Picturesque spots to photograph in Athens! (part 1)

Acropolis!

Seeing the Acropolis is essential and the epitome of a visit to Athens.
An unprecedented conceptual design embodied in architectural excellence that challenges all photographers! A “must” visit in some of our Photo Walks and tours!
The history of the Acropolis of Athens is long, with ages that democracy, philosophy and arts thriven, leading to its creation. But there were also times when its most excellent standing pieces were removed and shipped away from the country, dividing the monument in two forever. The international community today wants to reunite all of the Acropolis sculptures in Athens and restore both its physicality and meaning.

The Acropolis, and the Parthenon in particular, is the most glorious and characteristic monument of the ancient Greek civilisation. It still stands as a symbol of democracy and of the whole Greek civilisation. It also symbolises the beginning of the Western civilisation and it is also an icon of European culture. The Parthenon was dedicated to Athena Parthenos, the patron goddess of the city of Athens and goddess of wisdom. It was built under the instructions of Pericles, the political leader of Athens in the 5th century BC. The Parthenon was constructed between 447 and 438 BC and its sculptural decoration was completed in 432 BC. It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site In 1987. Uniquely, capturing the gravity of the Athenian Acropolis as a symbol, UNESCO recognises that “[…] the Acropolis, the site of four of the greatest masterpieces of classical Greek art – the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Erechtheum and the Temple of Athena Nike – can be seen as symbolizing the idea of world heritage”.

Come join Photo Walks in Athens in one of its photo tours and live the experience of photographing one of the most iconic monuments of the world up and close!
Additionally, we throw in some Street Photography taking advantage the tourism scene and the crowds consisted by very interesting characters that provide photo opportunities and interesting juxtapositions. Also, great panoramic views of the city of Athens will give a nice background and impressive urban landscape photos.

Temple of Olympian Zeus

A very popular stop in our Photo Walks and tours!
A former colossal temple at the center of the Greek capital Athens. It was dedicated to Olympian Zeus, a name originating from his position as head of the Olympian gods. Construction began in the 6th century BC during the rule of the Athenian tyrants, who envisaged building the greatest temple in the ancient world, but it was not completed until the reign of the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD, some 638 years after the project had begun. During the Roman period the temple -that included 104 colossal columns- was renowned as the largest temple in Greece and housed one of the largest cult statues in the ancient world.

The temple’s glory was short-lived, as it fell into disuse after being pillaged during a barbarian invasion in the 3rd century AD, just about a century after its completion. It was probably never repaired and was reduced to ruins thereafter. In the centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire, it was extensively quarried for building materials to supply building projects elsewhere in the city. Despite this, a substantial part of the temple remains today, notably sixteen of the original gigantic columns, and it continues to be part of a very important archaeological site of Greece.

With the Acropolis in the background this stop in our photo tours provides us with a lot of interesting photo opportunities!

Hadrian’s Gate

A gateway to the photogenic Athens!
It is a monumental gateway resembling – in some respects – a Roman triumphal arch. It spanned an ancient road from the center of Athens, Greece, to the complex of structures on the eastern side of the city that included the Temple of Olympian Zeus. It has been proposed that the arch was built to celebrate the adventus (arrival) of the Roman Emperor Hadrian and to honor him for his many benefactions to the city, on the occasion of the dedication of the nearby temple complex in 131 or 132 AD.[1] It is not certain who commissioned the arch, although it is probable that the citizens of Athens or another Greek group were responsible for its construction and design. There were two inscriptions on the arch, facing in opposite directions, naming both Theseus and Hadrian as founders of Athens. While it is clear that the inscriptions honor Hadrian, it is uncertain whether they refer to the city as a whole or to the city in two parts: one old and one new. The early idea, however, that the arch marked the line of the ancient city wall, and thus the division between the old and the new regions of the city, has been shown to be false by further excavation.

A very photogenic landmark of Athens that we get to photograph in our photo tours by Photo Walks in Athens in many different photographic styles and character!

Anafiotika

Photo Walks in Athens will take you to an island within the city!
Anafiotika is a scenic tiny neighborhood of Athens, part of the old historical neighborhood of Plaka. It lies in the northern east side of Acropolis rock. The first houses were built in the era of Otto of Greece, when workers from the island of Anafi came to Athens in order to work as construction workers in the refurbishment of King Othon’s Palace.The first two inhabitants were listed as G. Damigos, carpenter, and M. Sigalas, construction worker. Soon, workers from other Cycladic islands also started to arrive there, to work as carpenters or even stone and marble workers, in a further building reconstruction period in Athens, but also in the following era after the end of the reign of King Otto.
In 1922, Greek refugees from Asia Minor also established here, altering the population that was up to that time only from the Cycladic islands. In 1950, part of this neighborhood was destroyed for archeological research and in 1970 the state started to buy the houses. In the modern era, there are only 45 houses remaining.
The neighborhood was built according to typical Cycladic architecture, and even nowadays gives to visitors the feel of Greek islands in the heart of the city, with white walls and small spaces, usually with the presence of bougainvillea flowers. Houses are small and mostly cubic, small streets that often end up to ladders or even dead ends at terraces, where one can sit and enjoy the night view of the city. “In this oasis of tranquility, nestled beneath the walls of the Acropolis, the intensity of Athens seems miles away”…