Top 30 Archaeological Sites and Landmarks of Greece

 

 

Greece, one of the most loved and highly regarded tourist destinations and home to one of the World’s oldest civilizations, is a treasure trove of ancient temples, sanctuaries and artifacts.

The hoard seems endless as more and more gems come to light each day.

I don’t think there is a square kilometre anywhere in this magnificent country which does not boast some archaeological find, be it a reproduction of Greek architecture constructed by the Romans when Greece was under the control of the Roman Empire or a temple connected to some mystical ancient Greek myth.

It seems that under everything there is something!

From Macedonia in the north, to the southern Peloponnese, from the tiniest of villages, to the largest town and on the remotest of Greek islands, you are sure to come across archaeological sites which will take your breath away.

Mass tourism in modern day Greece took off in the 1960s and 1970s and today Greece attracts as many as 30 million visitors a year, making it one of the most visited countries in the world.

Its capital city Athens, as well as Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, Corfu, Crete and Chalkidiki are some of Greece’s major tourist destinations.

Listed below are thirty of Greece’s most popular archaeological sites and landmarks:

 

Athens

 

1. The Acropolis of Athens

 

 

Atop a rocky outcrop, 150 metres above sea level, overlooking Athens, the capital city of Greece, sits the Acropolis, the highest point of the city, a word combing two Greek words, akron, – highest point, and polis – city.

The god Poseidon, god of the sea, competed against Athena about whose name was to bequeathed upon this ancient city; obviously, Athena won.

Here, in the 5th century BC, Greek statesman, Pericles, initiated the construction of some of the most famous landmarks ever built.

The main building is the Parthenon, the Temple of Athena the Virgin, which has been preserved almost intact, this extraordinary structure of gleaming white marble columns stands proud in its glory, visible from any location in Athens.

 

 

Having reached the Parthenon through the entrance, the Propylia, more great monuments spread out before you: the Erechtheion, a temple dedicated to goddess Athena, goddess of wisdom, whose south porch rests upon six statues of beautiful maidens, the Caryatids .

Close by to the tiny Temple of Athena Nike (Athena the victorious) are two ancient amphitheaters, the Theater of Dionysus and the Theater of Herodes Atticus, where on summer evenings the Greek comedies and tragedies written by the likes of Aristophanes and Sophocles were performed before the Athenians.

The view from the Acropolis is spectacular,  directly below lie the narrow, winding streets of Plaka, the oldest and most scenic neighborhood of Athens, full of character, popular with tourists for its wealth of traditional Greek tavernas, souvlaki, souvenir shops, stylish cafés and wonderful neoclassical architecture,  the famous flea market of Monasteraki, is also located here.

 

 

2. The Temple of Olympian Zeus, Athens

 

 

 

This temple is dedicated to Olympian Zeus, so called, owing to his position as head of the gods of Mount Olympus.

The temple, one of the largest in Greece, in the centre of Athens, of the original 104 Corinthian columns (17m high with a base diameter of 1.7m), only 15 remain.

The temple housed an enormous statue of Zeus, constructed by Hadrian, who, not being known for his modesty, also built one of himself, to the same proportions.

 

 

3. Ancient Agora of Athens

 

 

 

The Agora, meaning marketplace, was the hub of ancient Athens, not only a place to stock up on the wide variety of goods, shipped in from the nearby port of Piraeus, but also a meeting place for politicians, philosophers, and everyday citizens, who met there to put the world to rights, the place to hang out, back in the day!

The agora, not by chance, was built around the Panathenaic way, a sacred road, running through the centre of Athens, to the Dypylon, the main city gate, and also the route leading to the Panathenaic festival, which was held every four years, in honour of Athina, patron goddess of Athens.

The agora was home to the Temple of Hephaestus, the Greek god of craftsmen and metalworking, this is one of the most well-preserved temples in all of Greece, many other temples, which didn’t survive the passage of time, were dedicated to, amongst others, to Zeus, Athena, Apollo, and Ares.

The agora was a maze of covered arcades, stoas, Stoa Baileios, Stoa Poikile, and the Stoa of Attalos, to name but a few, used by the public as places where merchants sold their wares, and as welcome shade from the burning Greek sun.

Other sites of interest, around the Agora, include the Church of the Holy Apostles (a Byzantine Church built around 1000 CE), the Roman Agora, the Areopagus (a hill where city affairs were managed before it became a  democracy), the Pnyx (a hill where city affairs were managed after it became democracy), the ancient cemetery at Kerameikos, and, it goes without saying, the Acropolis!

