She made an invaluable contribution to European culture. Literature, architecture, philosophy, history, other sciences, state system, laws, art and myths of ancient Greece laid the foundation of modern European civilization. Greek gods known all over the world.

Greece today

Modern Greece little known to most of our compatriots. The country is located at the junction of West and East, connecting Europe, Asia and Africa. The length of the coastline is 15,000 km (including islands)! Our map will help you find a unique corner or island, which I haven’t been to yet. We offer daily feed news. In addition, for many years we have been collecting photo And reviews.

Holidays in Greece

Acquaintance with the ancient Greeks in absentia will not only enrich you with the understanding that everything new is well-forgotten old, but will also encourage you to go to the homeland of gods and heroes. Where, behind the ruins of temples and the debris of history, our contemporaries live with the same joys and problems as their distant ancestors thousands of years ago. An unforgettable experience awaits you rest, thanks to the most modern infrastructure surrounded by pristine nature. On the site you will find tours to Greece, resorts And hotels, weather. In addition, here you will learn how and where to register visa and you will find Consulate in your country or greek visa center.

Real estate in Greece

The country is open to foreigners wishing to purchase real estate. Any foreigner has the right to this. Only in border areas do non-EU citizens need to obtain a purchase permit. However, searching for legitimate houses, villas, townhouses, apartments, correct design transactions and subsequent maintenance represent a difficult task that our team has been solving for many years.

Russian Greece

Subject immigration remains relevant not only for ethnic Greeks living outside their historical homeland. The immigrant forum discusses how legal issues, as well as the problems of adaptation in the Greek world and, at the same time, the preservation and popularization of Russian culture. Russian Greece is heterogeneous and unites all immigrants who speak Russian. At the same time, in last years the country does not meet the economic expectations of immigrants from countries former USSR, in connection with which we are seeing a reverse migration of peoples.

Greece, its mainland and islands, is a country with an amazingly rich history. It is no coincidence that it is called the land of the gods, the birthplace of philosophy, the cornerstone Western culture and, in general, the cradle of European civilization.

Ancient Greece occupies an important place in the world historical process. Its achievements largely formed the basis of European culture. Many industries modern science grew up on the basis of the works of ancient Greek scientists and philosophers. Elements of ancient Greek architecture are still used to decorate modern buildings. The epic, literature and art of Ancient Greece still attract everyone's attention and deserved admiration. A significant part of scientific terminology (especially in medicine), the names of many sciences, including even the term “history” itself, most proper names, both male and female, many words and expressions found in other languages ​​(and especially in Russian), proverbs and sayings originate from ancient Greek language.

Myself term "Ancient Greece" used to designate the Greek-speaking population during the ancient period and refers not only to the territory occupied today by modern Greece, but also to other regions inhabited in the past by Greek people, such as Cyprus, Ionia (west coast of Turkey), Sicily and southern Italy , known as Magna Graecia, as well as scattered Greek settlements along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

Modern archaeological excavations indicate that the first settlements in Greece date back to the Paleolithic era (11,000 - 3000 BC). In the 2nd century BC, Greece was home to such great civilizations as Minoan (2600-1500 BC), Mycenaean (1500-1100 BC) and Cycladic (on the islands in the center of the Aegean Sea).

The classical period of Greek history (VI-IV centuries BC) falls on the Golden Age - the most significant period in the history of the country, which gave the world the greatest scientists and artists: philosophers, historians, mathematicians, doctors, architects, poets, playwrights , sculptors.

In addition to the antagonism between the poleis, the history of Greece includes a series of continuous invasions by the Persian army, and later an attack by the Roman legions (146 BC). However, the Roman conquerors not only recognized the culture of Greece, but also became its conscious followers: thanks to the monuments of the Roman era, repeating the works of art of Ancient Greece, which have survived to this day much better than the Hellenic prototypes, we can today judge the great heritage left to us by the ancient Greeks. Moreover, Greek culture ultimately prevailed over the Roman way of life, despite the fact that it was only part of the vast Roman Empire. With the division of the empire into two parts, its eastern part, that is, Byzantine Empire with its capital in Constantinople, thanks to the dominance of the Greek language, it acquired a distinctly Greek character, existing from the 4th to the 15th centuries, until Constantinople fell to the Ottomans on May 29, 1453.

