehere around 1300BC a 750m circumference Cyclopean wall was built to protect a bronze age Mycenaean Greece palace. That wall still stands, but there seems to be little left of another wall built 5-600 years later around the base of the Acropolis to enlarge the defended area and the protect water supplies. There was a lot of temple building on the top of the hill in the 500's BC and afterwards, some on top of previous constructions, but of course the most famous is the Parthenon, ruins easily visible from The Dolli. It was built by Greek politician and military general Pericles in celebration of victory in a series of wars with Persia and heralded the "Golden Age of Athens" (460-430BC), a not very long period of time. Many friezes from and on the Parthenon depict heroic scenes of battle with the Persians.

The best view of Athens can be seen from this north-eastern corner of the Acropolis. [6612]

Propylaia, the grand entrance, between the Monument to Agrippa on the left, and the Athena Nike Temple on the right was the culmination of the only reasonable accerss to the Acropolis plateau, but it was never finished. [9238]

Short of attending an opera there, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, 161AD, can be best seen from the Acropolis. This theatre was built by Atticus in memory of this wife and was a 5,000 stone-benched seat venue for concerts, at least until the Heruli arrived in 267AD. After being renovated in the 1950's, without its wooden roof, it now hosts concerts and events again. Concert-goers probably bring cushions.

With the city stretching into the distance, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus is now used for major events in Athens. [9169]

A remaining fragment of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. [6687]

The bald hill of Areopagus as seen from the higher vantage point of the Acropolis. [9227]

The Temple of Olympian Zeus, known as Olympieion is a huge 104 column temple dedicated to Zeus reflecting his "olympian" position amongst the other gods. Construction started ~500m south-east of the Acropolis in 6thC BC but took an eternity to finish. Finally Hadrian wrapped it up in 2ndC AD, but it only lasted a century until our friends, the Heruli, came along.

Two lonely columns from the 104 that once comprised the Temple of Olympian Zeus. [8130]

What remains of the mosaic floor in a 2ndC AD building called House of the Roman Mosaic by ASCSA. [9250]

The Library of Hadrian was built in ~130AD by the eponymous Roman Emperor who had a grand plan to rebuild the city of Athens. It stored not only books but also state archives and housed schools of learning and philosophy. The library was seriously damaged in 267AD during the barbaric invasion by the Germanic or Gothic Heruli, then renovated in ~410AD by Herculius. Over the next four hundred years, Christian churches were built in the library's courtyard and destroyed, most notably the Tetraconch Church (four apses, 5thC AD), a three aisled basilica (7thC AD), the single aisled Mengali Panagia (12thC AD). The Ottoman empire saw the library put to various administrative, commercial, military, incarceration and religious uses. The present restoration of the site mostly in the 20th Century. [ https://www.worldhistory.org/article/839/the-library-of-hadrian-athens/ ]

Imposing wall of the Library of Hadrian as seen from near Monastiraki metro station. [9347]

Some of the ruins near the Tetraconch Church in the Library of Hadrian. [9340]

From the Tetraconch Church to the 17thC AD Fethiye Mosque, now a museum. [9341]

At the Tetraconch Church in the Library of Hadrian. [6652]

A wall fragment at the back of Athens' Hadrian's Library site. [6618]

Ruins of the tetraconch church in the Library of Hadrian. [6622]

The Ancient Agora of Athens is a large site now partly bisected by a metro line and a street of cafes, just north-west of the Acropolis. It features ruins of many notable buildings including the Temple of Hephaestus is a largely intact building on a hill, and the Stoa of Attalos, ~150BC, destroyed by the Heruli, now reconstructed in all its glory and now the site of the Museum of The Ancient Agora. The 115m long Stoa was reconstructed in the 1950's by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA), first founded in 1881 by a consortium of nine American universities, and it's a magnificent building! The museum is on the first floor and is mainly concerned with Athenian democracy, but also features a wide variety of artifacts. Attalos II was the ruler of a nearby Greek city. [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Agora_of_Athens ]

