Athens,Greece: further reaches

The overlooked: Persitiri

Spelt  Περιστέρι in Greek. It is fun reading out street names and others spelt out in Greek using the alphabets we use in Math and Physics.

We find this place by accident when we spy a stadium while on a local bus from Syntagma towards the north. Then a church that  looks like that in Monastiraki comes into view.  And that's when we decide to explore Peristeri, for that is what this suburb is called. It's Greek for pigeon-dove. 

The area lives up to its name. It is quiet and peaceful as we walk up to the indoor basketball arena named for Papandreou, a former Greek prime minister.

The street is like a shopping mall in any suburb with bakeries and souvenir  shops – everyday markets and family businesses– selling olive oil, herbs and soaps. The stroll takes us towards  the  cathedral– the metropolitan orthodox cathedral – with its large central dome, symmetrical bell towers, and a cream colored stone and marble facade typical of Athens. The arched windows and decorative brickwork reflect Byzantine influence. 

Had we entered the church at an appropriate hour we would have heard Byzantine chants.

The thrill of discovery.

We are actually in the central square and beside us is a glass dome. What could it house?  The landmark is the sky light of the metro station below. Again we have the urban and the ancient existing in aesthetic harmony.  The skylight allows sunlight to the station levels. We find that it will take us to Piraeus and therefore we do.

Olympic Stadium

On another trip to Athens — this time with the grandchildren — the Olympic Stadium was high on their bucket list. From Syntagma Square we boarded the train, excitement building with every stop, until the great arches of the Olympic Stadium rose before us.

With its sweeping roof suspended from two colossal arches the immense structure seems to float above the arena, yet it is engineered to withstand fierce winds and even powerful earthquakes.

And then came the detail that left us speechless: even the lawn can move.It is not rooted in the earth but grown in 6,000 interlocking plastic capsules spread across the stadium floor. Automated sprinklers rise  water the grass according to a programme. When space for another grand event is needed, the entire lawn can be rolled away outside the stadium, transforming the space as if by magic.

Everything about the stadium speaks of scale and imagination. The roof stretches across 25,000 square metres, weighs nearly 19,000 tons, and glows beneath thousands of translucent panels. Standing beneath those soaring arches, with the grandchildren staring upward in wonder, it felt less like visiting a stadium and more like stepping into a monument to human ambition.

Watched over

A bus ride through the main thoroughfares reveals more modern structures with Greek embellishments housing universities and government offices. Everywhere the Acropolis looms fully into view—not just  a distant landmark, but something that watches over modern Greece in silence.

Doing justice to Piraeus

Not just a port

During our first trip to Athens, we begin our exploration of Piraeus, the port, only when we return to the port and we have a few hours before the ship leaves. Our bus drops us close to the railway station from which the port is along walk. We are astounded at the elegant 1920s railway station, where the historic overground Line 1 meets the modern Metro.  The station’s striking glass-roofed train hall and vintage ticket area before stepping into the atmospheric Old Market streets nearby, filled with local character and everyday Greek city life.

Just across the road lies the legendary Port of Piraeus, where ferries constantly depart for the Greek Islands. From the pedestrian bridge we enjoy watching ships glide in and out of the harbour. It is, without a doubt, Greece’s energetic gateway to the islands and one of the busiest ports in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

In a little park we find Poseidon astride with his trident.

On the edge of this neighbourhood, we notice the imposing Agia Triada, the cathedral of Piraeus, which faces the port. An original church on this spot was constructed in 1839, but was destroyed by a bomb in WW2, then  reconstructed in the 1950s in Byzantine style, using beautiful painted iconography and incorporating whatever remained of the older church.

More than just the harbour of Athens, Piraeus is a vibrant city with its own lively atmosphere

Athens neighbourhoods

Unbeatable views 

From atop the Acropolis we get spectacular views, stretching to the Aegean sea, of the various neighbourhoods of Athens: the ancient Agora, Plaka, Monastiraki and Philippopolis Hill.