Greece was under the Ottoman yoke for almost 400 years, until 1821, when, during the national liberation struggle, the Greek people declared their independence, creating a new, independent state.

In 1833, a monarchical system was established in Greece.

In the mid-19th - early 20th centuries, Greece made enormous efforts to annex its territories that remained under the control of the Ottoman Empire. This was partially achieved thanks to participation in the Balkan Wars, as well as in the First World War, at the end of which the current situation - the strategic mistakes of the Greek government, as well as the strengthening of nationalist sentiments in Turkey - led in 1922 to Asia Minor disaster, during which 353,000 Greeks of Pontus died, and more than 1.5 million people hastily left the land on which their ancestors lived for almost 3,000 years. Thus, more than a million refugees ended up in Greece (the rest went to Russia, on the Caucasus coast).

She made an invaluable contribution to European culture. Literature, architecture, philosophy, history, other sciences, state system, laws, art and myths of ancient Greece laid the foundation of modern European civilization. Greek gods known all over the world.

Greece today

Modern Greece little known to most of our compatriots. The country is located at the junction of West and East, connecting Europe, Asia and Africa. The length of the coastline is 15,000 km (including islands)! Our map will help you find a unique corner or island, which I haven’t been to yet. We offer daily feed news. In addition, for many years we have been collecting photo And reviews.

Holidays in Greece

Acquaintance with the ancient Greeks in absentia will not only enrich you with the understanding that everything new is well-forgotten old, but will also encourage you to go to the homeland of gods and heroes. Where, behind the ruins of temples and the debris of history, our contemporaries live with the same joys and problems as their distant ancestors thousands of years ago. An unforgettable experience awaits you rest, thanks to the most modern infrastructure surrounded by pristine nature. On the site you will find tours to Greece, resorts And hotels, weather. In addition, here you will learn how and where to register visa and you will find Consulate in your country or greek visa center.

Real estate in Greece

The country is open to foreigners wishing to purchase real estate. Any foreigner has the right to this. Only in border areas do non-EU citizens need to obtain a purchase permit. However, finding legitimate houses, villas, townhouses, apartments, correct execution of the transaction, and subsequent maintenance is a difficult task that our team has been solving for many years.

Russian Greece

Subject immigration remains relevant not only for ethnic Greeks living outside their historical homeland. The immigrant forum discusses how legal issues, as well as the problems of adaptation in the Greek world and, at the same time, the preservation and popularization of Russian culture. Russian Greece is heterogeneous and unites all immigrants who speak Russian. At the same time, in recent years the country has not met the economic expectations of immigrants from the countries of the former USSR, and therefore we are seeing a reverse migration of peoples.

It never constituted one state, being from the very beginning of its history divided into a great many separate independent communities (polises). Their structure was approximately the same everywhere: each was headed by a king, and the population was divided into nobility and common people. Neighboring communities often united in fiery alliances, often under the hegemony of a city.

Some of the Greek states were located in Greece itself, while others were formed in numerous colonies in three parts of the world on the shores of the seas.

History of Ancient Greece

With the expansion of Greek trade and the development of industry, internal revolutions began to take place in the Greek states. The landowning nobility almost everywhere abolished (in the 8th and 7th centuries) royal power and established aristocratic rule, but the people were dissatisfied with it, and in many places ambitious aristocrats took advantage of this, seizing under the name tyrants power into your own hands. Over time, however, the people rebelled against the tyrants and moved to a democratic system.

Until 500, the most economically and culturally developed cities were the cities of the Asia Minor coast of the Aegean Sea, while in European Greece the most powerful state was Sparta, next to which Athens began to rise, which passed at the end of the 6th century. to a democratic system. Rivalry began between both of these states, but at one time they were still in an alliance with each other, which was of great service to all the Greeks in their fight against the Persians.

