Flickr, faun070

The Monument of Lysicrates (the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, the Lantern of Diogenes) is a monument in Athens near the Acropolis, erected in 334 BC. In ancient Athens, performances at the Theatre of Dionysus were funded by wealthy people of the city, the so-called choregoi (sponsors). The choregos who provided the funds for the best performance of the year received a prize from the city authorities. The Athenian magnate Lysicrates, patron of many theatrical performances at the Theatre of Dionysus, erected the monument in honor of the victory of the play whose production he financed at the Dionysia of 334 BC. He decided to build a special structure in which the prize was installed. The monument is a six-meter-high rotunda with Corinthian columns, set on a high pedestal (podium) and joined by rounded marble slabs that differ in the shade of the stone. The capitals of the columns are distinctive and have no counterparts in other surviving structures.

Panoramio, protoq

Hadrian's Arch is a triumphal arch in Athens, opening onto Amalias Avenue. It was built in 131 by the Athenians in honor of the benefactor emperor on the road leading from the old city (Plaka) to the new, Roman part built by Hadrian (Hadrianopolis). The structure is 18 m high. On either side of the central arched opening are pilasters crowned with capitals of the Corinthian order. Similar but taller pilasters decorate the corners of the structure. The arch is topped by a composition of Corinthian columns and pilasters supporting an Ionic architrave, in the middle of which is an entablature with a triangular pediment. The inscription carved on the architrave on the side of the Acropolis reads: “This is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus.” On the opposite side, facing Hadrianopolis, is the inscription: “This is the city not of Theseus, but of Hadrian.” The arch is built entirely of Pentelic marble quarried on nearby Mount Pentelicus.

Flickr, Mikhail Tikhonov

Olympieion, the Temple of Olympian Zeus (Greek Ναός του Ολυμπίου Διός), is the largest temple in all of Greece, built from the 6th century BC to the 2nd century AD; it is located in Athens 500 meters southeast of the Acropolis and about 700 meters south of the center of Athens, Syntagma Square. According to legend, the temple was built on the site of the sanctuary of the mythical Deucalion, the forefather of the Greek people. Construction of the temple began during the tyranny of Pisistratus, in 515 BC, in the Corinthian order. Athenian democracy showed little interest in the temple; Themistocles (a military leader of the Greco-Persian Wars of 500-449 BC, an Athenian statesman) even used parts of it for the defensive wall that linked Athens with Piraeus (its excavated section is visible next to the temple). In 175-164 BC, King Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Hellenistic Syria undertook to complete the Temple of Zeus (already in the Corinthian order). In 84 BC.

Flickr, Garnham Photography

The Zappeion (Greek Ζάππειον μέγαρο, IPA: [ˈzapiɔn ˈmɛɣarɔ]) is a classical-style building in Athens built by the Austrian architect Theophil von Hansen. The Zappeion is named after Evangelis Zappas, a Greek millionaire and benefactor who organized and subsidized the first Olympiads, the predecessors of the modern Olympic Games. Construction of the Zappeion began on January 20, 1874 and was completed in 1888. The consecration of the Zappeion was timed to coincide with the opening of the fourth Olympiad in Greece. From the moment it was built, the Zappeion was used for many purposes. Trade fairs were repeatedly held here; thanks to its magnificent Rotunda, the Zappeion is an ideal venue for congresses, conferences and scientific symposia. In 1896, during the first Olympic Games, the Zappeion was used for sporting competitions; during the 1906 Olympic Games, the Olympic Village was located here.

Flickr, drtana

The National Garden in Athens (Greek Εθνικός Κήπος), formerly called the Royal Garden, is a park laid out by the first queen of independent Greece, Amalia of Oldenburg, wife of King Otto, on an area of 15.5 hectares in the very heart of Athens. It is located in the immediate vicinity of the Greek Parliament and stretches south to the Zappeion. The creation of the royal garden continued from 1838 to 1840 under the direction of the German horticulturist Schmidt. To realize all the plans, more than 500 species of plants and various animals and birds were imported. However, for many plants the Mediterranean climate proved too unfavorable. The park was built as a sequence of compositions on specific themes, so in addition to exotic plants it amazes visitors with ancient ruins and mosaics. The memory of Greece's first president Kapodistrias and the author of the Greek national anthem Solomos is commemorated here in monuments. In 2010 it was proposed to include the National Gardens in the list of the capital's historical monuments[1].

Flickr, George A. Voudouris

The Parliament of Greece (Greek Βουλή των Ελλήνων, literally “boule of the Greeks”) is the unicameral legislative body (parliament) of Greece, consisting of 300 deputies (βουλευτές) elected for a term of four years, who in turn elect the Speaker (Πρόεδρος Ελληνικού Κοινοβουλίου). The current Speaker of Parliament is Evangelos Meimarakis. The parliament building is located on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue in Athens. Legislative initiative belongs to the government and parliament. Bills submitted must be accompanied by an explanatory memorandum. Any bill is referred to the relevant standing committee. Article 110 of the Constitution and article 119 of the Regulations describe the procedure for amending the Constitution of Greece. The current Constitution of 1975 has been amended three times: in 1986, 2001 and 2008. Parliament also:

Flickr, obni

Syntagma (Greek Πλατεία Συντάγματος), or Constitution Square, is a square located in front of the palace of the Greek Parliament in Athens. It bears its name in honor of the Constitution proposed by the Greek king Otto of Bavaria on September 3, 1843. The square borders King George I Street to the north, Othonos Street to the south, Filellinon Street to the west and Amalias Avenue to the east, and to the northeast, Vasilissis Sofias Avenue. At the beginning of the 19th century there was a lawn on this site, part of the palace complex of Greece's first king Otto (the Greek Parliament is now housed in the palace building). Otto's wife Amalia of Oldenburg took care of both the palace and the lawn. Eventually the queen decided to forbid ordinary Athenians from visiting this area. In her solicitude the queen went so far as to order several reservoirs of water intended for citywide use to be diverted to water the park's trees, which naturally angered the townspeople. In 1862.

Flickr, HBarrison

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, located at the foot of the staircase leading to the Greek Parliament, is a must-see. This memorial, dedicated to those who fell on the battlefields, is located in the very center of Athens, on Constitution Square.

The names of all the countries with which Greece has fought during its three-thousand-year history are engraved on the marble monument. Every hour an impressive changing of the guard takes place here, and once you have seen it, it is impossible to forget. With a special, highly unusual step, the evzones - soldiers of an elite infantry unit whose mandatory requirements include a height over 187 cm and attractive appearance - replace one another. They are dressed in a ceremonial uniform full of symbolism, consisting of a white shirt with flared sleeves, a wool pleated skirt, a red cap with a thick tassel hanging down to the waist, and white gaiters with small black tassels.

Tsarouhi boots with large black pompons look amusing, but in fact they are real weapons: each of them weighs several kilograms, is studded with 60 steel nails, and most importantly, is equipped with a knife hidden in the notorious pompon. During war, a soldier can deliver a deadly blow to an enemy with a single swing of the leg in this funny boot, for example by slashing the femoral artery.

Every Sunday at 11:00 the changing of the guard takes place on a special scale: the entire guards regiment - more than one hundred men - takes part in it.