Landmarks of the modern era, dating back to the establishment of Athens as the capital of the independent Greek state in 1834, include the Hellenic Parliament and the so-called "architectural trilogy of Athens", consisting of the National Library of Greece, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Academy of Athens.
In 1458 it was conquered by the Ottoman Empire and entered a long period of decline. Following the Greek War of Independence and the establishment of the Greek Kingdom, Athens was chosen as the capital of the newly independent Greek state in 1834, largely because of historical and sentimental reasons.
Thus, the Old Royal Palace was the first important public building to be built, between 1836 and 1843.
The National Garden of Athens was completed in 1840 and is a green refuge of 15.5 hectares in the centre of the Greek capital.
Thus, the Old Royal Palace was the first important public building to be built, between 1836 and 1843.
The Athens Metro runs three metro lines, namely Line 1 (Green Line), Line 2 (Red Line) and Line 3 (Blue Line) lines, of which the first was constructed in 1869, and the other two largely during the 1990s, with the initial new sections opened in January 2000.
Athens was the host city of the first modern-day Olympic Games in 1896, and 108 years later it hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics, making it one of the few cities to have hosted the Olympics more than once. == Etymology and names== In Ancient Greek, the name of the city was Ἀθῆναι (Athênai, in Classical Attic) a plural.
In 1896, Athens hosted the first modern Olympic Games.
The city has also been host to sports events of international importance. Athens has hosted the Summer Olympic Games twice, in 1896 and 2004.
A number of its renovated buildings also host fashionable bars, making it a hotspot for the city in the last decade, while live music restaurants known as "rebetadika", after rebetiko, a unique form of music that blossomed in Syros and Athens from the 1920s until the 1960s, are to be found.
Ziller also designed many private mansions in the centre of Athens which gradually became public, usually through donations, such as Schliemann's Iliou Melathron. Beginning in the 1920s, modern architecture including Bauhaus and Art Deco began to exert an influence on almost all Greek architects, and buildings both public and private were constructed in accordance with these styles.
Nikos Gounaris was probably the most renowned composer and singer of the time. In 1922, after the genocide of the Greek people of Minor Asia and Pontus and later by the population exchange between Greece and Turkey, many ethnic Greeks from Asia Minor and Pontus fled to Athens as a result of the Greco-Turkish War.
After 1930, wavering among American and European musical influences as well as the Greek musical tradition.
The rapid expansion of the modern city, which continues to this day, took off with industrial growth in the 1950s and 1960s.
Localities with a great number of such buildings include Kolonaki, and some areas of the centre of the city; neighbourhoods developed in this period include Kypseli. In the 1950s and 1960s during the extension and development of Athens, other modern movements such as the International style played an important role.
A number of its renovated buildings also host fashionable bars, making it a hotspot for the city in the last decade, while live music restaurants known as "rebetadika", after rebetiko, a unique form of music that blossomed in Syros and Athens from the 1920s until the 1960s, are to be found.
The rapid expansion of the modern city, which continues to this day, took off with industrial growth in the 1950s and 1960s.
Localities with a great number of such buildings include Kolonaki, and some areas of the centre of the city; neighbourhoods developed in this period include Kypseli. In the 1950s and 1960s during the extension and development of Athens, other modern movements such as the International style played an important role.
In this area, on November 17, 1973, more than 13 students were killed and hundreds injured during the Athens Polytechnic uprising against the military junta that ruled the nation from 21 April 1967 until 23 July 1974. The University of West Attica is the second largest university in Athens.
In Ottoman Turkish, it was called آتينا Ātīnā, and in modern Turkish, it is Atina. After the establishment of the modern Greek state, and partly due to the conservatism of the written language, Ἀθῆναι again became the official name of the city and remained so until the abandonment of Katharevousa in the 1970s, when Ἀθήνα, Athína, became the official name.
