Savremena Senior students visited Greece this April and enjoyed touring the places such as the city of Thessaloniki, the Meteora monasteries, the ancient theatre of Epidaurus, the ancient city of Mycenae, the sacred place of Acropolis, the archaeological site of Delphi, the Serbian military cemetery Zeitenlik and many other historic sights.
Day 1 of their study trip our senior students spent in Thessaloniki touring it on a bus, while the next day they visited the Meteora and the small town of Kalambaka. After visiting these places, the students continued their trip towards Athens, more precisely towards the small town of Kineta where they were accommodated.
Touring Argolis, one of the most important regions of ancient Greece
Day 3 was devoted to trip to Argolis, which encopasses Epidaurus, the ancient theatre from 4th century B.C. and the most acoustic structure of its kind in the world, Nafplio – the first ever capital of Greece, where is a famous Venetian fortress, Mycenae – the cradle of the European culture. The students could see the Lion Gate, the Treasury of Atreus, the king’s tomb, and the megaron.
The region of Argolis was one of the most important ones in ancient times. It was at its highest point during the Mycenaean civilisation, when some powerful cities existed there: Mycenae, Tiryns, Argos and Epidaurus. This region kept its prominent position during the following periods - ancient Greece, the Hellenistic period, ancient Rome. Later, this region became a part of the Byzantine Empire, but was conquered by the Crusaders. By the middle of the 15th century the surrounding Corinth was annexed to the Ottoman Empire, and stayed under its rule until modern times. The students made a short break upon reaching the Corinth canal, and then went on to visit Nafplio, which was the Greek first capital, where there is a Venetian fortress surrounded by 857 stairs and till today it has dominated the city.
Sightseeing Athens – Acropolis, the Temple of Zeus, the Archeological Museum...
Days 4 and 5, as planned, were devoted to sightseeing of Athens, its central squares, Syntagma and Omonia, the Olympic Stadium, the Temple of Zeus, the Arch of Hadrian, the university, library and parliament. The visit to Acropolis and the Archaeological Museum, the most important museum in the world which is dedicated to Greek culture. The students could see more than 11000 exhibits, among which some of the most famous ancient statues and vases, the frescos from Santorini, valuable items and jewellery from Crete.
Oracle of Delphi and history lesson in Zeitenlik
On Day 6 our seniors visited Delphi, the archaeological site, where there used to be the home of Sibyl, the priestess of the Temple of Apollo. Delphi was considered to be the centre of the world. As of 1987 this site is included in the UNESCO world heritage list. In the evening hours, the students reached their accommodation in Thessaloniki.
On Day 7, after the tour of Thessaloniki, the group visited the Serbian military cemetery Zeitenlik. The lesson in history for Savremena seniors was held by the curator and guard of warriors’ graves – the graves of those who got killed during the battle at the Salonika front.
