Here are 10 intriguing facts about Greece-
10. To begin with, Athens, the capital of Greece, is regarded by most historians as the birthplace of democracy. In modern times, there has been some debate about whether there were rumblings of democratic structures of government elsewhere in the world before Athens. Regardless of any theories about this, Athens remains the inspiration for the democratic nations that are to come in the future. Greece was unique in its structure at the time and each of its cities had its way of doing things.
9. Many people visit Greece because it has such an interesting history. Some people don’t realize how truly ancient Greece is though. One of the fun facts of Greece is that the city of Athens has been populated for over 7,000 years. There has been no break in the chain between the past and present times.
One of the top interesting Greece facts is that its the oldest city in Europe by far and is a destination that you’ll want to visit someday.
8. Another interesting fact about Greece is that Greeks don’t call their country Greece. This is pretty weird to think about but the Greeks don’t even call their country Greece. They refer to their country as Hellas or Hellada. Its official name is the Helliniki Dimokratia or the Hellenic Republic and it has always been Hellas, even in ancient times. English-speaking people refer to it as Greece based on the term Graecia, which is Latin for the “land of the Greeks.”
7. In Greece, there are a plethora of different ancient Greek temples that you can visit today. Bear in mind that these temples are incredibly old and most of them are only remnants of structures at this point. Through years of experiencing war and being tested by the elements, many parts of these structures have been lost to time.
However, even structures such as the Temple of Poseidon in Sounion, where only a few pillars are left standing, can be a sight to behold. One remarkably well-preserved temple is the Temple of Hephaestus. It was built in the 5th century BC and still has the vast majority of its structure intact.
Visiting these ancient Greek sites is fascinating for anyone who is intrigued by ancient Greek mythology. The architectural design is undoubtedly beautiful and you’ll have a great time witnessing the majesty of these sites with your eye.
6. Greece is the birthplace of the Olympics. This is the only sort of true reality, it would be more accurate to say that Greece inspired the modern-day Olympics. Historians say that the first-ever Greek Olympics was held to celebrate a religious event in 776 BC. They were held to celebrate the highest god of Mount Olympus, Zeus.
Many of the games held in these Olympics were quite different from what people are used to seeing today. The most unusual game to modern eyes would be the sport of chariot racing. This had the potential to get bloody and dangerous. It was a spectacle that the Greeks very much enjoyed, though.
Another interesting fact for you is that the ancient Greek Olympics were performed in the nude. You’ll be forgiven for doing a double-take as most people with modern sensibilities find that either astonishing or quite funny.
5. Wearing high heels while visiting many historical sites is banned in Greece and that is because a high heel is more likely to damage important historical sites. There have been studies that show that the amount of pressure that a high heel puts on a certain point is very high. This could lead to creating cracks in the ancient stone and the Greeks take maintaining their ancient structures very seriously.
4. Greeks believe in superstition and the evil eye. Moreover, the way to ward off this evil eye is by wearing blue beads or charms. They even paint their rooftops, doors and windows blue in a bid to protect themselves from evil.
3. Greeks don’t name newborn babies till their first birthday, and the name given is often that of a senior family member. However, Greeks are also religious. So besides being named after ancestors, babies also get names of saints. And the day of the saint you’re named after is more important than your birthday.
2. Greeks love dancing so much that they have over 4000 varieties of dances coming from the different islands and regions of Greece. The most famous Greek dances include the sirtaki, hasapiko, kalamatianos, and the syrtos.
1.Did you know that Alexander The Great was Greek? He conquered many lands for the Greek Empire up to India. He also changed how you look at coins. Up until Alexander, all Greek coins bore the face of a god or goddess. However, Alexander changed that by putting his face on new coins.
So that was all for Greece!. Do let us know how did you find these facts in the comments section below!
Want to read more such interesting facts about another European country Switzerland? Be sure to check out our blog!
