Category: Monuments & historic sites

  • New video promotes fall travel to Greece

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    The travel season has just ended or is quickly winding down at most Greek Island tourist destinations, but there are still plenty of exciting things to see and do on mainland Greece during the fall, as this brief videoclip produced by the Greece National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) reveals. Released to the media on October 16 as part of the GNTO’s 2013-2014 promotional campaign, the video aims to encourage tourist visits to the country during the colourful autumn months.  The video was originally posted on YouTube by the popular Greek ferry and travel website, Greek Travel Pages (GTP), prior to its wide public release by the GNTO.

     

  • Pics of the day: The Poseidon temple at Sounion

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    Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion Greece

    Two of the 15 columns that remain at the Temple of Poseidon monument (below) at Cape Sounion, a peninsula 70 kilometers southeast of Athens. There originally were 42 columns in the temple, which was built around 440 B.C.

     

     

    Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion Greece

     

     

  • Pic of the day: Exploring Delos island

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    Tourists walk a path below the Temple of Isis (center left) while other Delos island visitors climb stairs to the summit of Mt Kynthos (upper left)

    Tourists walk a hillside path on Delos island (foreground) while other visitors climb steps to the top of Mt Kynthos (upper left). The monument near the center of the photo is the Temple of Isis. Click on the photo to view a full-size picture.

     

  • Pic of the day: Astipalea’s castle and windmills

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    Windmills and the Venetian Castle at Chora on Astipalea island

    The imposing Venetian Castle towers above Chora village and a row of red-roofed windmills on Astipalea island

     

  • Pic of the day: Panagia Ekatontapiliani on Paros

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    Ekatontapliani church in Parikia on Paros

    One of the most famous churches in all the Greek islands, Panagia Ekatontapiliani in the Paros port town of Parikia is more popularly known as the “Church of the 100 doors” (probably because most tourists can’t pronounce the tongue-twisting Greek name.) But depending upon where you stand when you behold this beautiful building (it was constructed during the 4th Century), you will probably see more sections of stone walls and tiled roofs than doors.

     

  • All eyes on tonight’s ‘super moon’ above Greece

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    Anthony Ayiomamitis full moon photograph

    Anthony Ayiomamitis captured this gorgeous photo of a golden full moon rising above the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion in Greece on May 5 2012. It’s the featured photo on the Astronomy Picture of the Day website.

     

    Moon event: You can be sure that a lot of people in Greece will keep looking skyward tonight as the biggest full moon of 2013 rises on its dramatic pass across the sky.

    According to the Astronomy Picture of the Day website, the exact full phase of the moon will occur at 11:32 UT, shortly before the moon reaches perigee — the closest point to Earth in the lunar orbit.

    Since this Full Perigee Moon will be the biggest and closest full moon of the year, restaurants, bars and clubs across Greece will be celebrating the big occasion with a variety of events, from quiet viewings over cocktails to special dinner menus and even some all-night-long dance parties with world-renowned DJs entertaining.

     

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  • Pic of the day: The mosque at Chania harbour

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    mosque at Chania harbour

    The Turkish mosque Yiali Tzami cuts a distinctive figure at the Venetian harbour in the city of Chania in northwest Crete. The mosque’s great dome is supported by four arches, while six smaller domes accent the top of the square building. There is no minaret — it was demolished in the early 20th Century. According to a post on ExploreCrete.com, “the mosque was a Muslim place of worship until 1923, when the last Muslims left Crete at the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey.” The building now hosts art exhibitions.

     

  • Pic of the day: Visiting Knossos Palace

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    Tourists explore the ruins of Knossos Palace near Heraklion on Crete

    Tourists explore Knossos Palace near Heraklion on Crete