Greece which is officially known as the Hellenic Republic and is one of the world’s ancient countries. This country boasts about being the birthplace of sages like Aristotle, Plato, Socrates as well as the perfect athlete Hercules (Heracles).
The beauty of the numerous Islands that were mentioned by Homer remains still today. Stentorian, Crete, and Kimonos are the main tourist spots which are visited by thousands of tourists every year.
Some Famous Ancient Greek Places
Acropolis at Athens
The most well known ancient Greece landmark is the Athenian Acropolis and is also an heritage UNESCO site. It is the best example of the Athenian way of life in fifth century BC. It is regarded as one of the most significant archeological sites of the world. It was actually the citadel of the ancient city of Athens which was even refered to as ‘the Holy Rock’. We find several monuments like the temple dedicated to Zeus and Poseidon, known as the Erechtheion. But the famous of the moonements sis the Parthenon dedicated to Goddess Athena, the Patron goddess of the city.
The Athenian Acropolis, in spite of not being known either for its location or for its tranquility yet, constitutes one of the worlds most important archaeological sites. The main reason being that these buildings of Acropolis were the personification of Athens during the 5th century BC.
Apart from this, this Ancient Greek Places is also famous because it is this same place which holds evidence for us with regard to the time when democracy was first implemented, the time when theater and western science took their inception, when practical questions were being asked by the philosophers and also when history got transferred in the form of an art.
Ancient Greek Monuments and Buildings
The Acropolis consists of several monuments like the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Temple to Athena Nike and the monumental entrance, the Prophylaxis. An important thing to note about these structures is that all these constructions were completed during the fifth century which represents a complete religious sanctuary of the Classical Greek Period.
Legendary Home of King Agamemnon
Mycenae is popularly known for being the legendary home of King Agamemnon under whose lead the Greeks fought the Trojan War.
While historians have always debated over the kind of power or influence which Mycenae exercised but one thing which is unanimously admitted by all the historians that Mycenae has produced wonderfully rich sites has produced which have been discovered time and again by various scholars.
The location of the site from the throne room is absolutely breathtaking as it is located at the head of a valley overlooking the Argos Plain.
Olympia
Olympia, apart for being well known as the official birthplace of the ancient Olympic Games, is also one of the most beautiful sites in Greece, and whose beauty till today has been well-preserved in spite of being covered by silt from the nearby Alpheios River.
From the very beginning of the Olympic Games in 776 BC, these Games were held at this site almost every four years until they were finally banned by the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius II in AD 426.
It includes the building at the west where the legendary sculptor Pheidias worked. Then there are the original stadium and the place where the Olympic races were run. It was a religious sanctuary dedicated to Zeus and it still consist of the ruins of many structures including a temple of Zeus and also famous Hermes of Praxiteles and a statue of Nike of Paionios.
Delphi
Delphi can very easily be regarded as one of Greece’s most reminiscent sites. Located on a steep mountainside, Delphi was home to one of Greece’s most famous oracles the Pythia, that was consulted by people across ancient Greece. Because of this, it commanded a position of power in the country. In later years, Delphi came to be known as an area of neutrality. It became a center of the intercity diplomatic relationship. It includes the treasury of the Athenians and the temple of Apollo.
During the Archaic Period (8th-6th centuries BC) the city wielded a lot of political power and although this influence diminished by the 5th century BC, Delphi maintained its importance as a supposedly neutral city that became, like Switzerland today, a center for inter-city diplomatic relations.
It was considered to be the center of the world by the ancient Greeks and had been marked by a stone monument called omphalos. It also consists of monuments built by almost every city state showing its importance in Ancient Greek world.
The Thalos temple to Athena at Delphi with the mountain scenery in the background makes the site of Delphi memorable.
The Temple of Poseidon at Sounia
The temple of Poseidon which stands about 30 miles from the city of Sounia is an attractive location for ancient Greek history lovers. It stands over a hill overlooking the Agean sea. The current structure was established around 400 BC, but another structure preceding this is suspected to have been established much earlier.
It was a dedication to the god of sea, storms and earthquakes. It even features in the story of the minotaur in which Aegeus, father of Theseus who was also the Athenian waited for his sons to return from Crete.
Delos
The ancient city of Delos was one of the islands in the middle of the Cyclades group of islands. Today it still boasts of the archaeological remains of the ancient city with its most feature being the Naxian lions. The island of Mykonos is another site considered very important in Greek mythology. It was said to be the birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. It also became a very important port in the Roman period. The guardian lions still present are one of the most iconic Greek monuments which were dedicated to Apollo.
The Island of Santorini
Corinth
The Palace of Knossos
The palace of Knossos from the ancient city of Crete is another famous historical site located in the modern city of Heraklion. This palace was the heart of the Minion civilization and the city of Knossos was its capital.
The palace we can still see today consists of living spaces which are evidently royal with their beautiful frescoes and mosaics. It consists of toilets, bathrooms and even a drainage system. Public buildings, workshops and cult spaces are present in this area with many store rooms which were used for storing olive oils, grains and wine.
The site was abandoned around 1375 BC before being excavated by a British archaeologist, Arthur Evans in 1900 who also retired many parts of this palace.
Theatre of Dionysus
It is the largest open-air theatre in ancient Greece and is located in Athens. Its remains are well preserved until today. It was mostly used in festivals. Worshipping of Dionysus was held here.The theatre has a central stage and 67 marble thrones around it.
Even the names of dignitaries who occupied them are inscribed on these thrones. Many dramatic festivals were held here in honor of Dionysus who was the god of wine and a patron of drama.
This was the place where the ancient Greeks practiced wrestling and boxing. It was attached to a gymnasium but also had the independent existence. This monument is a rectangular structure with columns and rooms at its sides.
These rooms were used for bathing, storing clothes, undressing, storage of athletic equipment, oils etc.The Ancient Greek Monuments are indeed images of elegance and depict the skill and intelligence that the people they had.
Mycenae
Mycenae is the seat of King Agamemnon who led the Trojan War. This site is rich in relicts as befits a city which dominated all the other city states surrounding it. The city has very thick walls. The museum holds many rich archeological finds including many grave goods that bear testimony to fine craftsmanship. The gold death masks are especially remarkable.
This site was probably built around 1350 to 1200 BC and reached its peak during the Mycenaean civilization. It was probably used as a military base in southern Greece from which they dominated all of southern Greece, Crete and the Cyclades. It consists of important monuments like the Lion Gate, chamber tombs and also ruins of a palace.