The reconstructed Stoa of Attalos as seen from Areopagus Hill. [6860]

Along the restored colonnade of the Stoa of Attalos in the Ancient Agora. [9259]

Thanks to the American School of Classical Studies at Athens for restorting the Stoa of Attalos to its former glory, in the 1950's. [9281]

The Temple of Hephaestus and part of the Ancient Agora as seen from Areopagus Hill. [6863]

The impressively intact Temple of Hephaestus has survived history better than most buildings from ancient Athens. [6658]

Detail of the more or less intact Temple of Hephaestus in the Ancient Agora. [9321]

The Temple of Hephaestus in Athens' Ancient Agora, the only intact ancient building on the site. [9324]

Rather newer than the ancient Greek ruins in the Ancient Agora, but in better shape than most of them, is the Byzantine Church of the Holy Apostles, 10thC AD, built over the top of a Nymphaion[9282]

Near Monastiraki Metro Station and north of Adrianou street, there was an active "dig" underway throughout our several visits to Athens, and we could observe it through a chainlink fence. The site was the north-west corner of the Athenian Agora with the excavations undertaken by ASCSA. The School has been researching here since 1931, and the workers we saw at the site, studying archaeology, were students volunteering from anywhere in the world who are accommodated in Athens at no cost. The current dig is in and around shops and a building called Stoa Poikile ("Painted Stoa", from 465BC), a stoa being a long colonnaded building, this one popular as a "hangout" that attracted large crowds. By ~1300AD, all this had been built over by new houses and shops. We don't know how this part or any other has since come to be exposed for archaelogical excavation. A mounted map of the dig site showed features and layouts we could barely recognise on the ground, including the Eridanos River of which there was no sign, well down probably.

Part of ASCSA's current dig site in the Athenian Agora. [6871]

At 7:30am, at least there is some shade for the archeologists at the Athens Agora. [9118]

Archaeologist at work in the Ancient Greek Agora. [6717]

Hot sun and not much shade to protect these volunteers working the Athenian Agora site. [6875]

A metro train bowls past the Stoa of Attalos. Construction of Line 1 apparently destroyed a basilica next to the stoa. [6719]

The Roman Agora was built near the ancient Greek agora during the reign of Augustus to fulfil a promise made by Julius Caesar in 51BC. Its main feature is the octagonal Tower of the Winds, ~50BC, made in Pentelic marble. Eight large reliefs to wind gods decorate the top. Each of the wind gods have names. The building seems to have served as a clocktower - it featured sundials on every face, and a water clock inside driven by a spring from the Acropolis hill. The ancient Greeks divided daytime into twelve hours, so summer hours would have been longer than winter hours. [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tower_of_the_Winds ]

The Tower of the Winds in the Roman Agora. The gods visible are Boreas, the cold north wind and Sciron, a dry north west wind. [6627]

Athens - Morning Laps of the Acropolis and Agora...

Early morning filming of a travel guide for the Acropolis from Aeropagus Hill. [1169]

In Athens, Mike's morning walks became almost always variations on a lap of the Acropolis and Ancient Agora (about 2.5km), with varying detours (extending the walk up to 5km). His favourite was hiking the narrow alleys and steep steps of Anafiotika, an old and photogenic district uphill from Plaka in the immediate foothills of the Acropolis. That early, the shops in the touristy strips of Adrianou, Sellei and Vyronos streets are 90% closed (only a few cafes open) and the only pedestrians are striding out to one of the two Acropolis entries. Side trips on the laps on different days were to Hadrian's Arch, the National Garden, or Areopagus Hill. For parkland, the hill at Filopappou with the Prison of Socrates was a pleasant change, populated only by joggers. And of course, the other historical sites of Hadrian's Library and the Ancient Agora. Most of these locations justified return trips later in the day for more relaxed viewing, but the photos in this post reflect the relative quiet (but still warm) streets of Athens befor 08:00am.