Asia Minor Greeks in the 6th century. were conquered first by Lydia, then by Persia, which began to support their tyranny. In 500 BC, the Greek colonies of Asia Minor rebelled against the Persian yoke, but were pacified, and the Persian kings, wanting to conquer European Greece, launched campaigns against them. The Greeks, however, defended their independence, and the war ended not only with the repulsion of the Persian invasion, but also with the liberation of the colonies. The leadership in this war first belonged to Sparta, but then passed to Athens, which established a large maritime power on the shores of the Aegean Sea, to the great displeasure of the Spartans. One of the consequences of the Greco-Persian wars was the general transition of main importance from Asian Greeks to European ones.

In the middle of the 5th century. Almost all of Greece belonged to two alliances - the maritime one, which was under the leadership of Athens, and land, under the leadership of Sparta. In the first, democratic forms dominated, in the second, oligarchy. In 431, a war broke out between these alliances, known as the Peloponnesian War. This civil strife among the Greeks, which lasted 27 years, caused terrible and irreparable harm to the entire nation, especially since the warring parties began to interfere with the Persians in their internal affairs. The importance of Athens, having suffered defeat, fell, and Sparta, relying on an agreement with Persia, began to rule over all of Greece, supporting oligarchy everywhere against democracy.

The period of complete decomposition of Greece began, and only in the middle of the 4th century. Thebes temporarily rose, and Athens made an attempt to resume its former alliance. Greece was terribly ruined by its civil strife and politically weakened by the rivalry of Sparta, Athens and Thebes. She took advantage of this in the middle of the 4th century. young Macedonia to intervene in the affairs of Greece and establish its hegemony over it. But even under Macedonian rule in individual Greek cities, the same struggle continued between the haves and have-nots, and the plans of Macedonian policy did not at all include stopping this struggle.

Being under the domination of Macedonia, the Greeks repeatedly made attempts to overthrow foreign power. With the collapse of the monarchy of Alexander the Great, Greece fell to the Macedonian kingdom, but the memories of its former independence were too vivid in it, and therefore it constantly sought to free itself from the foreign yoke. This desire manifested itself with particular force in two new unions (

Greece is of interest to almost anyone. Some are interested in the history of Ancient Hellas, some strive to visit this country, considering it the cradle of Orthodoxy, and some tourists, and they seem to be the majority, simply want to relax at the beautiful Greek beach resorts. More than 15 million tourists visit Greece every year from different countries peace.

In the 5th century BC, Greece was the center of the ecumene, the undisputed leader in the fields of art, architecture, science, mathematics, philosophy, theater and literature. Now Greece is famous for its amazing landscape, natural beauty, numerous historical monuments, as well as beautiful beach resorts.

Geography of Greece

Greece is located in southeastern Europe. In the east and northeast, Greece borders with Turkey, in the north with Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania, in the south it is washed by the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea, in the west by the Ionian Sea, and in the east by the Aegean Sea.

The total area of ​​Greece is almost 132 thousand square kilometers, including islands (approximately 20% of the territory of Greece are islands), and the total length of the state border is 1,228 km.

A significant part of the territory of Greece is occupied by mountains. Moreover, the highest of them is the famous Mount Olympus in Thessaly (2,917 m).

There are approximately 3,053 islands in Greece. The largest Greek islands are Crete in the Mediterranean Sea and Euboea in the Aegean Sea.

Capital

The capital of Greece is the ancient city of Athens, which is now home to more than 5 million people. This city was founded approximately 3,500 years ago.

Official language of Greece

The official language of Greece is Greek, which is a branch of the Indo-European languages. The first archaeological evidence of the existence of the Greek language dates back to the 15th century BC.

Religion

About 97% of the population of Greece consider themselves Orthodox Christians belonging to the Greek Catholic Church. According to a Eurostat poll, 81% of Greeks believe that “God exists.”

State structure

Greece is a parliamentary republic in which the head of state is the President (he is elected by Parliament). The current Greek Constitution was adopted relatively long ago, in 1975.

Legislative power in this country belongs to the unicameral Parliament (300 deputies).

