The most complete information guide about Athens, Greece
Philopappou Hill
The Hill of the Muses, south-west of the Acropolis and with a
view that sweeps from the Saronic Gulf to the Argolic Hills, is
now known as Philopappou Hill. From here you are almost at eye-level
with the Acropolis and you have a breathtaking view of the Parthenon.
Below, the city stretches out for miles around, extending to the
mountains of Parnitha and Imittos. The monument
in memory of the Roman Gaius Ioulius Antiochus Philopappos, a
benefactor of the town, was put on the top of the hill in 115
AD.
Between
the Hill of the Muses and Pnyx there was the Koili (cavity), one
of the most densely populated areas of Athens. Access the trails
and footpaths of Philopappou from
Dionysiou Areopagitou Street. Opposite the tea pavilion and the
rustic chapel of Agiou Dimitriou, flagstone footpaths lined with
wild flowers wind up through the pine groves. Philopappou is a
place to meditate and contemplate the marvels of this grand old
city. The downward trail leads to the Pnyx, the meeting place
of the Assembly where such great orators as Demosthenes and Themistocles
addressed the citizens of Athens. In the evening, you could come
here to watch the spectacular sound and light Show on the Acropolis,
which told the history of the city. It has not been on since 2000.
Beside
the Pnyx is Mouseion Hill. Themistocles' long wall ran south from
here and commanded the road to the port of Piraeus. Opposite the
Pnyx is the Hill of the Nymphs, the site of the Observatory.
From
25 May till 25 September you can experience true, down to earth
Greek culture in the form of the country's native music and dance.
Songs, dances and music which have been in existence for up to
two and half thousand years. Not your every day stuff but can
you see people doing the Macarena in two thousand years time?
The
National Greek Dances Theatre Dora Stratou is unique in the world.
Founded in 1953, it is the living museum of Greek dance. Songs,
music and dances are presented in their original form that were
or are still performed in the villages. The costumes are authentic
museum pieces, handmade in villages a century ago. The company
wardrobe contains 2.500 costumes from all over Greece, complete
with jewelry and accessories.
On
Tuesday to Saturday at 21:30 and on Sunday at 20:15 in the Dora
Stratou theatre opposite the Acropolis, in the idyllic surroundings
of Philopappou Hill, Greek culture comes to life when 75 dancers,
singers and folk musicians, re-enact folk songs and dances. Musical
instruments and dancers in authentic costumes offer a wonderful
spectacle and illustrate the continuity of ancient Greek traditions.
The
theatre is situated opposite the Acropolis, on the far side of
Philopappou. The 900-seat open-air theatre was built especially
for the "Dora Stratou" company. The stage was designed
by the famous Greek painter Spyros Vassiliou. The floor is very
large in order to allow the free evolution of dancers, just like
in a village square or dance-field. Within the theatre area,
a hall was also built, used for winter rehearsals, courses and
workshops.
Usefull
information:
Tickets: € 15 - No reservations necessary.
Program changes every second Tuesday. Performances last approximately
80 minutes, without intermission. Many regions of Greece are represented
in each performance. Each region is presented through its authentic
dances, costumes, musical instruments and songs. Filming and videotaping
are not allowed.
Information: 210 3244 395 - Offices: 8, Scholiou - Plaka.
Opening hours and admission Follow Apostolou Pavlou till you get to the church of Agios
Dimitrios Loubardiaris, follow the
signs from there on.
Acropoli or Thissio
Take trolley bus 15 till the "Theatre" stop.
Drive around Philopappou Hill, starting at the "Dionysos"
restaurant opposite the Acropolis. There is a spacious parking
lot adjacent to the theatre.
Photo
Dora Stratou and The National Greek Dances Theatre Dora Stratou
with kind permission of the Dora Stratou Theatre.
The National Observatory
The
National Observatory is a scientific institute for the study of
“heavenly bodies” (we don’t think ours qualifies)
and seismology. It is located on Nymphon (Pnyx or Pnika) Hill
at a height of 107 meters (351ft) above sea level. Its construction
began in 1846 and was completed in 1890.
Four
institutes are working hand in hand in the National Observatory:
the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, the Institute for
Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, the Institute
of Geodynamics and the Institute for Space Applications and Remote
Sensing.
Train
station: Thissio
Nymphon (Pnyx or Pnika) Hill
Monastiraki
Pnyx
Hill (Pnika)
The
hill of Pnyx is located about 500 meters (1640ft) west of the
Acropolis.
It
is a spacious, semi-circular terrace, artificially leveled
out of the rock side, the Bema, with a rostrum for orators.
It was here that the early assemblies of the Athenian democracy
met. This assembly, the ecclesia, met on average once every
nine days and discussed and voted on items brought to it by
the town council, the Boulé. Any citizen could speak
to an issue and decisions were made by a vote of the majority
present. However, 6.000 citizens (all male) were needed for
a quorum and sometimes it was necessary to scour the agora,
400 meters to the northeast, in order to recruit citizens
to secure the minimum needed for the quorum.
This
area, exhibiting three building phases, was first used in the
early fifth century BC and continued in use at least through the
fourth century BC. In the first period, the natural hillside was
used as the cavea of the theatre. The surface was evened off by
quarrying out the hard limestone, while a straight retaining wall
was built on the north side. In the second period, the arrangement
of the auditorium was very different; a high, semicircular retaining
wall was built to the north, supporting an embankment sloping
down to the south, that is, in the opposite direction comparing
to the first period. The approach was through the two stairways,
3,90 meter wide.
The
Pnyx of the third period had exactly the same plan but on a larger
scale; the great retaining wall was constructed of large stone
blocks quarried from the area, while the new bema was arranged
to the south. At some point the ecclesia moved to the more convenient
Theatre of Dionysus at the southern foot of the Acropolis.
This
site is amazing, for a case can be made that this actually was
the birthplace of the Athenian democracy as famous Athenian leaders
and orators such as Themistocles, Pericles and Demosthenes addressed
the assembly here.