Plaka, the "Neighbourhood of the Gods" is the 'old town' of Athens, where the north and eastern foothills of the Acropolis become flatter. It consists of "labyrinthine streets and neoclassical architecture" and is built "on top of residential area of ancient Athens" Wikipedia. Plaka has enjoyed human habitation since neotlithic times (except, for example, when it was evacuated in 1826 to escape pitched battles of the Greek War of Independence). During the day, Plaka is replete with visitors, but early in the morning it is all but deserted except for delivery vans.

At 7am, Anathistika cafe in Lisiou is not yet ready for visitors. [6755]

At 7am, this pretty cafe awaits its first customer. [6756]

Anafiotika must be Athens' most enchanted neighbourhood. It's the upper part of the historical Plaka on the northeast slope of the Acropolis and is directly between The Dolli and the Acropolis. This neighbourhood (which has signs posted begging for quite enjoyment and respect from visitors) was first developed in the 1840's (we read that in Wikipedia which implies, rightly or wrongly, that the ancients didn't build here) by migrant workers who hoped to find work on archaeological sites. It is a community of close-packed tiny houses connected by narrow paths and steep steps. There are occasional spots where visitors can see the city. Abandoned buildings are dilapidated and covered in graffiti, but most are well kept, freshly painted and bougainvillea proliferate.

View from the narrow alleys of Anafiotika, across the roof of Ieros Naos Agiou Symeon Anaphaion. [6761]

Not too glamorous, but very quaint, some of the pedestrian trails in Anafiotika. [6765]

Houses wrap themselves around rocky outcrops in the hills of Anafiotika. [6768]

More pedestrian steps in Anafiotika. [6772]

Shutters on a pretty Anafiotika house. [6775]

Abandoned dwelling on the slopes of Anafiotika. [6778]

Pretty and rustic, a house in the hilly Anafiotika district under the Acropolis. [6793]

Graffiti takes over when buildings are abandoned, in Anafiotika. [6781]

This may be the sacred cave containing ruins of the Temple of Asclepius and a holy water spring (500BC onwards), but it is now fenced off and not signposted. [6794]

The Monument of Lysicrates was erected by a wealthy patron of musical performances in the Theater of Dionysus. He celebrated a choral concert prize won in 335 BC, in which he was liturgist. The monument is known as the first use of the Corinthian order on the exterior of a building. It has been reproduced widely in modern monuments and building elements. The shady cafe, right, was one we patronised on a hot day.[6846]

Going clockwise around the Acropolis, there is a detour to the marble Gate of Hadrian on the edge of Plaka which spanned an ancient road running from Athens and the Acropolis to the east. The gate, or arch, was to honour the Roman emperor Hadrian who must have been respected by the Athenians. Inscriptions are interpreted to say that "this is Athens, once the city of Theseus; this is the city of Hadrian, and not of Theseus" Wikipedia which sounds like Hadrian was re-founding in Rome's name the much more ancient Greek city. As usual, there is doubt about much of this history.

Morning traffic in Leof. Vasilisis Amalias wraps around Hadrian's Gate, built to honour the Roman emperor around 130AD. [6852]

A wide pedestrian boulevard called Dionysiou Areopagitou tracked around the south side of the Acropolis going past a Metro station and the new Acropolis Museum and some fine Hellenic style buildings and mansions. This must be a wealthy part of town. It also passed the entry to the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a Roman theatre built in 160AD with a capacity of 5,000 patrons. The theatre featured a timber roof, but was destroyed in 267AD by Germanic Heruli. After restoration in the 1950's (but roofless), it is now used for major events such as the annual Athens Festival. Performers at the Odeum have included Maria Callas, Frank Sinatra, Luciano Pavarotti, Sting and more.

