Greece is a tapestry of cultures and influences, its threads spun by east and west, ancient and modern times, proud emperors and freedom fighters. It’s hardly surprising that this land, praised for its hospitality, has played host to a succession of towering civilizations: from the Egyptian and Babylonian influences evident in Crete’s Minoan civilization, to the Orthodox Christian customs developed in Byzantine era, to the pointed arches and spices that linger after 400 years of Ottoman rule, each visiting power left its mark on Greece. In 1821, Greece declared its independence from the Turkish empire, and since then, the country has worked to build a modern democracy along the sparkling shores of the Mediterranean.
The Neolithic period in Greece began around 7000 BC with the birth of a farming culture. Over thousands of years and with the influence of Middle Eastern immigrants and traders, Greek culture grew from ...more
About 11 million people live in Greece. The extremely homogeneous population is 98% ethnically Greek and 98% Greek Orthodox , but the large number of foreigners who travel in Greece each year makes ...more
Aside from being a medium for communication, the Greek language, Ellinika (Ellhnik1, eh-lee-nee-KAH) is a link to Greece’s past and a key to its continued presence in the future. During the 5th-century ...more
Greek myths simmer with spicy, titillating scandal as they explain the origins of natural phenomena and the ways of the world. The adventures of the gods and their mortal counterparts have inspired ...more
Christianity in Greece dates to the AD first century. The Apostle Paul and other missionaries were the first to spread Christianity and establish Christian communities in cities in Greece and Asia Minor ...more
Greece’s Mediterranean location lends its food a Middle Eastern flavor. Medical studies have highlighted the Greek diet as a good model for healthful eating; its reliance on unsaturated olive ...more
Greek hospitality is legendary. From your first days in the country, you may be invited to drop by a stranger’s home for coffee, share a meal at a local taverna, or attend an engagement ...more
Remnants of centuries of legendary craftsmanship abound in Greece. The number and quality of carefully crafted works that have survived to the present day attest to the importance of art in the ancient ...more
The Greek literary tradition began as rich oral poetry, long before written Greek appeared. The most famous tale-teller is Homer, who may or may not have composed the Iliad and the Odyssey in the 8th ...more
The philosophical-scientific writings of the ancient Greeks awed even the practically minded Romans. According to Hellenic tradition, the first philosopher was the 6th-century BC thinker Thales of Miletus ...more
The precise origins of Greek theater are uncertain. Tragedy is sometimes said to have grown out of competitions in which the winner received a goat, thus earning the name tragodoi (goat songs). Comedy ...more
Greece celebrates a host of religious and political holidays throughout the year. Major celebrations include the following: Date Name And Location Description ...more
Oxford History of Classical Art, by John Boardman. Oxford University Press. Details the history of Greek and Roman aesthetic innovation (2001). Cambridge Illustrated History of Ancient Greece ...more
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For 52 years, we have published the world’s favorite budget travel guides, written entirely by students and updated every year. With pen and notebook in hand and a few changes of underwear stuffed in our backpacks, we spend months roaming the globe in search of travel bargains.
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