 About Athens Athens is a big cosmopolitan city, capital of Greece. It is maybe the oldest European city, as old as the legendary Troy. The legends tell about its divine origin and that’s why Athens is named after the ancient Greek goddess Athena - who is its patron. 1st millennium BC was the greatest period of Greek civilization and Athens was the leading Greek city-state (polis). Here were the famous schools of philosophy whose ideas were taken from the so called "Western civilization". Athens has been a popular tourist destination for centuries. The extremely rich historical heritage shown in the numerous architectural monuments and the modern museums attracts many visitors in all times of the year. 2004 Summer Olympics were held in Athens. |