ATHEN I :


I INTRODUCTION Athens, city in south-east Greece, capital and largest city of the country. Situated on the Attic plain on the Greek mainland, it is surrounded by mountains on three sides, the most important of which are Pلrnis, Pendéli, and Hymettus (Imittَs). Two minor streams, the Kifisَs River in the west and the Illisَs River in the east, flow through the city. With its port, Piraiévs, or Piraeus, which is located about 8 km (5 mi) to the south-west on the Saronic Gulf (an inlet of the Aegean Sea), it forms a unified metropolitan region. Athens dominates the economic, cultural, and political life of Greece.


II THE CONTEMPORARY CITY A large portion of Greece's industrial activity is concentrated in and around Athens. Manufactured goods include textiles, alcoholic beverages, soap, flour, chemicals, paper products, leather, and pottery. Publishing, banking, and tourism are also important to the economy. The city is also the hub of the national transport network.
At the heart of the modern city is Constitution Square, on or near which are found the Parliament Building and several museums. Although most of the city dates from after the mid-19th century, important works of antiquity remain. The most prominent and famous landmark is the Acropolis, a flat-topped hill on which stand the remains of the Parthenon and several other important buildings erected in the 5th century BC.
Among the city's institutions of higher education are the National Capodistrian University of Athens (1837), the National Technical University of Athens (1836), and schools of art, business, and agriculture. Athens has numerous museums, including the National Archaeological Museum, the Byzantine Museum, the Acropolis Museum, and the Benaki Museum, with their notable collections.


III HISTORY The Acropolis of Athens has been inhabited since Neolithic times. As early as 1400 BC it was fortified in the manner of Mycenae, Tiryns, and other late Bronze Age citadels. At that time and in the subsequent “dark age” (1200-900 BC) that followed the Dorian invasions, Athens was one of a number of petty states in Attica.

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