See the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens Greece
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Athens is one of those cities in Greece where all the history of Greece seems to converge. It is also a modern and bustling city, and the people living there today enjoy all that Modern Greece has to offer. However, no matter what you do there, you can’t help but be confronted by aspects of the past and visitors seem to delight in catching a glimpse of them. While visitors usually head to the Parthenon and other sites on the Athenian Acropolis, ancient places located elsewhere, such as the Temple of Olympian Zeus, are often glossed over. You should take the time to visit this ancient temple while in the city. Here’s more information:
Getting to Athens
Before you head to the Temple of Olympian Zeus, you need to first travel to the city of Athens. Athens is a major hub for travelers in Greece, and the international airport is a bustling, busy place. Once you arrive here, you have the choice to either move on to visit other places in Greece, stay and explore the city, or a combination of both of these options. Before you go, however, you should spend some time seeing the sites, such as this ancient temple and other important historical places in Athens.
Appearance of the Temple of Olympian Zeus
The Temple of Olympian Zeus, at first glance, is not a particularly imposing picture. However, there was a time when the size of the temple reflected the importance Zeus had to the people. Although Athens was officially dedicated to the goddess Athena, Zeus was still an important figure who had many followers. As the king of the gods, he was given a dedicated temple of his own. The way the temple looks today, however, is believed to represent a small sampling of its former glory. It was originally built in the 6th Century B.C. and was thought to have about 104 columns. Very few of those columns are still standing today.
Visiting the Temple Today
Although the temple isn’t nearly as impressive now as it was back in ancient times when it was first built, some of it is still standing. This means that history and Greek mythology buffs can certainly visit it while they are in the city. Although it isn’t quite located on the famous Acropolis, it is nearby so you can easily visit it while in the main historical area of Athens. At one time, it was considered to be one of the centers of activity for the ancient Athenians. Now, it is conveniently located so that all people can enjoy it. While you can easily seek this historical structure out yourself, you might want to consider taking a tour that includes viewing this statue. Tour guides will be able to tell you important information about it so that you can truly appreciate this historical site.
While in the Greek city of Athens, you won’t to miss the chance to visit the ancient Temple of Olympian Zeus.
Source:
Wikipedia – Temple of Olympian Zeus
Categorized in: About Athens, Greece, Greek Travel Guide
This post was written by Greek Boston