 

 

4. Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Athens

 

 

 

This amazing theatre was built in 161 AD by the Roman tycoon, Herodes Atticus, in memory of his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla, whilst Greece was under control of the Roman Empire.

Sadly, it was destroyed and left in ruins by the Heruli in 267 AD.

Originally, it was a steep-sloped theatre with a three-story stone front wall and a wooden roof made of cedar of Lebanon timber, and was used as a venue for music concerts (with a capacity of 5,000), much as it is today.

The theatre has been the main venue of the Athens Festival, which runs from May to October each year, featuring a variety of talented Greek as well as famous International performers, such as: Nana Mouskouri, Mikis Theodorakis, Placido Domingo, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minnelli, Elton John, Diana Ross and many, many more.

 

 

5. Theatre of Dionysus – Athens

 

 

 

The Theatre of Dionysus Eleuthereus (a city in the northern part of Attica) is a major theatre in Athens, built on the southern face of the Acropolis, thought to be the world’s first theatre, in use since the sixth century BC.

Dedicated to Dionysus, the god of plays and wine (among other things), the theatre could seat as many as 17,000 people, making it the ideal location for ancient Athens’ most bawdiest of celebrations, the Dionysia, the original Greek carnival.

 

 

6. Arch of Hadrian – Athens

 

 

 

A triumphal gate was built in 131 AD at the end of a street (now called Odos Adrianou) that led from the old city of Athens to Hadrian’s addition. The design of the gate is an attempt to combine a Roman arch (lower part) with a Greek temple (upper part)

The Arch of Hadrian, known in Greek as Hadrian’s Gate is a monumental gateway resembling a Roman triumphal arch which bridged an ancient road from the center of Athens, Greece, to the eastern side of the city.

The arch was built in 131 or 132 AD, to celebrate the arrival of the Roman emperor, Hadrian, who had become an Athenian citizen around twenty years before and to honour him for his many contributions to the city.

Two inscriptions, naming both Theseus and Hadrian as founders of Athens, are carved on the arch, one on either side.

 

 

On the northwest side (towards the Acropolis), the inscription was:

ΑΙΔ’ ΕΙΣΙΝ ΑΘΗΝΑΙ ΘΗΣΕΩΣ Η ΠΡΙΝ ΠΟΛΙΣ – this is Athens, the ancient city of Theseus.

The inscription on the southeast side (facing the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Acropolis reads:

ΑΙΔ’ ΕΙΣ’ ΑΔΡΙΑΝΟΥ ΚΟΥΧΙ ΘΗΣΕΩΣ ΠΟΛΙΣ – this is the city of Hadrian and not of Theseus

 

 

7. Temple of Poseidon – Cape Sounion

 

 

 

Built during 444–440 BC, on the ruins of a temple dating from the archaic period, during the command of the Athenian statesman Pericles, who also rebuilt the Parthenon in Athens, The Ancient Greek temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, is one of the most impressive structures of the Golden Age of Athens.

The temple, which sits above the sea at a height of almost 60 metres , originally consisted of 38 Doric columns, of which only 16 remain today.

The temple closely resembles The Temple of Hephaestus, located at the Ancient Agora, beneath the Acropolis, which leads to the idea they may well have been designed by the same architect.

Although there is no proof, the original, temple of Poseidon on the site, was probably destroyed in 480 BC by the Persian army during Xerxes I’s invasion of Greece.

 After the Persians were defeated at the naval Battle of Salamis, the Athenians placed a captured enemy warship, a trireme, a boat with three banks of oars, at Sounion as a trophy dedicated to Poseidon.

 

 

8. The archaeological site of Kerameikos – Athens

 

 

 

Kerameikos took its name from the city square of the Kerameis, potters, who in turn had taken their name from the word kéramos, pottery clay, from where the English word ceramic is derived.

Kerameikos was one of the main producers of the famous Attic vases, many of these Athenian vases were found in the cemetery’s tombs, including the famous ‘Dipylon Oinochoe,’  (wine jug), which was found in 1871 and is named after the location where it was found, the ancient Dipylon Cemetery, near the Dipylon Gate, this vase bears the oldest known examples of the Greek alphabet, dated  at 740 BC.

 It is now in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

 

 

The potters’ quarter (inside the city walls of Athens) was located here, owing to the prolific amount of clay mud carried over by the River Eridanos.

