There are more than 700 ancient monuments listed on the Greek Ministry of Culture website. Meanwhile, the entire territory of the country is literally dotted with interesting and often underestimated monuments. Some of them are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. We have chosen those of them, next to them you can retire, listen to the rustle of grass in the wind and calmly feel the imagination in the past. Pack your luggage and prepare for your voyage to Greece. During your trip, test Hellspin to remove your boredom and get a chance of winning the jackpot.
The Ancient City Philippi
This city was the pearl of the Macedonian kingdom and grew rich in deposits of copper, gold, and silver. Prosperity intensified with the advent of the grandiose Via Egnatia, the road that connected the eastern Roman possessions with the western. A section of this trading artery still passes through the city: you can walk on stones polished by Roman carts and sandals. The Hellenistic and Roman periods left the theater, temples, a spacious forum, and the private sector to Philippi.
After all the ups and downs, earthquakes, and attacks during the Ottoman period, the city was abandoned. Thanks to this it retained an integral architectural complex at the turn of not just centuries. Since 2016, Philippi has been listed as a UNESCO site as an outstanding example of the evolution of Hellenistic, Roman, and early Christian architecture and urban planning.
The Ancient City Dion
In the north of Greece is the religious center of the ancient Macedonian kingdom. Philip II and his son Alexander the Great celebrated their victories here. Alexander even left dedications to the gods here before a grandiose campaign in Asia.
The sights of Dion are a spacious archaeological park. It includes urban buildings of the Hellenistic and Roman eras. There can be found theaters, a market, baths, private houses, villas, and sanctuaries. You can see there not only the temples of Zeus or Demeter but the familiar inhabitants of Olympus and also the sanctuary of Isis, a tribute to the Egyptian connections of Alexander and his followers.
In addition to the sanctuaries, it is interesting to consider the structure of the bath complex. They were named the hypocaust which is the heating system under the floor. You will recognize it by the palisade of low columns. Hot air used to circulate between them.
Next to the Archeotheque is the Archaeological Museum with local finds. Do not miss an unusual exhibit which is the musical instrument hydraulics. It is an ancient organ, the oldest ever found, dating back to the 1st century BC. e. It will be several more centuries before the organs become a familiar element of the European church.
The Ancient City Eleusis
You need to go to Eleusis if you have a good imagination. Food for her sea. Here, not far from Athens, the most mysterious rituals of antiquity took place and were the most desirable for participation.
It is still unknown what exactly happened to them. Witnesses were strictly forbidden to talk about their experiences. One thing is clear: the rituals are based on the myth of the abduction of Persephone by Hades and her temporary return to earth from the realm of the dead through the efforts of mother Demeter. A story about death and rebirth.
The Archaeological Museum is located on the territory. The reconstruction is being completed in it while the collection is not available. You can see Hades Cave which leads the path to the kingdom of the dead. Some visitors touchingly leave pomegranates near the cave as a gift to the underground queen Persephone.
When traveling to or returning from Eleusis to Athens, take the chance to visit one of the marvels of Byzantine architecture and art, the Monastery of Daphne. The main treasure of the monastery is the glowing gold mosaics of the 11th-12th centuries, the heyday of Byzantium.
