Athens (in Greek ????a, Athína) is the capital of Greece and at the moment the most important city of the country. This famous city was cradle of one of the first formal democracies of which certainty is had and had abundant archaeological rest of extraordinary importance, among them the Partenón in the Acropolis and the Tower of Winds.
Athens has varied cultural possibilities of leisure and.
Its main attractive tourist one is its historical wealth. Several archaeological deposits exist that go back to the classic time. One of them, the Acropolis, is possibly most famous of the world. The old constructions that are preserved include from the archaic time of Greece to the Roman domination, and a great variety of styles. In addition to the great archaeological sites (the Acropolis, the two ágoras, Ceramic and the temple of Olympic Zeus), the places abound in the city where a small fragment of an old building can be seen: from the lantern of Lisícrates or the monument of Filopappos, to rest of wall near the central market or spas in the Amalias street. Works of continuous restoration and remodeling exist.
On the contrary, in Athens few rest can be seen from the medieval time to century XVIII: mainly, a great number of churches bizantinas. This must to the little importance of the city during the times bizantina and Ottoman. However, yes many samples of neoclassic architecture of century XIX and principles of the XX can be admired, with many buildings distributed by the center of Athens; although, the city is less rich in this aspect that other European capitals.
One of the most outstanding museums of Athens is the National Archaeological Museum, that contains the greater collection of objects and works of art of the classic Greece of the world, including many of the most famous works, like the funeral mask of Agamenón or the Zeus de Artemision. Other important museums, specialized at other historical times, are the Museum of Cicládico Art and the Museum Cristiano and Bizantino. The Benaki Museum, however, includes from Prehistoria to century XX. The Acropolis, the Old Ágora and the Ceramic one also have museums in situ; the conclusion of a new museum for the Acropolis at the end of the 2006 is expected.
Athens counts on multiple enclosures for theater, music, exhibitions and spectacles of all type. One of the most significant events is the Festival of Athens, that takes place between the months of May and October and representations of opera, dances, theater (specially classic Greek theater) and concerts, using, among other scenes, the theater odeón of Herodes Attic.