One of the most enchanting islands of the Cyclades is Tinos. Although today is mainly famous for the church of the Blessed Virgin Mary (making the island the most important Orthodox centre of worship), its natural beauty and history captivates the visitor. During antiquity, Tinos was known as Ophiussa (ophis = snake in ancient greek) because the island was full of snakes. Another name attributed...
According to Herodotus, Solon the Athenian, who was renowned for his wisdom, came to the court of the king of ancient Lydia, Croesus. Solon stayed at the palace as a guest and the king showed him his enormous wealth. As he was pretty secure in his own wealth and happiness, he asked Solon the following question: “Stranger of Athens, we have heard much...
The visitors of Chalkida, the chief town of the island of Euboea in Greece, may notice a strange phenomenon while looking at the sea. The water is constantly moving while changing direction of movement. Sometimes towards the North and sometimes towards the South Evian. The Evripos strait with 39m. width, 40m. length and 8.5 m. depth is the narrow channel of water separating the...
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece and one of the highest peaks in Europe. Between the regions of Macedonia and Thessaly, Mount Olympus was declared a National Park in 1938 due to its deeply rich flora, natural beauty and of course its mythological connection. It was considered to be the residence of the 12 Greek Gods. In Homers’ Iliad, the home...
Summer is here and our brand new workshop took place at Tom’s Flagship Thessaloniki as part of the 3rd FamFiesta by Kidot. The title of our new project was “God Dionysus and the pirates” and through 3D dioramas children (4-12 years) learned about the myth of Dionysus and the transformation of the pirates. Dionysus, the god of wine, wanted passage across from Ikaria to Naxos....
The Colossus of Rhodes, by Marten van Heemskerck Legend has it that the island of Rhodes emerged from the bottom of the sea and it was given by Zeus to the God Helios as a gift. But how did the ancient Rhodians chose to honor him? By creating one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, the Colossus of Rhodes! It was a...
The Tower of Winds or just Winds (as the Greeks unofficially call it) is an octagonal 12 meter pentelic-marble tower in the Roman Agora in Athens. It was built probably around 50 BC by Andronicus of Cyrrhus. Below its frieze, we can see the eight wind deities; Boreas (N), Kaikias (NE), Eurus (E), Apeliotes (SE), Notus (S), Livas (SW), Zephyrus (W) and Skiron...
One of the most beautiful medieval cities in Greece is Monemvasia (the name derives from the words mone and emvassia meaning single entrance). Monemvasia is built on a rock 200m high, 1500m long and 600m wide. Its entrance is a bridge connecting the rock to the mainland. The town was constructed this way to avoid enemy attacks. Founded by the Lakedemons in the...
"The death of Socrates" Jacques-Louis David, Metropolitan Museum of Art The Stoa of Attalos in Athens ( a reconstructed building of around 150 B.C. ) houses the Museum of the Ancient Agora. Its exhibits are mostly connected with the Athenian democracy, as the Agora was the focus of the city's...
Thessaloniki is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Macedonia. Founded in 315 BC by Cassander and named after his wife Thessalonike, half-sister of Alexander the Great. Thessalonike was the daughter of king Philip II of Macedon and his mistress Nicesipolis. To commemorate the birth of his daughter (around 350 BC) which fell on the same day as the...
