Athens is Greece’s capital and biggest city. Athens is the capital of Attica and one of the world’s oldest towns, with a known history dating back roughly 3,400 years and the first human presence dating back to the 11th–7th century BC.
Classical Athens was a great city-state that arose in tandem with the seagoing growth of Piraeus’ port. It is often regarded as the origin of Western civilisation and the birthplace of democracy, owing to its cultural and political effect on the European continent, particularly the Romans. It is home to Plato’s Academy and Aristotle’s Lyceum.
Athens is a huge cosmopolitan city that is crucial to Greece’s economic, financial, industrial, marine, political, and cultural life.
Because of its geostrategic position and prominence in shipping, finance, business, media, entertainment, arts, international trade, culture, education, and tourism, Athens is recognized as a worldwide metropolis. It is one of the most important economic centers in southeastern Europe, with a thriving financial industry, and the port of Piraeus is Europe’s largest passenger port and the world’s second largest.
The classical era’s history is still visible in the city, represented by historic structures and works of art, the most renowned of which is the Parthenon, regarded as a crucial landmark of early Western civilisation. The city also has Roman and Byzantine monuments, as well as a few Ottoman structures.
The Acropolis of Athens and the ancient Daphni Monastery are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.