Kerameikos was also the site of a major public cemetery, (outside of the city walls of Athens), where Pericles, a Greek statesman, delivered his famous funeral oration in 431 BC.

In recent years, Kerameikos, originally an area of marshland, on the banks of the River Eridanos, used as a cemetery since the 3rd millennium BC, and an organized cemetery from about 1200 BC, has undergone many archaeological excavations, which have revealed graves and burial offerings from this period.

The Kerameikos Museum a small neoclassical building, houses one of the most extensive collections of burial-related artifacts in Greece, from large-scale marble sculpture to funerary urns, jewelry, and toys etc.

The original burial memorial sculptures are displayed inside the museum, and have been replaced by plaster replicas in situ.

The museum consists of an inner and outer courtyard, where the larger sculptures are kept.

Down the hill from the museum, visitors can walk amongst the Kerameikos ruins, along the banks of the River Eridanos, where some water still flows, and observe the remains of the Pompeion and the Dipylon Gate; walk the first blocks of the Sacred Way towards Eleusis and along the Panathenaic Way towards the Acropolis.

Most of the area lies about 7–10 meters below street level, owing to centuries of sediment accumulation from the floods of the River Eridanos.

 

Thessaloniki – Second-largest city in Greece

 The “co-capital”

 

Thessaloniki or Salonika, located on the Thermaic Gulf, is the second-largest city in Greece, also known in Greek as ”the co-capital”, a reference to its historical status as “co-reigning” city of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire, alongside Constantinople.

 

9. The White Tower of Thessaloniki

 

 

The famous landmark of the city of Thessaloniki in Northern Greece, situated on Nikis Boulevard (Victory Boulevard), a replacement of an older, Byzantine tower, was built by the Ottomans, after the capture of the city, in 1430.

The tower, built as fortification and used as a prison, was part of the city walls, which were demolished in 1866.

 

 

Notorious for the inhuman torture practices and countless bloody executions carried out there, the tower became known as “The Red Tower” or “The Tower of Blood”.

When the city of Thessaloniki was liberated by the Greeks in 1912, as a symbolic gesture of cleansing, the Tower was whitewashed and was known thereafter by today”s name: “The White Tower”.

The tower is open to the public and houses an interesting museum dedicated to the history of Thessaloniki.

 

10. The Rotunda of Thessaloniki

 

 

The Rotunda, said to be Thessaloniki’s oldest monument and most likely modelled on the famous Pantheon in Rome, is a large circular structure, built in 306 AD, next to the Arch of Galerius, by Emperor Galerius and was intended to be his mausoleum, however, he died and was buried in Serbia in 311 AD

After standing empty for many years, Emperor Theodosius I converted the Rotunda into a Christian church in the late fourth century and when Thessaloniki fell to the Ottomans in 1590 it was converted into a mosque and a minaret was added.

The Rotunda is now the Church of Agios Giorgios or Church of the Rotunda.

 

11. The Arch of Galerius – Thessaloniki, Greece

 

 

Located at the junction of Egnatia and Demetriou Gounari street, Thessaloniki, this triumphal arch was commissioned by Roman Emperor Galerius.

Built between 298 and 305 AD, the arch commemorates the Emperor’s victory over the Sassanid Persians at the Battle of Satala and the capture of their capital Ctesiphon in 298.

 

12. “The Umbrellas”- Thessaloniki, Greece

 

 

One of the most photographed places in the whole city, “The Umbrellas”, was created by Greek sculptor Giorgios Zongolopoulos in 1997 when Thessaloniki was the European Capital of Culture.

Located on the waterfront of the city, each umbrella is about 42 feet (13 meters) tall and slightly tilted.

 

Peloponnese

 

 13. Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus

 

 

 

The theatre of Epidaurus is one of the most well-preserved ancient theatres in the world, an acoustic marvel that is still in use today. Throughout the summer months, during the Epidaurus Festival, plays written by ancient Greek playwrights are performed as are other concerts and festivals, held against the spectacular backdrop of the beautiful hilly landscape. 

There are three main parts to the old City and the 3,000-year-old amphitheater.

At the highest level is the sanctuary of Apollo Maleatas, next is the theater designed by the ancient architect Polycletes, and on the lowest level lies the sanctuary of Asclepios  (a shrine to the Greek god of medicine) along with a few other ancient ruins, including baths, a gymnasium, rooms for patients, and a stadium, where in the 4th century BC games were held every four years that were just as important as the Olympic Games.

