Athens, Greece, is an attractive location for students studying overseas to discover. Have a look at these amazing Facts About Athens here!
It is one of the most important cities in the world of culture, art and architecture, culture, and many other things; we’ve all likely heard about Athens at some time or at a different time.
However, there are a lot of little-known facts about this historic city that could surprise you!
Facts About Athens
Here are ten interesting facts about Athens, Greece, that you might not know about:
It’s Europe’s capital city with the longest history. Athens The city’s roots go back to the year 3,000 B.C. To put the age of Athens into perspective, the initial permanent city within the United States (St. Augustine, Florida) wasn’t founded until 1565!!
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The oldest Olympic games weren’t played in the city.
Athens was the city that birthed contemporary Olympic games in 1896. But the older Olympics weren’t hosted in Athens. Greek capital.
It was also the place where democracy began. The concept of democracy.
In the year 500 B.C., a system was introduced in Athens in which citizens of the city could directly elect laws, thereby establishing democracy.
The marathon was named for the long-distance run from Athens around 490 B.C.
If you’ve ever run (or you’d like to race) an entire marathon, you’re able to thank Pheidippides – one of the Greek warriors who ran the distance from Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C. His marathon inspired the current 26.2 miles “marathon” event.
This was also the very initial European Capital of Culture.
The designation is given as such by the European Union each year; the European Capital of Culture celebrates the diversity and richness of culture throughout Europe. Athens was among the cities to be awarded the title.
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It is home to one of the country’s 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The Acropolis of Athens was constructed in 448 B.C. in honor of Athena, the Greek goddess Athena and is one of the most well-known archeological sites. It was not surprising that it earned a place on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list alongside 17 other amazing sites located in Greece.
The first plays ever staged were presented in Athens.
Athens set the bar for the performing arts and has a theatre history that spans thousands of years ago. Today, there are more than 150 theaters in Athens.
It’s among the few cities to have seen the various forms of government.
Socialism, democracy, monarchy, and communism. If you can think of that, Athens has experienced it.
The highest temperature recorded anywhere in Europe has been recorded in Athens.
On the 10th of July of 1977, The temperature in Athens set a record peak of 118.4 degF. This was the hottest temperature observed in Europe.
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Around 18 million tourists come to Athens every year.
That’s around the equivalent of six-times Athens, the total population! The Acropolis, the Parthenon, and The Temple of Olympian Zeus are just three of the numerous must-see sights that attract millions of tourists to Athens every year.
