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Athens from the Acropolis - courtesy jay galvin - CC-BY

Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece.

Classical Athens was a powerful city-state. A center for the arts, learning and philosophy. The remnants of this Classical Era are still evident in the city, represented by a number of ancient monuments and works of art, the most famous of all being the Parthenon.

Athens became the capital of modern Greece in 1834.

While Athens was a large city by ancient standards and remained an important city throughout history, it was following the Second World War, that the population of the city exploded, and Athens experienced an expansion in all directions.  Because of this rapid growth, the pollution in Athens was at one point so destructive, that according to the then Greek Minister of Culture, Constantine Trypanis, “the carved details on the five caryatids of the Erechtheum have seriously degenerated, while the face of the horseman on the Parthenon’s west side is all but obliterated.” A series of strict measures resulted in a dramatic improvement of air quality; the appearance of smog has become an increasingly rare event.

Athens has all the amenities of a large city with excellent restaurants, museums, and a vibrant night life.

The Athenian Port of Piraeus has, after having been destroyed by the ancient Romans and lying in ruins for centuries, once again been developed into one of the most important ports in the Mediterranean.

Athens is served by Athens International Airport.  Athens has excellent public transportation by bus, Metro, or taxi.

Athens has a typical mediterranean climate, with the greatest amounts of precipitation occurring from mid-October to mid-April. Any rain is rare during summer.

Athens population is 745,514 (2001)

+30 is the international dialing code for Greece and
1 is the area code for Athens

For more information about Athens

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