 

 

14. Ancient Olympia

 

 

 

Olympia is a small town in Elis on the Peloponnese peninsula, well-known for the nearby archaeological site, Ancient Olympia, dedicated to the Greek god, Zeus.

 A dominant Panhellenic religious sanctuary, where the ancient Olympic Games were held, the site attracted visitors from all over ancient Greece.

The Olympic Games were held every four years, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD.

 

 

According to Pausanias, ancient Greek traveler and geographer, there were over 70 temples in total, as well as treasuries, altars, statues, and other structures dedicated to many deities. Many of these survive, although the main Temple of Zeus survives only as stones on the ground.

Olympia was also known for the enormous ivory and gold statue of Zeus, which was the cult image, sculpted by Pheidias, and named one of The Seven Wonders of The Ancient World.

Amongst a pile of rubble, near the Archeological site of Ancient Olympia, Greece, in 2018, purely by chance, a plaque, inscribed with a verse from Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey, composed in the 8th century BC, and first written down in the 6th century BC, was unearthed, and is thought to be the oldest inscribed section ever discovered in Greece.

 

 

The Odyssey, tells of the trials and tribulations of the protagonist, Odysseus’s, ten year long trip home to Ithaca, after the Trojan War.

The unearthed section, tells of Odysseus’s homecoming, and his reconciliation with his devoted swineherd.

 The site and has two museums, one devoted to the ancient and modern games.

 

 

15. Mycenae

 

 

 

Kings: Agamemnon, Atreus, Perseus, Oreste, Eurystheus, Thyestes, Electryon, Sthenelus of Mycenae, Tisamenus, Aletes

Mycenae, the residence of the ancient royal dynasty of King Agamemnon, King of Argolis, the city from which Helen of Troy was kidnapped, is located between two hills on the Argolid Plain, dating from the Bronze Age, and was the capital of the ancient Mycenaean civilization from 1600–1800 BC.

Six members of the royal family, are buried in the Grave Circle, the Tomb of Agamemnon is to be found in the Treasury of Atreus, situated on a hill opposite the palace which is surrounded by the Cyclopean Walls, built to protect the royal families of Mycenae.

The Lion Gate, the earliest monumental sculpture in Europe, leads to the Acropolis and on to the palace, where King Agamemnon was murdered by his wife, Klytemnistra, and her lover Aegisthus, after he returned, victorious from the Trojan War (1200 BC).

The Ten year-long war was sparked by the beautiful Helen of Troy, Helen, of the face which launched a thousand ships, who ran away, with Paris of Troy, leaving behind her husband Menelaus, brother of King Agamemnon.

Beautiful artifacts were found here, including large quantities of gold, exquisite jewelry and extraordinary death masks, including the gold funeral mask of Agamemnon.

 

 

Many of the ancient treasures are mentioned by Homer, the great Greek poet, making it quite plausible that the intriguing Mycenaean legends are not merely myths but that these fantastic events did truly happen.

The treasures unearthed here can be seen in Archaeological Museum of Mycenae while other important artifacts are on display in museums in Athens.

 

 

16. Ancient Sparta

 

 

 

In ancient times, Sparta, known for having the strongest military force during the Greco-Persian wars, was known as the city-state of Lacedaemon, while Sparta referred to a settlement on the banks of the River Eurotas.

Sparta was also the main enemy of Athens during the Peloponnesian War.

By the fifth century, Sparta, a militarist state, was the most powerful nation in all of Greece.

Soon after birth, male babies were bathed in wine, if they survived this, they were taken, by their fathers, to the elders, who decided if the child was strong enough to become a Spartan, if there were any visible defects, or the child looked weak, it was taken to mount Taygetos, and left to die.

Children, until the age of seven, they were schooled at home, after that; they were educated by the state, the emphasis being on athletics and physical fitness, even the women were well educated, the thought being that an educated women would produce strong, intelligent children, thus making the Spartan women, the most educated women of Ancient Greece.

On going off to war, wives and mothers presented the men with a shield, saying the words; “he tan, he epi tas” (Ή τάν ή Επί τας) translated as; with this, or, upon this.

This meant, come home with your shield, in other words, there were only two ways to return from war; victorious or dead!

In 480, King Leonidas of Sparta, lead his three hundred warriors against the Persians at the battle of Thermopyle, and, when Xerxes (King of the Persians) demanded the Greeks surrender their arms, Leonidas  replied Μολών Λαβέ (“Come and get them”), triumphed, against all odds and became a legend.

