ATHENS
 Many of the streets in Athens are filled with pedestrians and small shops. It is not uncommon for the streets to be crowded with people and pigeons. |  This church sits at a 4-way intersection in downtown Athens. It is a common resting place for shoppers. |  On the side of this church is a small alcove in which is a picture of the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus. The arch is also detailed. |
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 The Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens is unique because it was constructed with the remains of 84 churches that are no longer standing. |  The architecture of this church is representative of Greek influence. The Roman-influenced churches often had round domes, and this differs greatly from the gothic architecture of the west. |  This statue of Archbishop Damaskinos stands outside the great cathedral. He was the spiritual leader of Greece during World War II and openly protested the persecution of the Jews by the Nazis. |
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 This tiny church still stands next to the cathedral. There are strict dress codes for both men and women in Greek churches, and knees and shoulders are to be covered at all times inside the building. |  It is very common to see lights, flags and banners hanging over the streets of Athens. |  This road leads to Hadrian's Gate. Many roads in Athens have prominent landmarks and ancient ruins scattered amongst the modern buildings. |
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 This gate lies between the Acropolis and the Temple of the Olympian Zeus. It was constructed in 131 or 132 AD. |  Through the Arch of Hadrian's Gate the Acropolis can be seen. A Greek flag waves at the top of the plateau. |  There are 16 remaining arches at the Temple of the Olympian Zeus. |
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 This temple in the center of Athens took 700 years to build, and is the largest temple standing at 55.5 feet tall. |  Off to the right are two columns that stand alone. Between them is a column which fell over, but also a view of the Acropolis. |  Greece is home to 15 percent of the world's seismic activity, which causes columns like this one to fall over. |
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 The tops of the columns have intricate carvings, which are signs of Roman influence during construction. |  Just behind the temple is a garden that is under a current dig. This does not allow people to walk down into the ruins. |  Just beyond a wall behind the Temple of the Olympian Zeus lies many smaller temples. This is thought to be the inspiration for the setting of a few works by Plato. |
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 This fountain stands at the center of Syntagma Square. This is a popular city center location in Athens. |  Just behind Syntagma Square is the Parliament building. Every hour people can watch the changing of the guards ceremony. |  This large cactus was found walking through one of the parks in Athens. |
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 "You guys, they're just turtles."
"Yeah, but they're Greek turtles!"
Ten minutes were spent admiring the turtles swimming and sunbathing in the park. |  Aristotle's lyceum is an old gymnasium, library and lecture hall. |  The lyceum had pools, both warm and cool. This one would have been warm because they would have heated these stone pillars which would have heated the water. |
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 Many saints are depicted in paintings and preserved in the Byzantium museum. |  This ancient Bible lies open so people can see the beautiful pictures which accompanied the text. |  This Bible cover is ornate, as many were because it was such a sacred text. Yet, because of the few copies available only the priests would have actually read it. |
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 This ancient text is one of the books of the Bible. Before they were compiled into a book many were written in scrolls. |  This ornate alter was in a church, and behind it the eucharist would be kept. |  The Virgin Mary is an easy icon to spot because she is most often depicted holding the baby Jesus. |
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ATHENS //
DAY 3 & 4
 The view of the Acropolis in Athens from the road leading up to it. |  A church sits up a hill on the road leading to the Acropolis. |  In the ruins lies a well, which many tourists have thrown change into. |
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 Construction workers found ancient ruins underneath the ground they were building on. They remain uncovered for visitors to see. |  Some of the ruins are covered by a transparent floor, inside and outside of the museum, so visitors can walk over them. |  A church sits out front of the museum. |
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 The view of the Acropolis from the museum. |  This is a frontal view of a lego-recreation of the Acropolis. |  The lego Acropolis shows what it would have looked like in ancient Greece. |
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 The Theater of Dionysus is dedicated to the god of wine, and it sits at the base of the Acropolis. |  Next to the Theater of Dionysus is a Roman Theater. It is still used for concerts today. |  The view of Athens from the Propylaea. |
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 This elm tree stands hundreds of feet tall, stretching above the Roman Theater. |  The Propylaea is the entrance to the top of the Acropolis. |  Athens from the Propylaea. |
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 The Aereopagus was a popular place for people to speak in ancient Greece, including the Apostle Paul. |  The view of the Athenian agora, or city center, from the Acropolis. |  A cat sleeps at the Propylaea. Many cats roam the streets and the ruins of Greece. |