Athens' other major stadium, located in the Piraeus area, is the Karaiskakis Stadium, a sports and entertainment complex, host of the 1971 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final. Athens has hosted the EuroLeague final three times, the first in 1985 and second in 1993, both at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, most known as SEF, a large indoor arena, and the third time in 2007 at the Olympic Indoor Hall.
In football, Olympiacos have dominated the domestic competitions, Panathinaikos made it to the 1971 European Cup Final, while AEK Athens is the other member of the big three.
In this area, on November 17, 1973, more than 13 students were killed and hundreds injured during the Athens Polytechnic uprising against the military junta that ruled the nation from 21 April 1967 until 23 July 1974. The University of West Attica is the second largest university in Athens.
In this area, on November 17, 1973, more than 13 students were killed and hundreds injured during the Athens Polytechnic uprising against the military junta that ruled the nation from 21 April 1967 until 23 July 1974. The University of West Attica is the second largest university in Athens.
Athens' other major stadium, located in the Piraeus area, is the Karaiskakis Stadium, a sports and entertainment complex, host of the 1971 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final. Athens has hosted the EuroLeague final three times, the first in 1985 and second in 1993, both at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, most known as SEF, a large indoor arena, and the third time in 2007 at the Olympic Indoor Hall.
A series of anti-pollution measures taken by the city's authorities in the 1990s, combined with a substantial improvement of the city's infrastructure (including the Attiki Odos motorway, the expansion of the Athens Metro, and the new Athens International Airport), considerably alleviated pollution and transformed Athens into a much more functional city.
The Athens Metro runs three metro lines, namely Line 1 (Green Line), Line 2 (Red Line) and Line 3 (Blue Line) lines, of which the first was constructed in 1869, and the other two largely during the 1990s, with the initial new sections opened in January 2000.
Athens' other major stadium, located in the Piraeus area, is the Karaiskakis Stadium, a sports and entertainment complex, host of the 1971 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final. Athens has hosted the EuroLeague final three times, the first in 1985 and second in 1993, both at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, most known as SEF, a large indoor arena, and the third time in 2007 at the Olympic Indoor Hall.
The biggest stadium in the country, it hosted two finals of the UEFA Champions League, in 1994 and 2007.
The zoo is home to around 2000 animals representing 400 species, and is open 365 days a year.
The Athens Metro runs three metro lines, namely Line 1 (Green Line), Line 2 (Red Line) and Line 3 (Blue Line) lines, of which the first was constructed in 1869, and the other two largely during the 1990s, with the initial new sections opened in January 2000.
Athens was the host city of the first modern-day Olympic Games in 1896, and 108 years later it hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics, making it one of the few cities to have hosted the Olympics more than once. == Etymology and names== In Ancient Greek, the name of the city was Ἀθῆναι (Athênai, in Classical Attic) a plural.
In 2004 Athens hosted the 2004 Summer Olympics. ==Geography== Athens sprawls across the central plain of Attica that is often referred to as the Athens Basin or the Attica Basin (Λεκανοπέδιο Αθηνών/Αττικής).
The square is the focus for celebration of sporting victories, as seen after the country's winning of the Euro 2004 and the EuroBasket 2005 tournaments.
The airport, awarded the "European Airport of the Year 2004" Award, is intended as an expandable hub for air travel in southeastern Europe and was constructed in 51 months, costing 2.2 billion euros.
Over the past decade, the city's infrastructure and social amenities have improved, in part because of its successful bid to stage the 2004 Olympic Games.
The city has also been host to sports events of international importance. Athens has hosted the Summer Olympic Games twice, in 1896 and 2004.
The 2004 Summer Olympics required the development of the Athens Olympic Stadium, which has since gained a reputation as one of the most beautiful stadiums in the world, and one of its most interesting modern monuments.
The square is the focus for celebration of sporting victories, as seen after the country's winning of the Euro 2004 and the EuroBasket 2005 tournaments.
In late June 2007, the Attica region experienced a number of brush fires, including a blaze that burned a significant portion of a large forested national park in Mount Parnitha, considered critical to maintaining a better air quality in Athens all year round.