Main political parties– liberal “New Democracy”, left “Panhellenic Social Movement”, “Coalition of the Radical Left”, “People's Orthodox Appeal”, and “Communist Party of Greece”.

Climate and weather

In the coastal regions of Greece (Athens, Cyclades, Dodecanese, Crete, Peloponnese and part of Central Hellas), the Mediterranean climate predominates (winters are mild and humid, and summers are dry and hot).

The mountainous regions of northwestern Greece (some of Epirus, Central Greece, Thessaly and Western Macedonia), as well as the mountainous Peloponnese, including Achaia, Arcadia and Laconia, have an alpine climate with heavy snowfall.

Inland central Greece, Central Macedonia, Eastern Macedonia and Thrace have a temperate climate.

In July, the average air temperature in Athens is +28.7C, on the island of Corfu – +27.8C, and on the island of Rhodes – 26.8C.

Sea in Greece

Greece is washed by the waters of the Ionian (in the west), Mediterranean (in the south) and Aegean (in the east) seas. The total coastline is about 17,000 km. Approximately 85% of the population of all Greece lives in coastal areas (up to 50 km from the coast).

Sea water in Greece amazes and surprises all tourists. Its deep Blue colour This is due in part to the reflection of the blue sky and the fact that it does not contain much solid matter (such as plankton, dirt and dust).

There are about 450 species of fish and 12 species of cetaceans in the Greek seas.

There are about 3,053 islands in Greece. The largest of them are Crete in the Ionian Sea, Euboea in the Aegean Sea, and Corfu in the Ionian Sea.

Average sea temperature in Greece:

• January - +15C
• February - +14C
• March - +14C
• April - +15C
• May - +18C
• June - +22C
• July - +24C
• August - +25C
• September - +23C
• October - +21C
• November - +19C
• December - +16C

The average water temperature near the island of Crete in May is +19C, in August - +25C, and in October - +23C.

Rivers and lakes of Greece

Despite the fact that a significant part of the territory of Greece is occupied by mountains, this country also has many rivers. In ancient times, the Greeks believed that rivers belonged to the world of the gods and worshiped them as separate deities.

The most big rivers in Greece - Alyakmon (297 km), Aheloos (217 km), and Mesta (230 km).

Perhaps tourists will be interested in Greek lakes, among which we highlight Trichonis, Volvi, and Vegoritis.

History of Greece

Greece marked the beginning of European civilization. The Greek city-states of Athens, Corinth and Sparta only joined forces when they were threatened by Persian invasion.

In the 5th century BC. Athens was the political, economic, and, of course, cultural center of the Mediterranean. Then Sparta, led by Alexander the Great, received a dominant role over the Greek lands. At this time, the Greeks defeated the Persians and spread their influence over vast territories, right up to India.

In 146 BC. Greece was conquered by the Roman Empire. In 395 AD, after the collapse of the Roman Empire, Byzantium (officially the Eastern Roman Empire) was formed, with Constantinople (modern Istanbul) as its capital.

In 1453, the Byzantine Empire was liquidated, and the territory of modern Greece came under the rule of the Ottoman Empire. For the next 350 years, Greece was part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire.

As a result of the liberation war of 1821-1829, Greece finally gained independence. In 1833, Otto from Bavaria became king of Greece. The monarchy in Greece (from 1863 the Greeks were ruled by the Danish royal family) lasted until 1973.

After World War II, Greece plunged into civil war, until the right-wing monarchists won in 1954. From 1967 to 1974, Greece was ruled by the so-called. "black colonels".

In 1981, after years of consultations, Greece became a member of the EU.

Greek culture

Greek culture begins with the Mycenaean and Minoan civilizations (for example, 2000 BC). After this, there was a period in the history of Greece that historians call the classical period. At this time, Greek culture was formed, which began to influence neighboring peoples. In general, Greece is the birthplace of humanity, and in one way or another Greek culture has influenced a huge number of countries. The successors of Greek culture are Ancient Rome and the Byzantine Empire.

In the Middle Ages, the culture of Greece was greatly influenced by the Ottoman Empire. But this is understandable, because... For about 350 years, Greece was just one of the provinces of the Ottoman Empire.

