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Sunday, April 25, 2010

Scenic Sunday - Acropolis of Athens

For years it had been my dream to visit the Acropolis of Athens and I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to visit Greece. It was a beautiful spring day with clear blue sky but it was pretty humid for a walk around the ancient sites. Despite the warm sunny weather, it truly was amazing to see how well preserved these sites were and we got several nice captures over Acropolis.

Here are some of my favourite shots of different scenes from the historical Acropolis, in Athens.

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The Propylea is the Gateway that serves as the entrance to the Acropolis. Walking along the paths can be difficult as they were rocky, slippery marble so watch your step.

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As we walked through the entrance, we couldn't help but be awestruck by the glorious sight of the Parthenon. The temple dedicated to the Athena appears to glow in all its glory. I can understand why tourists are mingling busily around the sites, waiting patiently for their place in the photo with the Parthenon.


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This is another classic view of the Parthenon. It is what most people would envision when thinking of Athens. It is a sight to behold, even when part of the structures are seen through restoration scaffolding.

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There are few other structures up on the Acropolis as well. One of these is the
Erechtheum, the most important monument of the Ionic style and this temple was devoted to the worship of Athena and Poseidon, as well as Erichthonius.

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The first thing that impressed me of Erechtheum is the famous Porch of the Caryatids, where six female figures supporting the weight of the porch roof. Today's statues are replicas though. Not all of the sculptures from the Acropolis remains in Athens. As far as I know, four of the original ones are in the Acropolis Museum, one is in storage and one is in the British Museum in London.


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In a near distance, you will see the Odeon of Herodes Atticus at the south slope of Acropolis. During ancient times, the theater was used as a venue for various performances and music concerts with a capacity of 5,000 people.

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One of the best things about the Acropolis is not just about the monuments. It also has the best views of the city and as can be seen here, Lycabettus Hill is the highest point in Athens.

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and here is another magnificent view over Athens from the top

If you should visit Athens, Acropolis is definitely worth a visit. Pictures alone cannot do justice to this amazing feat of architecture and history.


Scenic Sunday


First Commenter

29 comments:

  1. These are shots from Acropolis, Athens? :D Awesome.

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  2. Yupe! restoration is needed in order to preserve this important structure right! :D

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  3. This is an awesome place indeed. Hopefully one day I will be able to be here. :D

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  4. What a lovely trip. Not many people from South East Asia visit Greece. Why did you go?

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  5. I would love to visit someday.
    One can only imagine the magnificence of Acropolis was it was whole and standing majestically.

    The view of Athens is indeed stunning, LR!

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  6. Truly amazing architecture! I want to go there! : )

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  7. If I should visit Athens, Acropolis should not be the only place that worth a visit.

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  8. Hi Ann,

    I found Acropolis an amazing place and being able to wander around such an ancient city is awe-inspiring. I visited Santorini too which to my taste, has much more charm and beauty than Athens.

    it's always nice to experience different cultures, traditions, ways of life of other countries. One such country on my list is Greece. :)

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  9. It is an awesome place, one that I would love to visit someday. Mean time thanks for sharing these lovely photos.

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  10. I want to visit Athens one day! :)

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  11. Great shots of the Acropolis, very impressive, and the view from there is also fantastic.
    A place I would like to visit.

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  12. I have been there too - it is an amazing place! Great shots.

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  13. what a nice shot of the historic Acropolis.

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  14. The views are majestic and romantic as well!

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  15. It is my dream to visit Greece and see the Acropolis. It must be a wonderful experience for you. Thanks for sharing those beautiful pictures.

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  16. Wow, your photos today are amazing! I am a little, ok a lot, jealous! We really wanted to go to Italy and Greece this summer, but due to really expensive tickets and my husband's job, we are not going to be able to go. :-( Your pictures looks amazing! I can't even imagine being there in person!

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  17. WOW, amazing. Would love to go to Greece. Nice photos.

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  18. LR: You did a wonderful job of capturing this ancient structure.

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  19. Oh! Amazing structures you captured! Athens is really rich in this kind of medieval architectures. Hope to visit this city someday, too.

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  20. What an amazing visit to Greece. You captured the beauty of the places that we would dream of going...

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  21. Amazing view of Athens. I'll definitely visit there one day.The ancient structure of that place really amazing, nice work.
    Thanks for your good shots.

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  22. i wish to see these wonders too in time...

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  23. Nice view.The place is full with historical sign.The view of the city looks so beautiful.This place is declared as World Heritage Site
    by UNESCO.
    Thanks to take good shots.

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  24. Beautiful place.The architecture of that place is amazing.I want to visit there one day.

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  25. Wow, stunning photos and it looks like an incredible place to visit. I can see that I have a lot of catching up to do going through the archives of your blog!

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