The magnet:Agora

Beneath the revered hill of the Acropolis lies the ancient Agora, all in ruins —quiet reminders of what was once a vast and intricate marketplace. Here stood an assembly of administrative buildings, temples, altars, shaded arcades, and fountains around an open square. It was here that ordinary citizens gathered to debate, shape policy, and cast votes on the laws that guided Athens.

The Agora was not just a center of commerce and governance. The city’s mint, where silver currency was struck, operated here. 

Opposite the Acropolis

Another direction presents to us a conspicuous monument that sits atop  Philippopolis hill close to the Agora. It was built for a most beloved  man, one of Athen’s most important benefactors.

It is believed that Socrates, the philosopher, was imprisoned in the rock-cut chambers on the slopes of this Hill .

Not so ‘Little Monastery’?

Yet another reveals Monastiraki with its unmistakable church domes.

Plaka placates

The entrance gate we took to the Acropolis( right beneath it) is in  Plaka, the oldest section of Athens. Close by are the temple of Zeus and Hadrian's Gate. The whole area, being pedestrians only, is rather quiet. It's hard to believe that once it was a nightclub district. Strictly enforced government rules successfully reduced the racket of loud music. Now there are plenty of souvenir shops and restaurants. Even though the area has become commercial, it retains a quiet charm.

 Anafiotika: a secret island of defiance

As we climb, the air cools and the city noise tapers into a distant murmur. Whitewashed houses are squeezed together, their walls cracked with age, their paths uneven underfoot. Bougainvillea pours over in bright cascades over rooftops and balconies. The passages narrow into a disorienting maze. Have we wondered too far? Then, a dead end—and suddenly, it’s there. The Acropolis, the ‘high city’ rises above us.

Legend says Anafiotika was built in the 19th century by stone masons from the island of Anafi, who came to Athens to work and secretly constructed their homes at night, defying authority. Stone by stone, they recreated a fragment of their island life—hidden, resilient, and enduring.

Syntagma Square marches on with pom poms

We walk from Plaka to Syntagma Square, which lies at the heart of Athens, as the old Royal Palace—now the Greek Parliament – does. We see soldiers on guard and sense that something is going to happen as the crowd slowly swells. 

We are in for a treat. The guards, the Evzones,are moving! Within minutes a spectacular show takes place just a few feet away. The ritual of changing the guards takes place with meticulously choreographed  moves  synced to the marching band.

Their feet are clad in clogs topped with black pom poms,  Once they concealed blades!. Feet are raised high. When they descend with a cracking sound  the ground vibrates while the pom- poms sway every which way!

The rhythm continues to haunt us as we amble through the rest of the square in which parades and celebrations are held. It bustles with life. Behind the tomb is a garden, an oasis in the middle of a bustling area, which has an interesting story behind it.The event marked a turning point in history that made Greece what it is today.               

Monastiraki: tourist hot spot 

Yet another square that appealed to us from atop the Acropolis for its  flat domed building. We are surrounded by eager tourists, patrons of the flea market, roof top restaurants and cafes. The old meets the new. Not only are we treated to views of the Acropolis but also landmarks from the various eras viz Byzantine (Pantanassa Church),  Ottoman( Tzistarakis Mosque) and Roman(Hadrian’s Library).  

We pass by a hat shop that draws the attention of the grandchildren. We quietly steer them away so we have time to see the Olympic Stadium on their bucket list.             

Acropolis,Athens, Greece: History and Myth

We approach the foot of the rocky hill of pinkish bluish marble veined in red. The gentle slope takes us up towards the 3,300 year old citadel that variously served as a fortress,a shrine and a centre of political power. The place that reflects the ideas, art, and culture of the society that shaped world philosophy is breathtaking in more ways than one.

No match for a tortoise 

Physically the walk is steep and demanding as the morning heat intensifies. To our amusement, we find a tortoise climbing alongside us, retreating into its shell or into the cooler spaces under rocks every now and then. The grandchildren try to ‘keep up with it’ but after a few minutes they lose patience!Apparently the species thrives in the Mediterranean environment and sofrequently spotted living and wandering freely among the ruins of the Acropolis and its slopes, as well as nearby areas like the Acropolis Museum. 

