Athens (/ˈæθɨnz/; Modern Greek: Αθήνα, Athína [[aˈθina]], Ancient Greek: Ἀθῆναι Athēnai, Turkish: Atina, Armenian: ԱԹԵՆՔ Atenk, Latin: Athenae, Italian: Atene) is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, with its recorded history spanning around 3,400 years, and the earliest human presence around the 11th–7th millennium BC. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state that emerged in conjunction with the seagoing development of the port of Piraeus. A centre for the arts, learning and philosophy, home of Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum, it is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, largely because of its cultural and political impact on the European continent and in particular the Romans. In modern times, Athens is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central to economic, financial, industrial, maritime, political and cultural life in Greece.
Population: 664,046
Latitude: 37° 58' 46.02" N
Longitude: 23° 42' 58.39" E
The Parthenon (/ˈpɑrθəˌnɒnˌ -nən/; Ancient Greek: Παρθενών; Modern Greek: Παρθενώνας) is a former temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron. Construction began in 447…
The Acropolis of Athens (Ancient Greek: Ἀκρόπολις; Modern Greek: Ακρόπολη Αθηνών Akrópoli Athinón) is an ancient citadel located on a high rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architec…
Athens International Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos" (Greek: Διεθνής Αερολιμένας Αθηνών "Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος", Diethnís Aeroliménas Athinón "Elefthérios Venizélos") (IATA: ATH, ICAO: LGAV), began operation on 29 March 2001 and is the primary civili…
The Academy (Ancient Greek: Ἀκαδημία) was founded by Plato (428/427 BC – 348/347 BC) in ca. 387 BC in Athens. Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC) studied there for twenty years (367 BC – 347 BC) before founding his own school, the Lyceum. The Academy persis…
The Eurovision Song Contest 2006 was the 51st Eurovision Song Contest, held at the Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Greece on 18 May (for the semi-final) and 20 May 2006 (for the final). The hosting national broadcaster of the contest was Ellinikí Rad…
The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the G…
The Hellenic Parliament (Greek: Βουλή των Ελλήνων, "Parliament of the Hellenes", transliterated Voulí ton Ellínon), is the Parliament of Greece, located in the Old Royal Palace, overlooking Syntagma Square in Athens.
The Areopagus (/ˌæriˈɒpəɡəs/) is the composite form of the Greek name Areios Pagos, translated "Ares Rock" (Ancient Greek: Ἄρειος Πάγος). It is north-west of the Acropolis in Athens.
The Erechtheion or Erechtheum (/ɪˈrɛkθiəm, ˌɛrɪkˈθiːəm/; Greek: Ἐρέχθειον) is an ancient Greek temple on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens in Greece which was dedicated to both Athena and Poseidon.
The Ancient Agora of Classical Athens is the best-known example of an ancient Greek agora, located to the northwest of the Acropolis and bounded on the south by the hill of the Areopagus and on the west by the hill known as the Agoraios Kolonos, als…
The Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus is a major open-air theatre and one of the earliest preserved in Athens. It was used for festivals in honor of the god Dionysus. Greek theaters in antiquity were in many instances of huge proportions but, under id…
The Olympic Stadium of Athens "Spiros Louis" (Greek: Ολυμπιακό Στάδιο της Αθηνας "Σπύρος Λούης", Olympiakó Stádio "Spiros Louis") is part of the Athens Olympic Sports Complex. It is named after the first modern Olympic marathon race winner in 1896, …
The Temple of Olympian Zeus (Greek: Ναός του Ολυμπίου Διός, Naos tou Olympiou Dios), also known as the Olympieion or Columns of the Olympian Zeus, is a colossal ruined temple in the center of the Greek capital Athens that was dedicated to Zeus, king…
The Temple of Hephaestus or Hephaisteion (also Hephesteum; Ancient Greek: Ἡφαιστεῖον, Modern Greek: Ναός Ηφαίστου) or earlier as the Theseion (also Theseum; Ancient Greek: Θησεῖον, Modern Greek: Θησείο), is a well-preserved Greek temple; it remains …
The Acropolis Museum (Greek: Μουσείο Ακρόπολης, Mouseio Akropolis) is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on its f…
The Panathenaic Stadium (Greek: Παναθηναϊκό στάδιο), also known as the Kallimármaro (Καλλιμάρμαρο, meaning the "beautifully marbled"), is a multi-purpose stadium used for several events and athletics in Athens.
The Lyceum (Ancient Greek: Λύκειον, Lykeion) was a gymnasium and before that a public meeting place in a grove of trees in Classical Athens. The grove was named in honor of its patron Apollo Lyceus ("Apollo as a wolf" or "Apollo in the form of a wol…
A propylaea, propylea or propylaia (/ˌprɒpɪˈliːə/; Greek: Προπύλαια) is any monumental gateway based on the original Propylaea that serves as the entrance to the Acropolis in Athens.