Greece, unearthed

Stories by SONJA MUSTAFFA
Grecian archeological digs and discoveries are ongoing.

Greece is a remarkable holiday destination because of its history, mythology, arts, culture and natural environment. Did you know it is the birthplace of Homer, Plato, medicine and democracy?

Throughout our (travel agents and journalists) exploration, we were accompanied by tour guide Chariklia Contoyannides (Cleo) whose knowledge breathed life into the ruins we visited, (occasionally) Thanasis Prounarous of Tour Greece who good-humouredly put up with the group’s cheeky jokes and driver Vasilis Papatheodosiou (Bill) who was courteous and got us to our stops in one piece.

Nature was kind and gave us mostly blue skies and sunshine. Winters (late November-April) here are normally cold and rainy.

The cheerful chirping of birds and bursts of pink and white cherry and almond blossoms, as well as the purples and yellows of wildflowers, heralded an early spring.



Everywhere we looked there was an olive, lemon and/or orange tree, even on balconies and lining the streets and pathways in Athens. Traditionally, oranges aren’t harvested until Easter when they are enjoyed with a lamb dish.

We had our first close-up of an olive tree on the climb to the Acropolis (150m). The Acropolis is an ancient fortified city inhabited since 3500BC.

It is believed the olive tree was given to Athens by the goddess of wisdom, Athena, in a contest between Poseidon (the god of the sea) and her to decide on the protector of Athens. The people chose the gift of the olive tree over the gift of a salty spring of water by Poseidon because the former symbolised peace.

The contest took place at the Erechtheion Temple (407BC). It is a striking building because of the Caryatids (six female statues) who bear the weight of a portico on their heads. The original statues are in the Acropolis Museum with other artefacts from the site.

A bigger Acropolis Museum, designed by New York-based Bernard Tschumi and Greek Michalis Photiadis, is under construction at the foothills and scheduled to open on June 20.

Opposite the Erechtheion Temple is the optical marvel Parthenon, dedicated to Athena (parthena).

The Parthenon has been rebuilt four times since the first foundation stone was laid in 8th Century BC. Every time it was rebuilt, it was made bigger and more beautiful with marble quarried from nearby Mt Penteli. The final rebuilding was by Pericles (a great statesman) after the Persian invasion in 480BC.



Boundary ropes keep people out of the temple, but you may take pictures outside. Many of the buildings here, managed by an international team of archaeologists, are undergoing restoration using new methods.

Among some of the amazing facts about this marble building are that the columns surrounding it are tapered so that if they were lengthened by 2.5km they would meet to form a pyramid. The columns are spaced unevenly so that they look even from a distance. It was once a colourful building to attract seafaring pilgrims. It was a church during Roman occupation and a mosque during Turkish rule.

A 12m-high gold and ivory statue called Athena Parthenos, once housed in the cella (main room) but looted by the Turks, was unfortunately lost in a fire. A marble replica can be seen in the National Archeological Museum of Athens.

In this fort, whose ruined wall once stretched to the shores of the Saronic Gulf, you will also see the Propylea (the five gates to the heart of the temple) where the great thinker, Plato, held a symposium, and also the Temple of Athena Nike whose friezes depict scenes from the victorious Battle of Marathon (447BC). Across from it is the hill where the apostle Paul (a follower of Jesus) preached Christianity to the Athenians.

Below the fort are even more ruins like the Temple of Olympian Zeus, Hadrian’s Arch and an agora (ancient marketplace). The Odeum (theatre) of Herod Atticus (a rich benefactor) which seats 5,000 is still in use in summer (July-mid-September) for the Athens Festival where the likes of Pavarotti and Liza Minnelli have performed.

In the distance you will see the Panathenaic Stadium a.k.a. Marble Stadium, where the Olympic Games were held in 1896. It can seat 69,000 spectators and is used as a theatre.

The modern Olympic stadiums are in Marousi (north-east of Athens). After the 2004 Olympics, the stadiums were opened to public for profit. The buildings are earthquake-proof.

In centuries from now, these too will be venerated.

****The familiarisation tour of Greece was organised and sponsored by Parlo Tours Sdn Bhd (03-2274 7877).

Next week: Piety and the pleasures of life in Greece.

Entrance fees: Acropolis, €12.

Courtasy The Star Online