Historians have studied the ancient city of Athens, Greece, for hundreds of years. Athens was the center of creative ideas in government, education, art, and architecture more than 2,000 years ago. Today, the city of Athens is still alive with a blend of old and new elements.
Located in the center of Athens, this government building was built in 1836 as the palace of Otho, the first king of Greece. The palace was damaged by fire in 1910, but was rebuilt for use by the Greek government, called the parliament, in 1930.
The Parthenon is one of the most famous buildings in the world! It is a temple built to honor the Greek goddess Athena. Its 25 columns are carved from marble found in the mountains surrounding Athens. The Parthenon, built in 438 B.C., on a hilltop called the Acropolis, gives historians many clues about life in ancient Greece.
At the bottom of the Acropolis is an outdoor theater carved into the hillside called the Theater of Dionysus. Every year the ancient Athenians performed the plays of great Greek writers here during a festival to honor the god Dionysus.
The Olympic games of 2004 were held in Athens to celebrate the first Olympic games held in Greece in 776 B.C. This huge stadium made of steel and glass was finished one day before the Summer Olympics opened on August 13, 2004. It seats 55,000 people.
