Athens

Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. It is a big coastal city in the Attica region and is the southernmost capital on the European mainland. With over 3.6 million people in its urban area, it is one of the biggest cities in the European Union.

Athens is one of the world's oldest cities, with a history that spans over 3,400 years. According to Greek mythology, the city was named after Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state in ancient Greece and is often called the cradle of Western civilisation because it was a centre for Ancient Greek democracy, the arts, education, and philosophy.

Today, Athens is a large and important city in Southeast Europe. It is a major economic and cultural centre, with many museums and historical sites. Famous landmarks include the Parthenon, part of the Acropolis of Athens, which is a World Heritage Site recognized by UNESCO. Athens also hosted the first modern-day Olympic Games in 1896 and the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Etymology and names

Further information: Names of European cities in different languages (A)

In Ancient Greek, Athens was called Ἀθῆναι (Athênai). The name may have come from the goddess Athena, who was said to have become the city's patron after offering the Athenians an olive tree. According to an old story, Athena and the god Poseidon both wanted to protect the city, and Athena won by giving the valuable gift of the olive tree.

Over time, the city was known by many different names. During the Middle Ages, it was again called in the singular as Ἀθήνα, and it had variant names like Setines and Satine. Even today, Athens remains a symbol of wisdom and culture, much like the olive tree that Athena gave to its people.

History

Main article: History of Athens

For a chronological guide, see Timeline of Athens.

Antiquity

Main articles: Classical Athens, Hellenistic Greece, and Roman Greece

Athens has been inhabited for at least 5,000 years. By 1400 BC, it became an important center of the Mycenaean civilisation. Unlike other Mycenaean centres, Athens is not known to have suffered destruction around 1200 BC, though it did experience economic decline for about 150 years afterward.

Classical Athens

Main articles: Classical Athens and Delian League

By the sixth century BC, reforms led to the introduction of democracy in 508 BC. Athens became a naval power and helped lead the fight against Persian rule. The city became a cultural hub, with achievements in arts, philosophy, and architecture. The Golden Age of Athenian democracy saw the construction of the Acropolis, including the Parthenon. Tensions with Sparta led to the Peloponnesian War, which Athens lost.

Roman Empire

Under Roman rule, Athens was given the status of a free city. The Roman emperor Hadrian built many public structures. Later, the city faced challenges as the Roman Empire shifted its focus, and many of its monuments were converted into churches.

Byzantine Athens

Main articles: Byzantine empire and Byzantine Greece

Athens faced invasions but remained an important center of learning. It became a provincial town but continued to grow, especially in art and architecture, until the later Middle Ages.

Duchy of Athens

Further information: Duchy of Athens

After the Fourth Crusade, Athens was ruled by Latins until the Ottoman Turks took control in 1458.

Ottoman Athens

Main article: Ottoman Greece

Athens was captured by the Ottomans in 1458. The city lost much of its importance and population declined. Ancient monuments suffered damage from storage of gunpowder and battles.

Modern history

Main articles: Greek War of Independence, Kingdom of Greece, and Republic of Greece

Athens became the capital of Greece in 1834 after gaining independence. It hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The city faced challenges with pollution but improved in the 1990s and hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics. Recent developments continue to enhance the city.

Geography

Athens spreads out across the central plain of Attica, known as the Athens Basin or Attica Basin. This area is surrounded by four large mountains: Mount Aigaleo to the west, Mount Parnitha to the north, Mount Pentelicus to the northeast, and Mount Hymettus to the east. The city stretches over 50 kilometres from Agios Stefanos in the north to Varkiza in the south and lies about 38 degrees north of the equator.

Athens is built around many hills, with Lycabettus being one of the tallest, offering views of the whole basin. The city has a complex climate due to its mountains, which can trap warm air and affect weather patterns. The city faces challenges with air pollution, but efforts since the 1990s have helped improve air quality. Athens enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot summers and mild winters, though the city's size creates a heat island effect, making it feel even warmer.

Administration

Athens became the capital of Greece in 1834, replacing Nafplion, which was the provisional capital from 1829. The municipality of Athens is also the capital of the Attica region. The term "Athens" can refer to the city itself, Greater Athens, or the larger Athens Metropolitan Area.