In January 2007, Athens faced a waste management problem when its landfill near Ano Liosia, an Athenian suburb, reached capacity.
The crisis eased by mid-January when authorities began taking the garbage to a temporary landfill. ===Safety=== Athens ranks in the lowest percentage for the risk on frequency and severity of terrorist attacks according to the EU Global Terrorism Database (EIU 2007–2016 calculations).
The metro's expansion to the western suburbs of the city has brought easier access to the area since spring 2007, as the line 3 now stops at Gazi (Kerameikos station). Syntagma, Syntagma Square, (Σύνταγμα/Constitution Square), is the capital's central and largest square, lying adjacent to the Greek Parliament (the former Royal Palace) and the city's most notable hotels.
The spring 2007 extension from Monastiraki westwards to Egaleo connected some of the main night life hubs of the city, namely those of Gazi (Kerameikos station) with Psirri (Monastiraki station) and the city centre (Syntagma station).
Beyond the dimensions of its passenger capacity, ATH handled 205,294 total flights in 2007, or approximately 562 flights per day. ==== Railways and ferry connections ==== Athens is the hub of the country's national railway system (OSE), connecting the capital with major cities across Greece and abroad (Istanbul, Sofia, Belgrade and Bucharest).
The biggest stadium in the country, it hosted two finals of the UEFA Champions League, in 1994 and 2007.
Athens' other major stadium, located in the Piraeus area, is the Karaiskakis Stadium, a sports and entertainment complex, host of the 1971 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final. Athens has hosted the EuroLeague final three times, the first in 1985 and second in 1993, both at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, most known as SEF, a large indoor arena, and the third time in 2007 at the Olympic Indoor Hall.
As Eurostat the FUA of Athens had in 2013 3,828,434 inhabitants, being apparently decreasing compared with the pre-economic crisis date of 2009 (4,164,175) The municipality (Center) of Athens is the most populous in Greece, with a population of 664,046 people (in 2011) and an area of , forming the core of the Athens Urban Area within the Attica Basin.
The new museum has proved considerably popular; almost one million people visited during the summer period June–October 2009 alone.
The length of Athens's commuter rail network extends to , and is expected to stretch to by 2010. ==== Tram ==== Athens Tram is operated by STASY S.A (Statheres Sygkoinonies S.A) which is a subsidiary company of OASA (Athens urban transport organisation).
It has a large financial sector, and its port Piraeus is both the largest passenger port in Europe, and the second largest in the world. The Municipality of Athens (also City of Athens), which actually constitutes a small administrative unit of the entire city, had a population of 664,046 (in 2011) within its official limits, and a land area of .
The Athens Urban Area or Greater Athens extends beyond its administrative municipal city limits, with a population of 3,090,508 (in 2011) over an area of .
According to Eurostat in 2011, the functional urban area (FUA) of Athens was the 9th most populous FUA in the European Union (the 6th most populous capital city of the EU), with a population of 3.8 million people.
The densely built up urban area of the Greek capital sprawls across throughout the Attica Basin and has a total population of 3,074,160 (in 2011). The Athens Municipality forms the core and center of Greater Athens, which in its turn consists of the Athens Municipality and 40 more municipalities, divided in four regional units (Central, North, South and West Athens), accounting for 2,641,511 people (in 2011) within an area of .
They together with the regional unit of Piraeus (Greater Piraeus) make up the dense Athens Urban Area which reaches a total population of 3,090,508 inhabitants (in 2011).
As Eurostat the FUA of Athens had in 2013 3,828,434 inhabitants, being apparently decreasing compared with the pre-economic crisis date of 2009 (4,164,175) The municipality (Center) of Athens is the most populous in Greece, with a population of 664,046 people (in 2011) and an area of , forming the core of the Athens Urban Area within the Attica Basin.
