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Greece travel facts
| Area (sq km): | 130,850 | |
| Population: | 10,668,354 | |
| Nationality: | Greek | |
| Local Name: | Ellas, Ellada |
|
| Language: | Greek, Turkish, Macedonian |
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| Time Zone: | +2 GMT | |
| Currency: | 1 euro = 100 cents | |
| Rate: | www.xe.com | |
| Capital: | Athens | |
| Dialling Code: | +30 | |
| Electricity: | 220V/50Hz | |
| Internet Code: | .gr | |
| Religion: | Greek Orthodox, Muslim |
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| Climate: | Mediterranean | |
| Government: | Parliamentary Republic | |
| Inoculations: | None | |
| Driving: | Right | |
| Int'l License: | Not Required | |
| Banking: | M-F 8.00-14.00 | |
| Major Airports: | Athens(ATH), Corfu(CFU), Mykonos(JMK), Santorini(JTR) |
Acropolis & Parthenon - Greek villas
The Acropolis, from the Greek word Acros, is an amazing prehistoric structure that still exists today in Athens that you can visit from Greek villas. The word “acropolis” means “upper city” or “peak of the town”. The history of the Acropolis shows this as a sanctuary, a place of refuge during invasion.
As the Acropolis is a safe haven, you will find many sacred buildings are housed here. The riveting history of the Acropolis dates back to the Neolithic times. The amazing structure that is the Acropolis, rises 60 to 70 metres above the city, and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was only, remarkably, 150 years ago, that dwellings were still present on the Acropolis in Athens. Search VillasPeople.com today to find Greek villas in Athens to visit the Acropolis.
Parthenon & Athena
When you book villas in Greece visit the principle temple on the Acropolis, the majestic Parthenon, which is dedicated to Athena, the patron (virgin) goddess of Athens. The Parthenon is the largest temple ever built in Greece and consists of four sides that depict different battles that took place in history. On the eastern side, you see the story of the Gigantomachy, the battle of the gods against the giants.
The Amazonomachy, which saw the battle of the Athenians against the Amazons, is depicted on the west side of the Parthenon. The south side describes the Centauromachy battle between the King and Centaur with the north side illustrating scenes of the Trojan War.
Buildings of the Acropolis
The Acropolis in Athens supports numerous temples, aside from Parthenon; there is Erctheion, Temple of Niki, and Propylaia. Erctheion, which sits opposite the Parthenon, is an unusual but graceful building. It derives its name from the legendary Greek hero Erichthonius, and dates back to 421-405 BC.
Most of the buildings that remain on the Acropolis today were built by Perciles in the middle of the 5th Century BC. Perciles was the leader of Athens during the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars. Many of the buildings erected during the time of Perciles were not finished until after his death in 429 BC. Further additions to the Acropolis were added by the Romans after they conquered Greece in 146 BC.
Visiting the Acropolis
The amazing structure of the Acropolis is not hard to miss, as it is right in the middle of the city. Transport you can take when visiting the Acropolis is either bus or taxi, with the more adventurous walking to the hill’s apex.
It is recommended that visiting the Acropolis from Greek villas takes place outside the summer months, due to the scorching temperatures. However, if you are visiting the Acropolis in summer, go early or late in the day, or perhaps on an overcast day.