Enthroned for a spectacle 

We emerge from distraction and lift our gaze—only to be met by ruins of staggering magnitude. Before us unfolds the unmistakable form of a theatre: rising tiers carved into the rock. Closest to the stage, throne-like seats stand in solemn dignity, once reserved for figures of great import—the honored, the powerful, perhaps even the Priest of Dionysus himself.

As we climb higher, the view expands into something almost overwhelming. The full sweep of the structure reveals itself, vast and commanding, a testament to a civilization that was built not merely for function, but for awe. From this lofty vantage, we can almost hear the echoes—voices that once carried tragedy, laughter, and biting satire into the open air, filling the immense space with the pulse of human drama.

Marble seating, a façade of looping stone: the world’s first theatre

Before us stands a grand structure on the slopes of the Acropolis, both imposing and ethereal. A vast wall with sweeping arches stretches across multiple tiers, more like portals than windows.

This is the Odeon of Herodes Atticus—an ancient theatre that once held 5,000 people and still hosts performances today. Dedicated to Dionysus, the god of theatre and ecstasy, it has echoed with human emotion for centuries.

Marble seats cascade in worn, graceful rows, tracing the theatre’s early origins. The façade once rose in three levels of arches. Now, only two remain.

It’s easy to imagine its former glory—a cedar roof overhead, statues in the arched niches, and audiences alive with anticipation. Even in ruin, the Odeon feels timeless—an enduring monument to art, gathering, and wonder.

An ascent into the ethereal: Propylaea

Our climb leads to a grand staircase and the monumental gateway beyond—a vast hall framed by elegant porticos and rows of slender columns beneath a lofty ceiling.

These columns, though delicate in appearance, carry the weight of the marble roof while keeping the passage open — an elegant balance of strength and grace.

Above, imagine marble slabs painted deep blue and studded with stars. Sunlight filtering through would cast a radiant glow, blurring the line between earth and sky—as if standing beneath a celestial vault of stone.

More than an entrance 

The awe-inspiring Propylaea has housed various occupants over its 2,000-year history. It served as a Byzantine bishop’s palace, a Frankish noble’s residence, and later an Ottoman governor’s home—testament to its enduring architectural significance. At one point, it was even used as a gunpowder store, leading to a destructive explosion.

The crown jewel: Parthenon

Built as a temple-treasury to celebrate victory in the Greco-Persian War, 200years later became a church, then, after another 900 years,an Ottoman mosque.

From afar, the columns appear perfectly straight and uniform—but up close, subtle variations reveal deliberate refinements to correct optical illusions.

https://www.history.com/articles/parthenon-acropolis-ancient-greece-engineering

Destruction, removal and preservation

All it took was a single blast that changed the fate of one of history’s greatest monuments.

During a fierce battle, the gunpowder store near the entrance gate ignited, unleashing an explosion that tore through the Parthenon.  Large sections of the structure collapsed, along with priceless sculptures that once celebrated the artistic and cultural golden age of ancient Athens.

What survived tells only part of the story. Some of these remaining masterpieces now reside in the British Museum, where they are known as the Elgin Marbles. Others remain closer to home, preserved and displayed in the Acropolis Museum—fragments of a legacy that once stood whole.

And then the Cariyatids beckon

A familiar porch, the Porch of the Caryatids, appears in our periphery. Six towering female figures, graceful and resolute, hold the weight of the structure.  Their elegance  blurs the line between sculpture and architecture.  We are actually admiring the replicas while the originals are at the museum. 

On closer inspection we realise that the temple is made of 3 parts each dedicated to  Athena Polias , Poseidon, and the founder Erechtheus( a legendary king) respectively.

A trace of myth colours the history: a hole in the rock roof is said to have been made by Poseidon's trident and Athena's olive tree  during  their dispute for the patronage of the city.

Nike, here we come

A lone structure distant from all the others in the acropolis stands out.  Four monolithic columns grace both the front and rear facades, while the sides remain open to showcase the inner cella.