It was in Ancient Greece that science was born. Modern philosophy, mathematics and astronomy are based on the knowledge gained by the ancient Greeks.

The most famous ancient Greek philosophers are Aristotle, Plato, Diogenes, Crates of Athens, Diogenes and Socrates.

The most famous ancient Greek mathematicians are Archimedes, Pythagoras, Democritus and Euclid.

The Greeks are very superstitious; they believe not only in God, but also in supernatural forces. Until now, the Greeks take the myths of Ancient Greece seriously. Moreover, every region of Greece, every village, every island has its own superstitions and traditions.

Greeks will never personally hand over a knife to a person who asks them for it, but will simply place it, for example, on a table. It is believed that if you give someone a knife, you will have to fight with that person.

The most popular Greek folk (and very often religious) holidays are Epiphany, Gynecocracy, Tsiknopempti (Meat Thursday), Clean Monday, Annunciation, Good Friday, Easter, Remembrance Day of the Pontic Genocide, Trinity, Polytechnic and Nativity.

If two Greeks say the same words at the same time, they will definitely touch some red object, otherwise it is believed that they will fight and become enemies. History is silent about where this superstition came from.

Greek cuisine

We definitely advise tourists to visit local restaurants in Greece and enjoy Greek cuisine. The variety of dishes, as well as their taste, make Greek cuisine unique. Feature Greek cuisine - the use of olive oil in absolutely every dish.

Also, Greeks usually use a lot of vegetables and spices when preparing food. However, the spices are mild enough that there is no need to worry about too much heat.

We all know Greek salad and moussaka. However, these dishes are only a prelude to real Greek cuisine. Each region of Greece, each island has its own dishes and methods of preparing them. Therefore, the taste of moussaka on the island of Corfu will be completely different from that of moussaka on the Dedecanese islands.

We definitely advise tourists in Greece to try the bean soup “Fasolada”, shrimp fried on butter, “souvlaki” (kebabs on wooden sticks), fish fillet in Greek, flatbread with meat, potatoes and tomatoes “gyro”, “fritta” of vegetables with “zazyki” sauce, as well as fish soup"kakavia".

The ancient Greeks considered wine to be the drink of the gods, and in modern Greece this alcoholic drink is extremely popular. True, the ancient Greeks diluted wine with spring water, but modern Greeks for some reason forgot this, generally very useful, tradition.

The most famous Greek strong alcoholic drinks are tsipouro (also called tsikoudia or raki), with a strength of 38-47% alcohol, ouzo (aniseed vodka with a strength of 40% alcohol), and Metaxa brandy.

Sights of Greece

Greece ranks first in the world in terms of the number of attractions (in second and third places are Italy and Bulgaria, respectively). Therefore, we will highlight, in our opinion, the ten best attractions in Greece, although in fact there are many more.

Top 10 best attractions in Greece:

Cities and resorts

The largest Greek cities are Athens, Piraeus, Patras, Thessaloniki, and Heraklion.

The coastline in Greece is 13,676 kilometers, which means that there are a huge number of beautiful beaches with crystal clean water which are surrounded by cliffs with pine and palm trees.

The most popular beach resorts in Greece are Athens, Santorini, Mykonos, Corfu, Rhodes, Kos Island, Chania and Halkidiki peninsula.

Souvenirs/shopping

• Greek shoes (in particular, handmade sandals).
• Gold jewelry.
• Folk talismans that “ward off the evil eye.”
• Bouzouki (baglama) is a small stringed musical instrument.
• CDs of Greek folk music.
• Olives, olive oil.
• Greek cheese.
• Kitchen utensils.
• Alcoholic drinks - ouzo, tsipuro (tsikudya or raki) and Metaxa brandy.

Office hours

Bank opening hours:

Mon-Thu: 08:30-14.30
Fri: 08:30-14.00

Banks on the larger islands are generally open during the afternoon to cater to tourists.

Stores in Greece are open from Monday to Saturday, starting at 9:00 (in summer - from 8:30)

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