 

 

17. Ancient Corinth – Acrocorinth and The Corinth Canal

 

 

 

The small town of Ancient Corinth was one of the main cities in Greece in 3,000 BC and the second largest city in the Peloponnese (Patra being the largest). The town inhabited between 5,000–3,000 BC was destroyed by the Romans in 146 BC.

Its position on the Isthmus of Corinth, made it ideal for extensive trading, and its powerful navy made Corinth one of the richest cities in ancient Greece.

 Today Ancient Corinth is a picturesque little town with a distinct island feel.

The archaeological site is surrounded by small streets, quaint tavernas, ouzeris, and cafés, which capture the atmosphere of atypical Greek town.

The main building on the site is the Temple of Apollo, one of the most ancient stone temples in Greece. 7 of its original 38 Doric columns remain intact.

You can also see the Forum built by the Romans 2,000 years ago, which contains the Bema (public platform) where Saint Paul pleaded for his life before the Roman Governor Gallio in 52 AD.

 

 

 Also inside the Forum are the remains of the Peirene Fountain, a sacred spring located near Lechaion Road, said to have come into existence after Pegasus, the mythical winged white horse of Greek mythology created a hole in the ground when stamping his hoof.

 

 

The Archaeological Museum of Ancient Corinth, which contains many artifacts found at the site, as well as religious artifacts, including inscriptions of Gallio and Erastus, a synagogue inscription and menorah reliefs, is well worth a visit.

The area of Ancient Corinth is rife with ancient ruins and artifacts, which are being discovered continuously, while digging for new constructions, therefore, local residents, are loath to purchasing land here, in case excavations uncover archaeological finds, which means the area will be taken by the Greek state, as an archaeological site.

 

 

The Corinth Canal

 

 

 

Principal engineer: István Türr and Béla Gerster

The Corinth Canal, a man-made wonder, is a waterway across the Isthmus of Corinth, connecting the Gulf of Corinth in the northwest with the Saronic Gulf in the southeast.

Before the canal was built, ships were forced to make the long journey around the Peloponnese Peninsula, an area of more than 8,000 square miles.

 In around 600 BC, Periander, the founder of the Cypselid Dynasty of Corinth, had the brilliant idea of taking ships out of the water and pulling them overland, building a sort of railroad track, the diolkos, on which ships were hauled on wheeled wagons across the Isthmus, parts of the tracks are still visible today.

 

 

 

 This practice was used until about the 9th century, when ships had become too large for this system.

In 1882 work began on digging out, mostly by hand, the Corinth Canal, which opened 11 years later, in 1893.

The canal walls are more than 240 feet (80m) high, with an in-water depth of 24 feet (8m) and just over 3.7 miles (6km) long.

The Corinth Canal is a popular tourist attraction, people gather on the bridge, in order to watch large ships, pulled through the narrow canal by small tugboats, a sight worth seeing!

 

18. Ancient Nemea

 

 

 

Nemea, was a religious sanctuary in the northeastern part of the Peloponnese, famous for being the home of The Nemean Lion, which, in Greek mythology, was killed by Heracles, as one of his twelve labours

The Nemean Games, said to have been introduced by Heracles, after he killed the Nemean Lion, were held every two years, in honour of the Greek God Zeus, from 573 BC until 271 BC, after which, the Games were transferred to Argos.

 

 

The main archaeological attraction at the site is the Temple of Zeus, constructed in 330 BC, built using blocks from an earlier temple, on the same site,  which was destroyed by fire.

Other archaeological finds include a sacrificial table and a collection of bronze sports equipment, including javelin tips, and a discus, as well as various statues, coins and pottery.

 Since 1996, held every four years, there has been a revival of the ancient Nemean Games held in the ancient stadium.

The site also has an interesting museum

 

 

Macedonia

 

19. Vergina (Aigai)

 

 

 

‘To the south of River Haliacmon, in the “land of Macedon”, as described by Herodotus, on the foothills of Pieria, the ancient “Macedonian mount”, lays Aigai, the first city of Macedon, the land with many goats (“Aigai” in ancient Greek means “goats”).’

Vergina & Aigai is the same place.

Aigai, was the first capital of the Ancient Macedon Kingdom, which became one of the biggest and most significant kingdoms in the world, and existed from 808 until 168 BC.

As the Kingdom expanded, the capital moved to nearby Pella, which was the capital until 168 BC, when the Macedonian monarchy was wiped out by the Romans.

