Overview
European civilisation owes its origin to the legendary country of Greece. The country was segmented into some of the greatest city-states known to humanity – Athens, Sparta, and Corinth. However, they were constantly fighting each other in order to establish their stranglehold in the region. It was the threat of Persian invasion that united these great city-states into one Greece.
The capital city, Athens, became cultural capital of the Mediterranean during 5th Century BC and some of the finest works related to the fields of sculpture, art, literature, and architecture came out of the city and established their supremacy in the entire region.
The modern Greece is no different than modern Europe, except for its splendid historical glory that reflects in the carefully preserved places of significance. The entire country is dotted by Greece’s rich historical remnants. Some of the best-known ones include Delphi’s Temple of Apollo, Athens’ Parthenon, and the ruins on Crete of the Minóan city of Knossós.
The placid blue waters of Aegean play host to over 1,400 Greek islands having a unique story of their own. The largest island in this cluster in Crete. Where the clam and picturesque island of Skópelos displays its unmatched beauty, at the same time, there’re Mykonos and Páros, infamous for their hedonistic parties where the worship of Dionysus (God of Revelry) is still observed with all the fanfare including house music and beats of garage.
Better know as the country to host the first modern Olympic Games (Athens) in 1896, the city of Athens was also awarded and successfully hosted the Games in 2004.
Till 1830, Greece was under the rule of Turkish Ottoman Empire. However, the baggage of past still haunts the relationship between the two neighbours. The major dispute between the two relates to the settlement of Northern Cyprus dispute. However, the volatile situation is now under control with Greece-controlled Cyprus region getting EU membership in 2004, and Greece lending support to Turkish application for EU membership.