Large detailed map of Athens

Description:
This map shows streets, roads, trails, buildings, hospitals, peaks, viewpoints, lighthouses, railways, railway stations, and parks in Athens.

Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece, with a population exceeding 3.7 million in the metropolitan area. The city has been continuously inhabited for over 3,400 years, making it one of the world's oldest cities. Athens is widely regarded as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, philosophy, and classical architecture.

The most iconic landmark is the Acropolis of Athens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating to the 5th century BCE. The ancient citadel contains several significant structures, including the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena, the Erechtheion with its famous Caryatid columns, the Temple of Athena Nike, and the Propylaea monumental gateway. At the foot of the Acropolis lies the Ancient Agora, the political and commercial center of ancient Athens, featuring the well-preserved Temple of Hephaestus and the reconstructed Stoa of Attalos, which now houses a museum.

The city contains numerous world-class museums. The Acropolis Museum, opened in 2009, displays artifacts from the Acropolis site. The National Archaeological Museum houses the world's finest collection of ancient Greek artifacts, including the Mask of Agamemnon and the Antikythera mechanism. The Benaki Museum covers Greek culture from prehistory to the modern era.

Other significant ancient sites include the Temple of Olympian Zeus, one of the largest temples of the ancient world, the Theatre of Dionysus, considered the birthplace of Greek drama, and the Roman Agora with the Tower of the Winds, an octagonal marble clocktower from the 1st century BCE. Hadrian's Arch marks the boundary between the ancient city and the Roman quarter.

Modern Athens features distinctive neighborhoods such as Plaka, the old historical quarter with neoclassical architecture, Monastiraki known for its flea market, and Syntagma Square, home to the Greek Parliament and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier where ceremonial guards perform regular changing ceremonies. Mount Lycabettus, rising 277 meters above sea level, offers panoramic views of the city and the Athenian basin. Athens hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 and again in 2004.