On August 29, 1999, I was officially moving to Athens in order to study Law. A hot, wild summer had proceeded that day and I was face to face with so many challenges that were totally new to me. For the first time, I was called upon to live alone, in my own apartment, which ended up being my "nest" for the next 17 years of my life. 

The good thing is that I was very familiar with Athens. Due to the fact that I am from Corinth (the nearest city to Athens, not including the cities of Attica as Megara or Eleusina) and that my older brothers lived, worked and studied in Athens before me, I had spent a lot of time in Athens already from a really young age. 

However, I wasn't familiar with downtown Athens at all. My brothers lived in Palaion Faliro and later Glyfada, so for a boy who was raised by the sea, Southern Athens looked really cool and cozy! Couldn't say the same for my apartment in the heart of Athens though; well, not at the beginning anyways! 

I can still clearly recall an Athenian friend of mine calling that Sunday evening, asking me to go out for a drink. My response was furious, "Are you kidding me? This city of concrete is DEAD. Go where?" 

Whoever has spent a single day of his/her life in downtown Athens during August, can probably feel the pain I was going through that day. Plus, I had to start decorating my new apartment. 

My friend was like, "OH!!! Shut up big boy! Let's go to Plaka." That was it, a relationship of ETERNAL LOVE AND ADMIRATION was about to start. 

Source: Athens Guide 

Introducing Plaka

Since then, Plaka became my favorite place on earth. I think I have more memories from this place than any other in the world. For that matter, my VERY FIRST post on Steemit took place in Plaka, more specifically in Brettos Bar! 

Source: Brettos Plaka 

So, it wouldn’t be much of an exaggeration to say that the oldest district of all Europe, Plaka, might be one of the most unique, beautiful and historic neighborhoods on earth (to me at least). Also known as the “Neighborhood of the Gods,” Plaka lies right under the cradle of Western civilization, the Acropolis. 

Source: Discover Greece 

Plaka is filled with many archaeological monuments and sites spanning millennia.  It’s also thought that it has been continuously inhabited for nearly three thousand years, which of course makes it one of the most ancient continuously active neighborhoods in the world today. 

Source: Today I Found Out 

It includes the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Arch of Hadrian, which is one of the many “gates” that lead to Plaka. It also features the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates, the first monument in history built in the Corinthian order in its exterior, while almost two thousand years later it would become the place where Friar Francis would plant in its gardens the first ever tomato plants in Greece.

Source: Commons Wikimedia 

Not too far from there at the Roman Agora of Athens, you can see the Tower of the Winds, which was the first clock tower and weather station in history. The most impressive and well-preserved monument that you can see in the area, however, is undoubtedly the temple of Hephaestus, aka Theseion, which also happens to be the name of the specific spot. 

Source: Commons Wikimedia 

Next up we have the Theater of Dionysus, which lies in the shadow of the Parthenon, and is considered to be the most ancient theater in the world.

Last, but not least on the long list of historical sites you can see in this neighborhood, there’s one of the best preserved ancient theaters in the world today, the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Festivals are still organized and conducted in this theater every summer with some of the most important artists performing there throughout the years including Yanni, Maria Callas, Andrea Bocelli, and Luciano Pavarotti, among others. 

Odeon of Herodes Atticus Voted Second Best Theater in the World (Source)

Unique Architecture 

The diverse architecture in this area is a result of centuries of activity. Numerous ancient Greek and Roman monuments mix with neoclassical buildings of the nineteenth century and Byzantine churches, some of them going back to the tenth and eleventh century AD. 

Source: Wikipedia 

Source: eie.gr

Then, of course, there is the famed Anafiotika. This miniature version of a small Cycladic island, located just below the sacred rock of the Acropolis, gives the area a surrealistic character, giving the impression that you are on an Aegean island like Mykonos, when in reality you are in downtown Athens.  

Source: Toc

All this, however, can be explained historically. Some of the very first residents of this neighborhood, a few years after Greece regained its freedom from the Ottomans, were from the Greek island of Anafi, a small Cycladic island from which this little graphic neighborhood of Plaka takes its name. 

The best craftsmen in the country were brought to the capital by King Otto to build his palace. Homesick and depressed at the beginning, the immigrants from Anafi decided to build their own space in Plaka, and to be more specific, they brought a piece of their island to the city. 

Bonus Facts

Plaka’s main street, named Adrianou Street, is thought to be the most ancient, still active, street in the world. Some of the people who have walked on it, among others, include Alexander the Great, Socrates, Plato, Irene of Athens, and Pericles. It's now one of the most popular touristic streets in all Greece, full of souvenir shops and restaurants. 

Source: Avant Garde 

Along with the much more ancient structures, Plaka also offers relatively modern (19th century) mansions, built as the area was experiencing something of a renaissance with many Athenian families deciding to build beautiful neoclassical mansions, many of which are still around today.

Source: in2life.gr

Source: Τi Les Tora 

Some of the most decorated modern Greek artists, writers, and philosophers have lived in Plaka including Nobel Laureates in literature Giorgos Seferis and Odysseas Elytis, legendary Greek poet  Kostis Palamas, the man who wrote the words to the Olympic Hymn, and legendary actress Melina Mercouri, the first Greek woman to win the award for Best Actress at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival.

For that matter, one of the most popular coffeehouses (if not THE most popular) in Plaka is named Melina after her. According to formal estimations, it is believed that @tkappa has spent over 70.000 hours there in the past 18 years!!!!

Source: nou-pou

Plaka has some of the best open air cinemas in the world, with, according to CNN, Cine Thission taking the top spot. However, @tkappa suggests (as most locals who know better) that Cine Paris right in the HEART of Plaka is by far superior ;) 

Source: Athinorama 

Source: Greek Reporter 

Source: It was my ex's favorite spot! Booohoooo!!!!!!

This article is written by me and was originally published at my blog theo-cracy.com and Today I Found Out in 2014.

References:

Plaka, Athens 

A tour around Plaka (Including pictures) 

Plaka - The Neighborhood of the Gods - Today I Found Out (Written By Me)