We concluded that 8:00am was the best time to queue at the Acropolis, despite advice to 'arrive early'. [8132]

One wonders what this modern house, directly facing the Acropolis, replaced? [1159]

A Roman cistern near the entrance to the Odeum of Herodes Atticus. [1160]

Marble steps lead up to the Odeum of Herodes Atticus. [1161]

Water fountain near the Odeum of Herodes Atticus. [6691]

A detour off that path leads up marble steps to the northern Acropolis entrance, quite a sight at 08:00am. This way leads to a shortcut back to Plaka. Here is Areopagus Hill (115m high) which seems to be a bare rocky outcrop but its mythical relationship to the Eumenides, goddesses of revenge and punishment, had it hosting courts hearing cases of murder, sacriledge and arson. It was a cemetery in ancient times. In 51AD, Christianity was preached here by the Apostle Paul, and by 400AD, in the Late Roman period, luxury homes were built on the hill. Not much of that is obvious now, but it's a great (free) place to view the sunset.

Long queues form at the north-west Acropolis gate at about 08:00 every morning. [1166]

The Church of Metamorphosis Sotiros almost at the base of the Acropolis cliff dates back to 11thC AD. [1605]

Early morning view of the Odeum of Herodes Atticus and the Parthenon. [8134]

Near here on the walking lap, south-west of the Acropolis is where buses and taxis let visitors off who didn't want to walk up the hill from the city. A detour from here takes you to a large hilly forested parkland, Filopappou Hill, which includes the Prison of Socrates, the city's old Observatory, the Hill of the Pnyx, and the Hill of the Nymphs. It's nice walking in here, very few people, but sometimes quite rough underfoot (watch for twisted ankles!), and easy to get slightly lost. We could not tell one hill from another, they blurred into each other. The early morning sun was a useful landmark for it pointed back to the Acropolis.

Cut into bedrock on Filopappu Hill is the Prison of Socrates. It's said he was held here in 400BC before his trial for disloyalty to established gods. Others say it was just a bathhouse. In WW2, treasures were hidden here to avoid Nazi looting. [8138]

Walking paths on Filopappou Hill required care. [8139]

This section of path on Filopappou Hill featured pretty mosaic motifs. We think these paths were the work of landscape designer Dimitris Pikionis (~1955). [8145]

In sight of the Acropolis' front steps, the Hill of the Pnyx, quite bare now, but in 500C this is where democracy was born. Great orators Aristides, Demosthenes, Pericles and Themistocles addressed crowds here. [8159]

The now abandoned 1842 Athens Observatory on the Hill of the Nymphs. [8162]

Then, the broad marble-paved walking path, now called Apostolou Paviou, passes downhill round the western side of the Acropolis and Areopagus Hill, where a pretty 1931 Church of Agia Marina Thission stands to the left, with lots open air cafes here, but all are quiet in the morning. To the right is the Ancient Agora, but there's no entry here.

The Church of Agia Marina, a four-sided basilica, was built in 1927 in Byzantine style. The building encompasses an 11th Century temple built into the rockface. [6705]

Finally, on this loop, we pass souvenir sellers setting up camp, and wind up back in the city following Adrianou street to the north of the Agora. The narrow street, barely one lane wide, is bordered with cafes and choked with early morning delivery vans. On the right is the Metro Line 3. Adrianou and the railway divide the Ancient Agora. An entrance to the Agora is here, as are the current excavations underway. Walk past Monastiraki metro station and up Mitroploeos street back to The Dolli!

Dawn lights up the foothills of Areopagus Hill. [6697]

Athens Metro train passes a reconstructed Stoa in the Ancient Agora. [6723]

Second-hand bookshop near Thissio metro station, opening for the day. [9121]

Greek souvenir shop open early in Apollonos street. [6608]

Before the crowds arrive. 8am in a shopping mall in Monastiraki. [6877]

Modern buildings in front of the Acropolis as seen from Monastiraki Square. [6726]

The entrance to Monastiraki metro station. [9351]

The photos in this post represent almost a dozen early morning walking 'laps' outside the Acropolis and Agora area. The Photo Map below shows where they all were taken.