King Philip II conquered Athens and Thebes and his son, Alexander the Great, conquered half the world.

Vergina, (the name of the modern village, built on the site where Ancient Aigai was located),  sits at the foot of the Pierian Mountains, about 70 kilometers southwest of Thessaloniki and about 14 km away from Veroia.

 

 

Tomb of King Philip II of Macedon

 

 

 

The museum of Vergina and the Royal Tombs are actually inside the burial mound.

The royal tombs, discovered In 1977, were found in the biggest burial mound in the area, with a height of 12 meters and a diameter of 110 meters, untouched, and with all treasures intact.

 

 

Also uncovered at this time was a golden box (the larnax), inside a marble sarcophagus, with the symbol of the Greek Macedonians, the Vergina Sun, depicted on top.

This box contained human bones, which archaeologists claim to be the remains of King Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, King Philip had been assassinated in the theater of Aigai.

 

 

The tomb of Alexander the Great has not yet been discovered and it is doubtful it would be here in Vergina.

Other places of interest at the Vergina tombs are: the Vergina Palace, at three times the size of the Parthenon, it is the largest building of classical Greece, three Macedonian tombs belonging to kings of the Teminid Dynasty, the theater of Aigai where King Philip II was murdered, the tombs of the queens, the largest female burial ground known in Macedonia, and the Sanctuary of Eucleia built in the 4^th century BC, which comprises of the foundations of two temples and an altar.

 

 

20. Pella

 

 

 

Pella, the birthplace of Alexander the Great and ancient capital of King Archelaus of Macedonia, originally known as Bounomos, was situated about forty kilometers northwest of Thessaloniki.

Pella, under rule of Philip II, became a busy metropolis, but after being defeated by the Romans, in 168 BC, it became a small provincial town.

Excavations at Pella, which began in 1957, uncovered large homes with beautiful mosaic floors, dating back to the 4th century BC.

 

 

The mosaics were created using small, pebbles of many different colours., which were carefully matched and laid out to create these surface masterpieces.

Elaborate scenes, such as a lion hunt and Dionysus riding a panther, have been depicted within the mosaic floors.

On the site of the ancient city is the Archaeological Museum of Pella.

 

 

21. Ancient Philippi

 

 

 

The city of Ancient Philippi, in Eastern Macedon, in 360BC, was originally a colony of Thassians, named Krinides, which after being conquered by Philip, King of Macedonia, took his name.

During the Hellenistic Period, the city gained its walls, public buildings, private houses, and the most impressive building, the theatre.

 

 

In the 2nd century BC the Via Egnatia, one of the largest military and commercial roads of the ancient world, was built through Philippi, making the city a focal point of the region.

In 50 AD, Saint Paul, founded there, the first Christian Church of Europe.

In the 7^th century AD, owing to destructive earthquakes, and raids from neighboring Slavs, the city began its downward spiral, and was completely abandoned after the Turkish conquest in the late 14th century.

Archaeological excavations at Philippi were started in 1914 by the French Archaeological School, today; the Archaeological Service, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the French School of Archaeology are continuing the archaeological research.

Artifacts from the excavations are stored in the Archaeological Museum of Philippi.

 

 

22. Dion

 

 

 

Dion, in the Pieria region of Greece, at the foot of Mount Olympus, is best known for the ancient Macedonian Sanctuary of Zeus, leader of the Olympian gods, which can be seen at the Archaeological park of Dion, the most important archaeological site at Mount Olympus, and nearby, in the modern village of Dion, is the archaeological museum, where finds of ancient Dion and other archaeological places are exhibited.

 

 

The site has two theaters, one Greek and one Roman, as well as a Roman bath including the hypocaust system used to heat the floors.

On the other side of the Roman road lie private houses, including the Villa of Dionysus, named after a mosaic showing the god in his chariot.

 

 

The site is also home to several sanctuaries, dedicated to Demeter, Zeus, Isis, and Asklepios, the most important being the sanctuary of the Egyptian goddess Isis, is almost completely submerged, and is reached by a raised walkway.

Firstly as the seat of Olympian Zeus, then as a Roman colony, and finally as a bishopric in the Christian era, the city was slowly abandoned.

Apart from the outdoor site, there is also a museum housing artifacts found during the excavations, including the unique Dion hydraulis, or water organ.

 

 

Epirus

 

23. The Oracle at Dodona

 

 

 

Donona, the oldest Hellenic oracle, may, according to Herodotus, ancient Greek historian, date back to second millennium BC, lies twenty two kilometers south of Ioannina, between the two Mountains: Tomaros and Manoliassa.