The city centre of Athens is within the Municipality of Athens, the largest in Greece. This area includes smaller communities and districts. The Athens Urban Area includes 40 municipalities spread over 412 km², with a population of over three million. The larger Athens metropolitan area covers 2,928 km² and includes 58 municipalities, reaching a population of about 3.6 million.

Demographics

The Municipality of Athens had a population of 643,452 people in 2021. Together with the regional unit of Piraeus, the Athens Urban Area, also called Greater Athens, has a total population of over 3 million people. Athens is the most populous in Greece, covering an area of 38.96 km².

Athens is divided into several neighborhoods, each with its own unique history and character, such as Pagkrati, Ampelokipoi, Goudi, Exarcheia, and Plaka. The city is led by the Mayor of Athens.

Economy

Athens is the financial capital of Greece. In 2014, the city produced about US$130 billion in goods and services, which was almost half of Greece’s total production. Many important Greek companies, like Hellas Sat and Hellenic Petroleum, have their offices in Athens. Big international companies such as Sony and Microsoft also have offices there.

Tourism is very important to Athens. The city attracts millions of visitors each year who come to see its famous historical sites and enjoy its many new cafes and bars. Improvements in airports, trains, and roads have helped make travel to and around Athens easier for tourists.

Transport

Main article: Public transport in Athens

Athens is the main transportation hub of Greece. The city has the country’s largest airport and its largest port, Piraeus, which is also the biggest container port in the Mediterranean and the largest passenger port in Europe.

Athens is a central point for both national and international travel. It has many bus routes, a metro system, a suburban railway, and a tram network. These services connect different parts of the city and nearby areas, making it easy to get around. Buses and trolleybuses are operated by OSY, a company that manages many bus lines across the city. There are also international bus services that connect Athens to other countries.

Athens is the center of Greece’s railway system. The Athens Metro has three lines: the Green Line, the Red Line, and the Blue Line. These lines connect many parts of the city, including the airport. The Athens Suburban Railway, known as Proastiakos, links the airport with cities west of Athens and passes through the central rail station and the port of Piraeus.

The Athens Tram runs along the coastline and connects the city center with suburbs to the south. It has many stops and serves thousands of passengers each day.

Athens International Airport is located about 35 km east of the city center. It is a major airport in southeastern Europe and serves many international flights.

The Port of Piraeus is Greece’s largest port and connects the city with many Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. Other ports like Rafina and Lavrio also serve as alternatives for travel to the islands.

Further information: National Roads and Motorways in Greece

Athens has several major motorways. The A1/E75 heads north to Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city. The A8/E94 goes west to Patras, the third-largest city. The Attiki Odos motorway network serves the Athens area, including a main section from Elefsina to the airport and beltways around parts of the city.

Education

Athens is home to many important schools and universities. The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the largest and oldest university in the city. It, along with the National Technical University of Athens, has moved most of its activities to a campus in the suburb of Zografou.

Other universities in Athens include the University of West Attica, the Athens University of Economics and Business, the Agricultural University of Athens, and the University of Piraeus. There are ten state-supported universities in the Athens area, with some of the oldest ones founded in 1837. There are also private colleges, such as the American College of Greece, even though private universities are not allowed by law.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Greece

Athens is a world centre for archaeological research. The city is home to many important museums, including the National Archaeological Museum, one of the largest and most important in the country. This museum holds artefacts from over 5,000 years ago, from the late Neolithic Age to Roman Greece. Other notable museums include the Benaki Museum with collections from ancient to modern times, and the New Acropolis Museum, opened in 2009.

Athens has a rich variety of architectural styles, from ancient Greco-Roman to modern designs. The city’s strict height restriction laws help keep the Acropolis Hill visible throughout the city. Many important buildings were constructed in the 19th century in a Neoclassical style, and later influences include Bauhaus and Art Deco.

Athens is also a hub for entertainment and the arts. It has more theatrical stages than any other city in the world, along with many music venues, cinemas, and restaurants. The city has hosted the Summer Olympic Games twice, in 1896 and 2004, and has many sports clubs and facilities.

Politics

Athens is divided into 58 electoral precincts, which were set up for the 2004 election to make sure each precinct had about the same number of voters. Before 2004, there were 68 precincts based on the Orthodox Parishes of Athens.