As Eurostat the FUA of Athens had in 2013 3,828,434 inhabitants, being apparently decreasing compared with the pre-economic crisis date of 2009 (4,164,175) The municipality (Center) of Athens is the most populous in Greece, with a population of 664,046 people (in 2011) and an area of , forming the core of the Athens Urban Area within the Attica Basin.
Athens welcomed more than 5 million tourists in 2018 and 1,4 million of them were "city-breakers" (in 2013 the city-breakers were only 220.000). === Transport === Athens is the major transportation hub of Greece.
In 2014, the airport handled 15,196,369 passengers, an increase of 21.2% over the previous year of 2013.
According to data from 2014, Athens as a metropolitan economic area produced 130 billion US-dollars as GDP in PPP, which consists nearly a half of the production for the whole country.
In 2014, the airport handled 15,196,369 passengers, an increase of 21.2% over the previous year of 2013.
The Athens Stock Exchange, the only in Greece, has been severely hit by the Greek government-debt crisis and the decision of the government to proceed into capital controls during summer 2015.
Greece attracted 26.5 million visitors in 2015, 30.1 million visitors in 2017 and over 33 million in 2018, making Greece one of the most visited countries in Europe and the world, and contributing 18% to the nation's Gross Domestic Product.
The Greek Government, aided by the EU, has funded major infrastructure projects such as the state-of-the-art Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport, the expansion of the Athens Metro system, and the new Attiki Odos Motorway. Athens was voted as the third best European city to visit in 2015 by European Best Destination.
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center, inaugurated in 2016, will house the National Library of Greece and the Greek National Opera. Restaurants, tavernas and bars can be found in the entertainment hubs in Plaka and the Trigono areas of the historic centre, the inner suburbs of Gazi and Psyrri are especially busy with nightclubs and bars, while Kolonaki and Exarchia have more of a cafe and restaurant scene.
The city also ranked 35th in Digital Security, 21st on Health Security, 29th on Infrastructure Security and 41st on Personal Security globally in a 2017 The Economist Intelligence Unit report.
As a whole the economy of Athens and Greece has been severely hit with today's data showing a change from long recession to growth of 1.4% in 2017. Tourism is also a great contributor for the economy of the city, which is considered as one of the top destinations in Europe for city-break tourism and is also the gateway for excursions to the islands or the mainland.
Greece attracted 26.5 million visitors in 2015, 30.1 million visitors in 2017 and over 33 million in 2018, making Greece one of the most visited countries in Europe and the world, and contributing 18% to the nation's Gross Domestic Product.
As of 2017, its network consists of about 322 bus lines which span the Athens Metropolitan Area, with a fleet of 2,375 buses buses and trolleybuses.
Greece attracted 26.5 million visitors in 2015, 30.1 million visitors in 2017 and over 33 million in 2018, making Greece one of the most visited countries in Europe and the world, and contributing 18% to the nation's Gross Domestic Product.
Athens welcomed more than 5 million tourists in 2018 and 1,4 million of them were "city-breakers" (in 2013 the city-breakers were only 220.000). === Transport === Athens is the major transportation hub of Greece.
The airport accommodates 65 landings and take-offs per hour, with its 24-passenger boarding bridges, 144 check-in counters and broader main terminal; and a commercial area of which includes cafés, duty-free shops, and a small museum. In 2018, the airport handled 24,135,736 passengers, a huge increase over the last 4 years.
A 2019 crime index from Numbeo places Athens at 130th position, rating safer than Tampa, Florida or Dublin, Ireland.
According to a Mercer 2019 Quality of Living Survey, Athens ranks 89th on the Mercer Quality of Living Survey ranking. ===Climate=== Athens has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csa).
In 2021, Athens’ urban area hosted more than three and a half million people, which is around 35% of the entire population of Greece. Athens is a Beta global city according to the Globalization and World Cities Research Network, and is one of the biggest economic centers in southeastern Europe.
All text is taken from Wikipedia. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License .
Page generated on 2021-08-05