It is evident that Greece will be the centre of attention for the next months if not years, due to the economic crisis that has hit the Mediterranean country since the global economic crisis in 2008. Because of this I though I'd write about the capital's central Metro Station, in Syntagma Square, where all the riots take place. This is an important place, seen as one of the reasons for Greece's economic downfall, i,e, the establishment of the Metro system in the Greek capital due to the Olympic Games of 2004.
Needless to say that once you start digging in the centre of Athens you will most probably hit on something of historical value. As a result, in an unprecedented move, teams of archaeologists worked alongside the metro engineers for years in what became not only Athens' first subway, but also the largest archaeological excavation in the city's history. Tens of thousands of artefacts were discovered and the end result is both a greater knowledge of Athens' buried history and metro stations which double as museums.
Syntagma Square is the stop for the Greek Parliament and the city's centre. In ancient times this area lay outside the city's walls; it was a natural location for cemeteries. The station, which is also a museum, exhibits several finds, including grave goods and ancient Greek plumbing. Visitors can clearly see the myriad layers of human history at this site, including Byzantine, Roman, ancient Greek and finally prehistoric periods. Also the open grave of the ancient necropolis which existed here originally is evident. However it does not only have ancient monuments, it is a place where many exhibitions take place, making it a cultural centre, combining the ancient and the modern!
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