The sanctuary was second only in esteem, to the Oracle at Delphi, and remained an important religious sanctuary, until the rise of Christianity.

The first deity worshipped at Dodona, was mother earth (Gaia), known there as Dione, the cult of Zeus and the sacred oak tree came later, between the19th and 14th centuries B.C. introduced to Dodona by the Selloi, an ancient Greek tribe from the kingdom of Thesprotis.

 

 

Up until the 5^th century BC, worship, and consultations took place outside, under a sacred oak tree, where priests, or priestesses, in order to divine a solution, for the people who traveled from miles around to consult the oracle, would interpret the rustling of the leaves, caused either by the wind, or by pigeons moving amongst the branches.

It has been said, the cooing of the pigeons was also interpreted, to decide what action to take, or that the sounds caused by bronze objects hanging from the tree, knocking against each other in the wind, were used to clarify the best way to deal with people’s everyday issues, such as, ‘how can I make sure my wife will give birth to a male child?, or, ‘what should I do to win this girl’s hand in marriage?’.

After the 4^th century BC, as the oracle at Dodona began to gain prestige, buildings were added to the site: temples dedicated to Dione, Heracles, Themis, and Aphrodite, a theatre, council chambers, a stadium and various other constructions.

 

 

The sanctuary was destroyed in 168 BC. by the Romans, but was later repaired and functioned for almost another century, but it was almost deserted after Mithradates raided the place, during his wars with the Romans in 86 BC.

After the 1st century BC, Dodona fell into obscurity but it remained active, the sanctuary was finally razed to the ground and the sacred oak uprooted, when Emperor Theodosius banned all Pagan sites and festivals in 393 AD.

The site was discovered in 1873 and excavations were carried out 1913 in 1921, and 1929, but the main archaeological investigations began in 1952, when many of the building were restored.

 

 

Phocis, Upper Central Greece

 

24. The Oracle at Delphi

 

 

 

Delphi is located in upper central Greece, along the slope of Mount Parnassus, and includes the Sanctuary of Apollo the site of the ancient Oracle.

According to Greek mythology, Zeus determined the site of Delphi when he was searching for the centre of the Earth.

He sent two eagles flying from the eastern and western extremities, and where the path of the eagles crossed, was Delphi, the omphalos, the navel of the Earth.

 

 

Earlier myths state that Pythia, or the Delphic oracle, was already the site of an oracle as early as 1400 BC, when it served as the major site for the worship of the god Apollo, who is said to have killed a serpent or dragon named Python, which lived there, protecting the navel of the Earth, and this is how the name Pythia originated.

Another idea is that it was named Pytho and that Pythia, the priestess of the oracle, was chosen by a group of priestesses who officiated at the temple.

 

 

The priestess, Pythia, sat above a crater in the earth, which emitted fumes, said to have hallucinogenic properties, which she inhaled, causing her to slip into semi-consciousness, which enabled her to prophetize the future.

No major decision was made without consulting the Oracle of Delphi first.

Greek leaders, foreign kings, generals and common folk all made the pilgrimage to the sanctuary .

The prophecies of the Pythia determined the from when a farmer planted his seeds, to when an empire declared war.

According to the Greek writer Pausanias, “know thyself”, followed by “nothing to excess” and “certainty brings insanity”, were the three Delphic maxims inscribed in the forecourt of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.

The oracle was destroyed by the Emperor Theodosius I, in 390 AD, in an attempt to stamp out old pagan beliefs.

 

 

Thessaly, Central Greece

 

25. Meteora

 

 

 

Meteora is a rock formation in central Greece, located near the town of Kalambaka at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly, and is home to one of the largest complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries.

Of the original twenty four monasteries, built on natural stone pillars, only six remain.

 

 

Today, the monasteries are accessible by staircases and pathways cut into the rock, but before these staircases were built, the monks were hauled up in large nets or baskets, or used a network of rope ladders.

The population of monasteries in 2015 was 56: 15 monks in four monasteries and 41 nuns in two monasteries.

 

 

Greek Islands

 

26. Knossos, Crete

 

 

 

Knossos, the famous Minoan Palace lies 5 kilometres southeast of Heraklion, in the valley of the river Kairatos, dates back to around 7000 BC in the Neolithic Age.

The immense wealth of the settlement allowed the construction of this grandiose palace towards the end of the second millennium BC.

