#greece2025

[marcpuliscitravels]

12 Must-See Destinations in Greece for 2025

12 Must-See Destinations in Greece for 2025By Marc PulisciGreece remains one of the world’s most captivating travel destinations, an effortl

[thebrewnews]

Greece Named Guest of Honour at 44th Sharjah Book Fair

The 44th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) has announced Greece as its Guest of Honour for 2025. This milestone celebrates the rich cultural exchange between Greece and Sharjah, highlighting shared narratives in literature, philosophy, and the arts

Visit Website : https://thebrewnews.com/thebrew-news/44th-sharjah-international-book-fair-named-greece-as-the-guest-of-honour-for-2025/

[colindotpdx]

The history of Greece falls into two clear phases.

Phase One = Thank the Gods.

Phase Two = Blame the Turks.

The first phase is what you see when travelling in Greece today. A time when incestuous Greek Gods coexisted with mortal heroes who were helped and challenged to make a better world; the world of Homer and Troy and Golden Fleeces and noble pursuits and moral tales that delivered peace, wealth, and democracy. Where the Centaur Chiron (half man half horse) trained Heracles and taught mankind the science of medicine and surgery. A time that built the Parthenon and where Alexander the Great conquered an empire that stretched from Egypt to the Indus. Even when that empire fragmented and was taken by Rome (300 BC) the Greek myths had huge prestige and lived on. The Romans loved these Gods so much they just kept the temples and changed the names so Zeus became Jupiter, Eros became Cupid. Athens continued to be a centre of learning where Roman elites were educated; Rome’s Harvard. The island of Delos was the centre of Greek trade in the Aegean and the biggest slave trading hub in the world and the Romans just declared it a free-trade centre; Rome’s Singapore.

Greece was absorbed but still flourished. Until the Roman Empire crumbled and we enter the second phase where everything bad that befell Greeks was caused by Turks.

About 400AD Greece became just a backwater in Byzantium until that empire fell to the Ottomans in 1453. After another anonymous 400 years Greece clawed its way to become independent but poor and irrelevant in 1821. When the Ottomans fell after World War One, Greece attempted to exploit the vacuum to take back a lot of “ancient Greece” and were wiped out by a newly formed Turkey under Ataturk.

In Athens a couple of weeks ago there was an exhibition on the anniversary of the defeat that killed a million Greeks around Smyrna that is called the Greek Holocaust or the Greek Genocide. On that date, there were foreign navies anchored off Smyrna that were told not to intervene; on one US destroyer the band were ordered to strike up to hide the screams from shore. Greece reminds itself of this every May 19th.

So the history you see as a visitor to the Cyclades is a blizzard of white and blue houses with lovely tavernas and the occasional ancient ruin or Byzantine Orthodox church. A couple of thousand years and a lot of bad actors redacted in the interests of tourism. One lady in Sifnos told me that a grand old house in the centre of town was used by the occupying Italians in WW2 as a Gestapo headquarters is now being converted to a boutique hotel.

Snapshots from the Cyclades:

[colindotpdx]

Lord Elgin the good guy in the marbles story.

Hear me out.

In 1798 the Earl of Elgin was asked to serve as ambassador to the Ottoman Empire which then included the remains of “ancient Greece”; thirty odd years before Greece became again independent.

Elgin was an enthusiastic student of history, and he suggested the British government could take the opportunity for him to create casts and drawings of the remains in Athens and across Asia Minor. The British did not give a shit about the marbles and the government said no thanks, but Elgin started to do all the work with local artisans at his own expense anyway.

At that time the Parthenon marbles and statuary, created over centuries, were crumbling and falling from neglect; in fact much of the marble was being burned to make lime. So it was clear that the Ottomans also didn’t give a shit about the artefacts.

So Elgin spent his own cash (about five million quid in today’s money) to buy the remnants from the Ottomans in order that they should be preserved. He then carted them off in a dozen shiploads to London, built a private museum to display them, and offered again to sell them to the British government. They still didn’t give a shit and said no thanks.

When artists and poets like Bryon and Shelley started to rhapsodise about the myths and beauty and history and characters in Homer and later Roman literature, attitudes in Britain changed and Greece became fashionable. So around 1811, the government finally gave Elgin more or less what he’d spent to acquire the antiquities that are now on display at the British Museum.

So, if Elgin had not rescued those stones, they would likely never have survived.

Today the Acropolis Museum is a stunning marvel under the Parthenon looming above. Built on a series of huge concrete columns, it sits on top of archaeological excavations on the south slope of the Acropolis. On the top floor, a series of stainless steel columns replicate the dimensions of the Parthenon in view outside the windows as a full size shelf to carry the decorations from the frieze of the temple; all displayed without any glass or impediments; a closer viewing than when Pericles built the temple to Athena and these scene from mythology were 50 feet up from the devotees.

The lowest floor contains all the everyday items recovered from around the Acropolis and as you climb the floors, it’s like having a close up as you spiral around the remains and, afterwards, you walk under the museum to see the later excavated houses of everyday Athenians.

Truly brilliant.

For sure, the Elgin Marbles would fill in a few gaps but they have enough to be going on with.

[thebrewnews]

Greece Named Guest of Honour at 44th Sharjah Book Fair

The 44th Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) has announced Greece as its Guest of Honour for 2025. This milestone celebrates the rich cultural exchange between Greece and Sharjah, highlighting shared narratives in literature, philosophy, and the arts

44th Sharjah International Book Fair named Greece as the guest of honour for 2025

SIBF 2025 celebrates Greek cultural exchange, uniting Greece and Sharjah through literature, philosophy, art, and historical dialogue.

[joelekm]

Greece Is Calling: 10 Days to Reset Your Soul & Awaken the Next You | Loukas Panether

In a world increasingly dominated by artificial intelligence and digital distractions, this powerful video explores the transformative journey of healing through sacred plant medicine, guided by Lucas—a practicing shaman, holistic coach, and spiritual teacher. Through raw, heartfelt stories of Hi, I’m Lucas, and I’m leading a 10-day retreat in Greece from September 27th to October 7th. We’ll be on the beautiful island of Tinos, where we’ll experience 3 plant medicine ceremonies, a 7-day silent retreat, and a gentle detox diet. The last few days are for rest, connection, and reflection. This is a special journey for anyone who feels ready to heal, grow, and connect more deeply with themselves. If this speaks to you, I’d love for you to join. You can find more details in my Facebook group — I’m here if you have any questions.

[nova-era-gr]

Tipping in Greece: What You Need to Know!💰 #greecetravel #money #greekex...