The history of Greek jewellery dates back to the earliest time of prehistory. Masterpieces of exceptional fineness and art found in Crete and other islands where the Minoan civilization flourished leave us amazed by the findings of Mycenae. The Persian Wars Greece suffered from fortunately do not actually touch the level of high culture, because arts remained enhanced in Greek cities. By the end of this period mainly in Greece we encounter again a few handmade jewellery which belong to the high art.

After the conquests of Alexander the Great both gold and precious and semiprecious stones were abundant. As a result, the Greek jewellery not only was enriched in terms of projects but also for the first time it was made by precious and semiprecious stones.

The Greek jewellery will be at its height of grandeur during the heyday of the Byzantine Empire. The profession of jeweller was one of the most noble in the Byzantine era and its exercise was regulated by specific laws.

The fall of Constantinople in 1453 BC marked the fall of the Byzantine Empire and the art of silversmithing faced extremely difficult circumstances but managed to keep alive and in the 17th-18th century it witnessed new blossom. Silversmith centers emerged in many parts of Greece and the lack of gold was replaced by silver and bronze.

Sources of inspiration for both jewellery and costumes of the post-Byzantine period were the motifs of ancient Greek art enriched with symbols of Byzantium, such as the two-headed eagle, the Byzantine architecture and nature.

From 1950, the Greek argyrochrysochoiki art (art of silversmithing and goldsmithing) managed to establish a very strong presence both in the art of jewelry and in business thanks to talented craftsmen and restless entrepreneurs.

The Acropolis of Athens is an ancient citadel located on a high rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the Parthenon. The word acropolis comes from the Greek words Άκρον (akron, "edge, extremity") and πόλις (polis, "city"). Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as "The Acropolis" without qualification.

While there is evidence that the hill was inhabited as far back as the fourth millennium BC, it was Pericles (c. 495 – 429 BC) in the fifth century BC who coordinated the construction of the site's most important buildings including the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion and the temple of Athena Nike. The Parthenon and the other buildings were seriously damaged during the 1687 siege by the Venetians in the Morean War when the Parthenon was being used for gunpowder storage and was hit by a cannonball.

The Acropolis was formally proclaimed as the preeminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage list of monuments on 26 March 2007.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acropolis_of_Athens

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The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on its feet, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It also lies on the archaeological site of Makrygianni and the ruins of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens.

The museum was founded in 2003, while the Organisation of the Museum was established in 2008. It opened to the public on June 20, 2009.
Nearly 4,000 objects are exhibited over an area of 14,000 square metres.

www.theacropolismuseum.gr

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acropolis_Museum

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The Odeon of Herodes Atticus is a stone theatre structure located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens.

ANCIENT TIMES: It was built in 161 AD by the Athenian magnate Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. It was originally a steep-sloped theater with a three-story stone front wall and a wooden roof made of expensive, cedar of Lebanon timber. It was used as a venue for music concerts with a capacity of 5,000. It lasted intact until it was destroyed and turned into a ruin by the Heruli in 267 AD.

MODERN TIMES: The audience stands and the orchestra (stage) were restored using pentelic marble in the 1950s. Since then it has been the main venue of the Athens Festival, which runs from May through October each year, featuring a variety of acclaimed Greek as well as International performances.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odeon_of_Herodes_Atticus

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Plaka is the old historical neighbourhood of Athens, clustered around the northern and eastern slopes of the Acropolis, and incorporating labyrinthine streets and neoclassical architecture. Plaka is built on top of the residential areas of the ancient town of Athens. It is known as the "Neighbourhood of the Gods" due to its proximity to the Acropolis and its many archaeological sites. The name "Plaka" was not in use until after the Greek War of Independence.

Plaka was developed mostly around the ruins of Ancient Agora of Athens in an area that has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. During the years of Ottoman rule, Plaka was the known as the "Turkish quarter of Athens", and the seat of the Turkish Voevode (Governor). During the Greek War of Independence, Plaka like the rest of Athens, was temporarily abandoned by its inhabitants because of the severe battles that took place in 1826. The area was repopulated during the first years of King Otto's rule.

Plaka is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists around the year, and is under strict zoning and conservation regulations, as the only neighborhood in Athens where all utilities (water, power, cable television, telephone, internet, and sewage) lie underground in fully accessible, custom-made tunneling.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaka

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Monastiraki (literally little monastery) is a flea market neighborhood in the old town of Athens, Greece, and is one of the principal shopping districts in Athens. The Flea Market at Monastiraki draws visitors eager to sample anything from the modern to the ancient, all in less than one square mile. The area is home to clothing boutiques, souvenir shops, and specialty stores, and is a major tourist attraction in Athens and Attica for bargain shopping. The area is named after Monastiraki Square, which in turn is named for the Church of the Pantanassa that is located within the square. The main streets of this area are Pandrossou Street and Adrianou Street.

The Monastiraki Metro Station, located on the square, serves both Line 1 and Line 3 of the Athens Metro.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monastiraki

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Psiri is a gentrified neighbourhood in Athens, Greece, today known for its restaurants, bars, live music tavernas, and small number of hotels.

Until the early 1990s, Psyri had a dangerous reputation, but it has now become one of the most fashionable and trendy choices in the centre of Athens for accommodation, entertainment and food hospitality.

The central square of Psyri is called "Heroes square" (plateia Iroon), because the streets leading to it carry names of heroes (Karaiskakis, Miaoulis). In the era of the 'old Athens' (namely, during the last quarter of the 19th century), the nickname "plateia of Heroes" was a derisive reference to koutsavakides (κουτσαβάκηδες), who used it as their hangout.

Lord Byron was accommodated in the neighbourhood during his stay in Athens and here is where he wrote the poem "Maid of Athens". The most famous Greek inhabitant of Psiri was Alexandros Papadiamantis who lived in the area for more than two decades

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psyri

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