This was not just a palace, but a whole city, including hostels, baths, sanctuaries, workshops, food stores, kings’ rooms, throne room, shelters for aides, banquet halls, and numerous stairs and terraces, and was constantly populated up until the Roman period.

 

 

Knossos, the main centre of power in Crete,  was the seat of the legendary King Minos , and the Minoan civilization of Crete was named after him by British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans.

This first Palace was destroyed around 1700 BC, rebuilt and destroyed again by fire, this time once and for all, 1350 BC.

 The Palace of Knossos is the symbol of Minoan civilisation, owing to its construction, use of luxury materials, architectural plan, advanced building techniques and impressive size.

 

 

In 1878, while Crete was still under Turkish occupation, the first excavations of the area were undertaken by the archaeologist Minos Kalokairinos, from Heraklion.

From 1900 up until 1931, Arthur Evans excavated the palace and area surrounding Knossos and restored the palace using cement, a technique criticized today as being detrimental for the Minoan structure.

 

 

27. Acropolis of Lindos, Rhodes

 

 

 

Lindos is an archaeological site, on the island of Rhodes, founded by the Dorians who arrived there in about the 10th century BC.

It was one of six Dorian cities in the area known as the Dorian Hexapolis.

The eastern location of Rhodes made it the ideal meeting place between the Greeks and the Phoenicians, and by the 8th century Lindos was a major trading centre.

The influence of Lindos diminished after the establishment of the city of Rhodes in the late 5th century BC.

The acropolis of Lindos was dominated by the temple of Athena Lindia, which was completed in around 300 BC.

 In Hellenistic and Roman times, the temple development grew as more buildings were added but by early medieval times these buildings had fallen into disrepair, and in the 14th century they were partly covered over by a large fortress built on the acropolis by the Knights of St John to defend the island against the Ottomans.

 

 

The Temple of Athena Lindia, The propylaea of the Sanctuary, dating from the 4th century BC, a monumental staircase which leads to a stoa (arcade), a wall with five door openings and the well known relief of a Rhodian trireme (three tiered warship) which dates from about 180 BC, cut into the rock at the foot of the steps leading to the Acropolis, are just some of the impressive remains that can be seen today.

The view from the Acropolis of Lindos is absolutely amazing.

 

 

28. Delos

 

 

 

The island of Delos, one of the Cyclades, near Mykonos, a Unesco Heritage site, famous for its marble lions, was a holy sanctuary for over a thousand years, before Greek mythology claimed it as the birthplace of the twins Apollo and Artemis.
According to Greek myth, no one was born there (apart from Apollo & Artemis), and nobody died there, women on the brink of childbirth and people close to dying would be carried to the neighboring island of Rineia.

 

 

Today, nowhere else in the World is there a natural archaeological site of this size, with as many monumental antiquities from the Archaic, the Classical, and the Hellenistic periods.

 

 

Still more or less uninhabited today, the last census showed only fourteen people live there.

 

 

29. Cave of the Apocalypse, Patmos

 

 

 

The Cave of the Apocalypse was made a joint World Heritage Site, along with the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian, by UNESCO in 1999.

The cave is to be found on the side of a mountain on the Aegean island of Patmos, on the road between the villages of Chora and Skala.

 

 

This grotto is believed to be where John of Patmos received his visions from God, which he documented in the Book of Revelation.

 

 

30. Ancient Akrotiri, Santorini

 

 

 

 

The island of Santorini, officially called Thira, is famous for its active volcano, the same volcano which erupted thousands of years ago, the largest and most violent eruption on Earth, creating the breathtaking cliffs of the island.

Discovered on the island, in 1967, buried for about four thousand years, under layers of pumice and ash, are the remains of an affluent, Minoan city dating back 3600 years, which can be seen at the Akrotiri Archaeological site.

Destroyed in the Theran eruption, in the 16th century BC, Ancient Akrotiri has been likened to Italy’s Pompeii, which was destroyed 1500 years later by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the difference being, the inhabitants of Ancient Akrotiri must have had some warning, as no human remains, or artifacts of any value have been unearthed.

 

 

Of course, there is so much more to Greece than the above thirty attractions: golden, sandy beaches, amazing countryside, delightful tiny islands, cities both ancient and modern, mountain villages and last but not least, the friendly, hospitable Greeks, who make Greece what it is.

When you do pay Greece a visit, please be sure to pay homage to the ancients, drop in on them at one or more of the numerous, interesting Archaeological sites.

 

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