Greece has a vast history that makes it quite rich in ancient historical monuments in Greece. Right from the stone age to the Byzantine empire, the ancient Greek monuments and buildings each have a story to tell. Without visiting the Greek monuments your vacation to the exotic country of Greece is incomplete. While some of these monuments are intact even today, most of the structures are beautiful ruins. The amount of history in some of the structures has made them into World Heritage sites. Let us take a written detour of the most famous ancient Greek monuments and buildings.
Greece Monument List
1. Parthenon
This beautiful monuments Parthenon on top of the Acropolis is one of the most popular monuments in Greece. A visit to Athens is not complete without visiting this well-architectured temple. The construction of the Parthenon started in 447 BC and completed in 432 BC. it was once replacing an older temple that was destroyed by the Persians. The purpose of the Parthenon was to house a massive statue of Athena Parthenos made from gold, ivory, and silver. Sometime in the 5th century, the statue was looted by one of the Roman Emperors, and taken to Constantinople, where it was later destroyed. During its long life, the Parthenon has also served as a fortress, a church, a mosque, and a powder magazine.
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2. Acropolis of Athens
Probably it is one of the most famous monuments in Greece, The Acropolis of Athens has been declared as a World Heritage site. It is situated atop a hill in the historic city of Athens. It a combination of various other ruins and structures which are of great historical and architectural importance. The place is said to be the birthplace of modern democracy and was constructed around the 5th century BC. There are a lot of structures that form the Acropolis of Athen, the most important one being the Parthenon. The structure is entirely dedicated to the Goddess of the City, Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war. The temple is a fine example of the Doric style of architecture. Made of Pentelic marble, the temple is a rectangle in shape. 8 Doric columns occupy the narrow side whereas there are 17 columns on the long side.
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3. Valley of the Temples
It is located on a ridge outside the city of Agrigento, Sicily lie the remains of seven Greek temples called the Valley of the Temples. The Temple of Concordia was built in the 5th century BC. It is one of the largest and best-preserved Doric style temples still standing the best preserved in the Valley. The Doric columns are 22 feet(7 meters) high including the capitals and having a diameter of 4.5 feet(1.3 meters) at the base. The oldest Temple at the site which today consists of only eight columns is Temple of Juno, used for the celebration of weddings, and the Temple of Heracles.
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4. Minoan palace of Knossos
The Minoan palace is a vast structure located on the north coast of Crete and most visited monuments in Greece. It is one of the last first discovered ancient structures of the Minoan civilization. Minoan palace of Knossos is one of the ancients greek monuments and building with a shroud over its past. When its structure was first unearthed in the 20th century, it was clear that the palace was abandoned due to a huge natural calamity. Historians believed that the powerful people of the Minoan kingdom built the palace on a great height in order to reinstate their position to the people around them. However, the original palace that was built around 1700 BC was destroyed and was replaced by another palace on top of it around 1350 BC.
5. Temple of Apollo Epicurius
It is located on a remote mountainside in the Peloponnese and the best monuments in Greece. The Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae is an unusual Greek temple and well-preserved. It was built somewhere between 400 and 450 BC. In contrast to the majority of Greek temples, this temple is aligned north-south, which are aligned east-west. The temple has examples of all three of the classical orders used in ancient Greek architecture and Doric columns from the peristyle. The Ionic columns support the porch and Corinthian columns feature in the interior.
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6. Erechtheum
The Erechtheum is an ancient Greek temple of Ionic style on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens and the historic places in Greece. The temple as seen today was built between 407 and 421 BC. The name is derived from a shrine dedicated to the Greek hero Erichthonius which is very popular. The temple is probably most famous for the Caryatids and also known its distinctive porch supported by six female figures.
7. Ancient Epidaurus
The people of the Greek civilization were extremely social. Cultural plays and events were a huge part of their social life. This explains the vast theatres that are found all over the country. One such huge amphitheater that was a hub of cultural activities in the Epidaurus, greek monuments in Athens. It is located on a plain in the east of Peloponnese in Greece, it was a center of cultural importance during the Greek civilization, It was built in the 4th century the theatre is named after Epidaurus, the son of Apollo. With a seating capacity for up to 14,000 people, the orchestra and the acoustics of the theatre are incredibly amazing even to this date. very few people know the acoustics in the amphitheater in Epidaurus is supposed to be so good that a comedian on stage would have easily been audible in the back rows of the theatre.
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8. Delphi
Delphi, Monuments in Greece is considered the center of the world and was the ancient Greek’s most sacred site. Famed for its Oracle, people would travel there to consult the oracle and obtain her predictions about the future. Famous throughout the ancient world for its Oracle, the High Priestess Pythia, and her predictions of the future, the site of Delphi is located in the Peloponnese and was regarded by the Greeks as the very center of the world. It was the place where two eagles met after being sent out by Zeus to find the navel of the world, according to Greek mythology.
9. Ancient Olympia
One of the most important archaeological sites in Greece, Ancient Olympia. It was built around the 6th century BC and top monuments in Greece. This is actually the original site of the ancient Olympic Games, which started as athletic competitions in honor of god Zeus. The sanctuary of Olympia included many impressive buildings, including the Temple of Zeus, the Ancient Stadium, the Gymnasium and others.
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10. Fortress of Nafplion
The ancient fortress of Palamidi, in the town of Nafplion is a very interesting piece of architecture and one that needs to be visited among all the ancient Greek monuments and buildings. The fort stands tall on the hill of Palamadi and is known for its amazing architectural finesse. It was built during the time of Venetian general superintendent of the fleet, Agostino dagredo by engineers Giaxich and Lasalle. The fort is known to have a quite ingenious architectural plan, which makes it one of the most important Greek monuments to visit.
11. Mount Olympus
There are often a few monuments in the world that carry the same amount of history and mythology in its shoulders that the legendary Mount Olympus. Located between the borders of Macedonia and Thessaly, Mount Olympus has huge importance in ancient Greek mythology. This serene mountain of scenic beauty was considered to be the home of the Greek gods, according to Greek mythology. There are a lot of tourists in the world who visit the country to Greece only to visit the mountains and experience the myths surrounding it which makes it one of the best Greek monuments to visit.
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12. Theater of Dionysus
The theater of Dionysus is another important Greek monument located on the south slope of the Acropolis of Athens. It was built in the 6th century and is known to be one of the oldest theaters in Greek history and an important monument of Athens. Like all major ancient Greek monuments and buildings, this theater was dedicated to Dionysus, the god of wine and merriment. Initially, the structure was just a crude circular area with trampled greenery arranged for seating.
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