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 The Propylaea was a grand entrance into the Acropolis. Citizens would only go to the Acropolis on special festival days throughout the year. |  Even the roof of the Propylaea was created with columns. |  A temple is one of the first things beyond the Propylaea. |
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 The Parthenon is the main attraction atop the Acropolis. It is unique in that it is 8 columns by 17 columns, much larger than normal temples. |  This side view of the Parthenon shows much of the damage. It was victim to over 100 cannons during wars in ancient conquests. |  The Erechtheion is another temple on top of the Acropolis. It is unique in that the columns are made to look like women. They were slaves, whose job was to hold up the building. |
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 A side view of the Erechteion. It is a building on different levels because it is built on the edge of the Acropolis. |  A Greek flag waves in the wind on the Acropolis. |  An ancient doorways leading to the Propylaea. |
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 This view looks down on the Propylaea and out to the city of Athens. |  A grand church in downtown Athens |  The archaeological museum in Athens has a large collection of art. |
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 The shrubbery outside of the archaeological museum. |  This large pot depicts a funeral scene. |  This Kore, girl, statue comes from the Archaic period. |
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 This art depicts a mother and child. |  It is debated whether this statue is Zeus or Poseidon. He was holding either a lightning bolt or a trident, but it has since been lost. |  This bronze man is famous because there are very few bronze statues remaining. |
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 This statue is famous for being well-intact. Most bronze art were plundered for money. |  Kore statues take after the Egyptian cannon, which are guidelines for creating human statues. |  Kouros were the men statues from the Archaic period. |
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 Aphrodite is often depicted differently than other goddesses because she represents love. |  This is the famous statue of Aphrodite and Pan, and she is holding one of her sandals in her hand. |  This statue of Artemis is one of fertility, as she is represented with many breasts. |
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Explore the Acropolis from an aerial view
ATHENS //
DAY 23 & 24
 Greek and Olympic flags fly at the PanAthenaic stadium. |  The last time this stadium was used was for the 2004 Olympic games. |  Some of the most impressive graffiti in Athens. Almost every single building in Athens is covered. |
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 This statue stands in the agora, which is the name for the ancient city-center. |  These statues were not originally part of the agora. They were a later addition. |  A view of the agora, which sits underneath the Acropolis. |
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 The temple to Hephaestus sits off to the side. He is the god of blacksmiths, artisans, craftsmen, fire and volcanos. |  There are stoas in every corner of the agora. |  The Temple to Hephaestus is in good condition because it was not plundered. |
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 In the agora stands a statue to the emperor Hadrian. |  The view of the Acropolis from the Temple of Hephaestus. |  The temple is open, clear to the back doorway. |
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 The pediment to the temple of Hephaestus. |  The front of the Temple to Hephaestus. |  The outside layer of columns creates a walkway in the temple. |
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 The top of the temple has intricate designs. There are even crosses from when the Christians turned it into a church. |  A sculpture of horses at the museum of the Agora. |  A statue of the gods at the museum of the Agora. |
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 This statue comes from the Classical period because of the natural stance she is taking. |  A Greek flag waves outside the stoa. |  Two soldiers stand outside the stoa. |
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 This stoa in the agora was unique because even in antiquity it was two stories. Often, they were only one. |  Tourists stand outside the museum in the double stoa, near the Greek flag. |  The view of the temple to Hephaestus from the museum. |
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 The ground view looking up at the second floor of the stoa in the agora. |
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A history lesson on the ancient city of Athens
ATHENS //
DAY 34, 35 & 36
 The Pnyx, where the Athenian Democratic Assembly would meet in Athens. |  The view of the Acropolis in Athens from the Pnyz |  View of another temple from the Pnyx. |
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 The entrance to the Pnyx is uphill and through the woods. |  The view of Athens from the Pnyx. |  The Acropolis, the Areopagus, and Mount Lycabettus can be seen from the Pnyx. |
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 Students and professors climb the Areopagus, a large rock and meeting place of speakers in Ancient Greece. |  The Propylaea is clearly visible from the Areopagus. |  The base of the Areopagus has a plaque, all in Greek. The Apostle Paul is one of the more famous figures in history who spoke and was tried at the Areopagus. |
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 This Roman temple stands in the middle of Athens. |
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