When planning our travel plans for Greece over the long weekend, I honestly didn’t know where to start. We had 4 whole days to grasp the city, and hope to not spend the rest of the little money we have left. In high school I had learned about Greece, but I really didn’t know what made it such a great place to visit. Of course I knew that it was the birthplace to many of our philosophies and history, but I honestly didn’t see what made it so special. Since I didn’t know a lot about Greece other than its historical significance, I decided to look a little more into what makes Greece, especially Athens, such a tourist attraction.
While researching I found that Athens, which is the largest city in Greece, is one of the world’s oldest cities, and is said to be over 3,400 years old. This explains its large importance to our world’s philosophies and history, which is what makes it such a desirable place to go to.
Once arriving in Greece, my group decided to visit the Acropolis because it is so historical and is a main attraction in Athens for tourists. From my research, I found that the classical era is represented throughout the city in many of the ancient monuments and art. The Acropolis, which is also called the “Sacred Rock” of Athens, is the most important site of the city and one of the most recognizable monuments of the world. The Acropolis is one of the earliest artifacts to date back to the Middle Neolithic era. Constructed by architect Mnesicles with Pentelic marble, these single limestone column-based structures rise 150 meters above sea level in the city of Athens, and can be see from all over the city. Situated in the middle of the city, you can see these structures from all over Athens.
Within my research, I found that the Acropolis is one of the most significant references of Greek history and culture. The Acropolis is a symbol of Athens and represents the artistic development in the 5th century BC. The Acropolis is so important because this land is some of the most perfect buildings built by the most advanced civilization and even though these buildings have been studied for centuries, they are still not sure how they did it.
When researching this topic, I wanted to know more about the formation of Acropolis itself. Had it always been a large rock, or did it have a significant story behind it? In my research I found that the founder of Athens and many Greek civilizations was king Cecrops, who decided which god would protect the city. Choosing between candidates: the goddess Athena and the god Poseidon, Cecrops wanted them to prove their worth. When Poseidon presented a gift to the city he struck his trident into the rock of the Acropolis, which sprang out a well. When Athena gave her gift, she touched the ground and an olive tree grew out. This gesture to Cecrops was more beneficial to the city, and that is why the city is named after her.
The term acropolis means upper city and many of the ancient city-states in Greece were built around Acropolis where inhabitants could go as a place of refuge in any time of invasion. After it was built, the Acropolis or “highest city” in Greek, was continuously used either as a cult place or as a residential area. This is why these buildings are so significant to the city, because they are the safest and more secure place in the city. The most famous example of the Acropolis is the historical association with the several famous buildings that erect upon it. Structures like the Parthenon, statue of Phidias, and the temple of Athena Nike all made our experience so enjoyable because we were seeing so much history in on spot.
Something that I found very interesting was that the Romans conquered Greece in 2nd century BC and many of these structures were looted. Statues and other works of art were taken back to Rome and Acropolis had to be rebuilt. This could be one of the reasons why the structures are so choppy looking today.
When walking around the city of Athens, I noticed that it wasn’t a very picturesque city; in fact, it is Athens’s pollution that has done the most harm to the Acropolis site. I found this very interesting because for being so high up on the mountain, the limestones are still affected by the city.
I am really glad that my group decided to visit this site because I don’t think that I would have gone without their enthusiasm about it. Our visit was enjoyable because it allowed us to see all of the buildings lit by the sun and all of the gardens flowers in bloom. Known for getting hot in the summer, getting to the Acropolis was a pleasant walk and we got to enjoy the little cafés and restaurants that aligned the streets heading toward the Acropolis. It was a great visit and I have lots of pictures to show family and friends back home of how much history and culture I absorbed during my stay in Greece.
First off, I knew this was going to be your blog based on the title. Second, I am surprised Athens isn't a picturesque city like the media portrays it out to be. I have always wanted to travel to the Greek islands myself, but i think I am going to save that trip for my honeymoon. Also, I didn't know anything about the history of Acropolis before this blog. You are right, it is interesting that the Romans took much of the Greek statues with them to Rome when they conquered Greece back in the 2nd Century. Maybe that explains all of the Greek statues in the Vatican?
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