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| Information
for the visitor of the Olympics 2004 in Athens |
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| The City of Athens |
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Few cities in the world can boast continuous
habitation dating back from the Neolithic Times. The City of Athens has
a long and rich history, holding a prominent place in Greek history and
mythology and in the hearts and minds of millions of people around the
World. |
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| Athens was selected as the
host city of the 2004 Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland on 5 September
1997. On that same day, the Host City Contract for the Games of the XXVIII
Olympiad was signed. |
These events marked the beginning of
a unique journey in the history of Olympism that will culminate in Greece
from 13 to 29 August 2004. The Games are returning home to the country
that gave birth to the Olympic celebration more than 2,000 years ago and
the city that staged the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. The Athens
Olympic Games will combine history, culture and peace with sports and
Olympism. The people of Greece shall host unique Games on a human scale,
inspiring the world to celebrate Olympic values. |
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In preparation for the 2004 Games, Athens
is changing. New development and infrastructure projects are progressing
quickly. Sports competitions will take place in clusters of venues close
to the center of Athens. Existing competition venues are being completely
renovated and new ones are being built with the aim of providing the athletes
of the world with the best possible conditions in which to compete. |
| Parallel to constructing
new venues, an extended plan to create contemporary landmarks in a city
that is already known for its ancient heritage is underway. Athens' gigantic
facelift will include the unification of all archeological sites in order
for them to be more accessible to the visitor. The residents and visitors
of the Greek capital city will be able to enjoy a "vast open Museum"
that will include all the archaeological sites and monuments of Athens,
along with the traditional districts of its historic downtown. |
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Athens' most famous monument is that of
the Parthenon on the Acropolis. Unsurpassed in beauty and sophistication
it is the largest Doric temple built in mainland Greece and is almost
entirely constructed out of Pentelic marble. The Acropolis Museum coupled
with the Archaeological Museum of Athens house unique treasures. Other
places of historical interest include: the Greek and Roman Ancient Agoras,
Keramikos which served as the cemetery of the city from Mycaenean to Roman
times, the Temple of Olympian Zeus which is the largest classical temple
in the world. It is impossible to exhaust the ancient treasures, nonetheless,
it should be noted that the major attractions of antiquity are located
within walking distance from each other. |
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| Athens reflects a unique
cultural blend resulting from the ability of the Greeks to absorb a number
of different civilizations throughout their history. The city is multi-centred,
filled with contradictions thereby offering the visitor a tremendous amount
of choices. Its identity is made up by various elements and layers from
long-standing civilisations and contrasts. For example, one can find a
mosque dating from the Ottoman times built right next to a Byzantine church
both of which are towered by the impressive Acropolis. |
| Culture however is not the only aspect by
which to measure Athens. As a receptacle of immigrants, it has proven
in recent years to be a significant collective centre for the Balkans
and the East Mediterranean. Different communities bring their own images
and stories creating a pulsating and alternating metropolitan complex. |
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The city's international character also
stems from its importance as a major centre of economic activity. Equipped
with modern facilities, including the most up-to-date airport and metro
in all of Europe, Athens is preparing itself for the Olympics. Athens
is located at the crossroads between East and West, and it is hardly a
chance circumstance that Athens has rapidly become one of the most important
cities throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. |
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| City of Athens |
| International Media Department, |
| City Hall |
| Kotzia Square, 63
Athinas St, |
| Athens 105 52, Greece, |
| Tel: (+30) 210 3722 180-2, Fax: (+30) 210 3722 302
/ 306 |
E-mail: intermedia@cityofathens.gr |
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Sources:
GNTO - The Greek National Tourism Organisation / The Hellenic EU Presidency
- eu2003.gr /ATHENS Organizing Committee 2004 |
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