A strategic location: The sanctuary served as a protective force, guarding the entrance to the Acropolis thereby defending the city as well as ensuring the favour of the gods. On the parapet, there would have been a marble statue of a wingless Nike (adjusting her sandal, and clothes slipping off her shoulder) which is now in the museum

As we walk down the hill checking out cordoned parts of the ruins we help but be dumbfounded by the sheer scale and history of the monuments. The Hercules pillar stands alone. There must be a story behind it!

Piraeus to Acropolis, Athens, Greece

Piraeus to Athens

Our first visit fills us with excitement—we are finally on our way to the Acropolis. We decide we would explore the port of Piraeus later, as soon as we returned. After learning that a bus to Athens city centre departed from just outside the port, heading toward the railway station, we set off on the short walk to catch it.

The port is overwhelmingly crowded. It isn’t just the presence of another cruise liner that day, but the sheer scale of Piraeus itself—Greece’s busiest passenger port, and in fact the largest in Europe, bustling with countless ferry connections.

The wait for the bus feels like an eternity while the crowd continues to swell. When the X-80 Piraeus–Acropolis–Syntagma Express finally arrives, there is some inevitable pushing and shoving. We squeeze in, finding standing room only. Thankfully, the ticket machine works smoothly, and with that small relief, we settle in to simply enjoy the ride. This route, we later learned, had only been introduced a few months before our visit. In about thirty minutes, we arrive at Syntagma Square, ready to begin our exploration.

Columns of columns of magnitude:ravages of nature and time

The Acropolis of Athens rises in quiet majesty above the city, visible from nearly every corner, a constant reminder of ancient grandeur—but our curiosity draws us beyond it, toward other ruins that look monumental with rows and columns of pillars, one solitary and another a pair. As we near these columns it is obvious that many have met their fate. At the entrance to the area we find the information board that tells us we are at the ancient  Temple of Olympian Zeus, once the largest of all Greek temples, a project so ambitious it took nearly a thousand years to approach completion— it was never truly finished. Originally boasting 104 towering Corinthian columns, only about 15 remain upright today. Their placement,  hints at the immense scale the temple once commanded. One column lies where it fell when it succumbed to a storm – proof that not even a colossal monument can withstand nature’s quiet power. This  column  is dramatic in that it lies in distinct, segmental, marble rings!

Inside the temple once stood monumental gold and ivory statues of Zeus and Emperor Hadrian, now entirely lost to time, much like the structure itself. 

Even more interestingly, over the centuries, its stones were stripped away and reused (including as far away as Rome), its purpose shifting from sacred site to quarry. In the early 1800s, a solitary stylite even made a home atop one of its columns, adding a strange, almost surreal chapter to its history. And yet, standing among the remnants today, one can still feel a sense of awe—because even in ruin, the temple endures as a powerful echo of the ambition, devotion, and imagination of the ancient world.

Surrounding the temple are remains of dwellings, Roman baths, the entrance gates and walls.

One or the other: entrance/exit

Just beyond the ruins, we come upon the aristocratic Arch of Hadrian, commanding our attention. Built in 130 AD to mark the arrival of Emperor Hadrian to the city the structure consists of three arched gates in a white marble frame. It once marked a symbolic threshold in the city—a passage not just through space, but through time itself. As we draw closer, its purpose begins to reveal itself: this was more than a decorative gateway: it may have divided two identities of Athens. On one side lay the ancient city of Theseus, rooted in myth and classical heritage, while on the other stood Hadrian’s newer, Roman-influenced Athens. The faint inscriptions seem to echo this division—one side proclaiming, “This is Athens, the old city of Theseus,” and the other asserting, “This is the city of Hadrian and not Theseus.” Standing beneath its three graceful arches, there’s a quiet thrill of discovery, as if we’ve stumbled upon a line once drawn between two worlds, now blurred by centuries.

Missed opportunity

Right down the street stands the Panathenaic Stadium—rebuilt entirely of marble in 1896 for the first modern Olympics, a place where tens of thousands once gathered under the bright Athenian sky. And yet, somehow, I only learned about it after the fact, as if I’d walked past history without realizing it was calling.

The draw

Rising up in a short distance from these ruins is the irresistible Acropolis ( the high city)majestically sitting upon a hill with its aesthetically pleasing columned structures.