This northwest-looking astronaut photo displays the rugged, mountainous landscape of Greece. Two major landform regions are captured in the photo - the northwest-southeast-trending Pindus Mtns. in central Greece north of the Gulf of Corinth and the Peloponnese Peninsula south of the Gulf (center of the photo). This rugged terrain caused the Greeks to become a seafaring people, second only to the Norwegians in Europe. The capital of Athens (lighter area) is barely discernible along the southern edge of the broad peninsula near the eastern edge of the photograph. Image courtesy of NASA.

The Parthenon crowns the Acropolis in Athens. The Acropolis is a citadel on a flat, high, rocky outcrop 150 m (490 ft) above sea level and is the highest point in Athens. It preserves a number of ancient structures.

Close up of the front of the Parthenon - the temple to ancient Athens' patron deity, Athena.

Another view of the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens. Built in the 5th century B.C., it is the most important surviving building of Classical Greece.

Sculpted processional riders from the marble frieze of the Parthenon.

View of the rear of the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens. The temple, dedicated to the goddess Athena, was built between 447 and 438 B.C. The Acropolis is a citadel on a flat, high, rocky outcrop 150 m (490 ft)above sea level and is the highest point in Athens. It preserves a number of ancient structures.

A view from the south of the Erechtheum temple on the Acropolis in Athens.

A close up of the Porch of the Caryatids (also known as the Porch of the Maidens) on the southern side of the Erechtheum temple on the Acropolis in Athens.

The remains of the Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion) in Athens.

Thirteen of the columns of the Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion) in Athens. Originally, 104 columns supported this massive structure, which was begun in 520 B.C. but not fully completed until A.D. 132!

Close up of some of the Corinthian columns of the Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion) in Athens.

The Temple of Olympian Zeus (Olympieion) in Athens. Construction began in 520 B.C. but was not completed until A.D. 132 in the reign of Roman Emperor Hadrian. Sixteen of the original Corinthian 104 columns survive (15 standing, one fallen). The Acropolis can be seen in the distance.

Hadrian's Arch in downtown Athens was built in A.D. 131 or 132 to honor the Roman Emperor Hadrian, possibly for restoring much of the city and completing the nearby Temple of Olympian Zeus. The Parthenon and Acropolis can be seen in the left background.

Entrance arch into the Roman Forum and Tower of the Wind in Athens. This area was used as the principal marketplace and agora by the Romans beginning in the 1st century A.D. It was a commercial and administrative center of the city until the 19th century.

The Temple of Hephaestus in the Agora or ancient marketplace in Athens is the best preserved classical temple in Greece. It was dedicated to Hephaestus and Athena. The Agora was founded in the 6th century B.C. and was the heart of the city for 1,200 years.

The Stoa of Attalos in the Agora in Athens was a 2nd century B.C. shopping mall with both arcades divided into shops. Between 1952 and 1956 the American School of Classical Studies reconstructed the building and converted it into a museum. The statues on display were once on temples in the marketplace.

The Lysikrates Monument in Athens. The Choragic Monument of Lysicrates was built in 335 to 334 B.C. to commemorate the award of first prize to one of the performances he had sponsored. It stands alongside an ancient street that once led to the Theater of Dionysus and was lined with choragic monuments. (A choregos was a sponsor who paid for and supervised the training of dramatic dance choruses.) The Lysikrates Monument is the only one still standing in part because it was incorporated within the walls of a Capuchin monastery in 1658.

The National Bank of Greece old headquarters building in Athens. The bank was founded in 1841.

The marble City Hall building in Athens was constructed between 1870 and 1874.

The National Archaeological Museum in Athens was established in 1829; the current museum building was completed in 1889. The museum has the richest collection in the world of Greek artifacts from antiquity.

The Acropolis Museum in Athens opened in 2009. Its mission is to display every artifact found on or near the Acropolis from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine times.

The Parliament Building in Athens was originally constructed as the Royal Palace in 1843. It is still on occasion referred to as the Old Royal Palace. It has served as the home of the Greek parliament since 1934.

The Presidential Palace in Athens was built between 1891 and 1897 as a royal palace. It was referred to as the New Royal Palace until the abolition of the monarchy in 1924. The building has been occupied by the president of Greece since that time.

The Orthodox Church of Panaghia Kapnikarea in downtown Athens is dedicated to Saint Mary. It was built over a pagan temple in about A.D. 1050 making it one of the oldest churches in Athens.

A statue of Melina Mercouri in downtown Athens. Mercouri was a world-famous actress who was active in the resistance movement against the military regime in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Later, during the 1980s and 1990s, she served as Minister of Culture. She was born in Athens and was sometimes referred to as the last Greek goddess.

This image includes many of the islands of the East Aegean as well as part of mainland Turkey. The largest modern city in the Aegean coast is Izmir, Turkey, situated about one quarter of the image length from the top. The city is the bright coastal area near the greenish waters of Izmir Bay and southeast of the roughly triangular-shaped island of Lesvos. The lengthy island at the bottom of the photo is Crete. North of Crete, the small broken ring of islands are the remnants of the collapsed caldera of Santorini Volcano. Image courtesy of NASA.

This view illustrates the center of Santorini Volcano, located approximately 120 km (75 mi) north of Crete in the Aegean Sea. One of the largest volcanic eruptions in the past 10,000 years occurred approximately 1630 B.C. on this island. The cataclysm created the present-day islands and caldera bay of Santorini Volcano. The caldera rim is clearly visible in this image as a steep cliff forming the western shoreline of the island of Thera, the largest of the remnant islands. The white rooftops of cities and towns also help trace the caldera rim. Image courtesy of NASA.

Houses perched on top of 300 m (980 ft) cliffs in the city of Fira on Santorini (Thera) Island in the Mediterranean Sea. The cliffs show the many layers of past volcanic eruptions. In ancient times, the island was called "Thera." In the 14th century it was named "Santorini" - in honor of Saint Irene - by the feudal crusader Latin Empire. It was renamed "Thera" in the 19th century but is still commonly called "Santorini." Fira is the principal city on the island. Santorini Island is the southernmost of the Greek Cyclades.

Houses and hotels perched on top of 300 m (980 ft) cliffs on Santorini/Thera Island. The cliffs show the many layers of volcanic eruptions over time.

Houses in the city of Fira on the island of Santorini/Thera, Greece.

View of the 400 m (1300 ft)-deep volcanic caldera off the coast of Santorini/Thera Island. In the foreground is the island of Nea Kameni. In the background is the island of Therasia. Santorini, Nea Kameni, and Therasia were separated by a volcanic eruption termed the Minoan Eruption in about 1630 B.C.

Interior view of Panathiniako Stadium, constructed for the 1896 Olympic Games in Athens.

Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens was the site of the 1896 Olympic Games. The tablets on the right list the Olympic winners.

A view of the Olympic Stadium in Athens. Constructed between 1980 and 1982, it was renovated prior to the 2004 Olympic Games. The stadium's capacity is slightly over 71,000.

The Olympic Stadium in Athens during the 2004 Olympic celebrations.

An Evzone (member of the Presidential Guard) at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Syntagma Square, Athens.

The Acropolis, a flat-topped rock about five hectares in area, overlooks the sprawling city of Athens. Various famous ruins, including the Parthenon (a temple to the goddess Athena), crown its heights.

A view of the city of Athens from the Acropolis.

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens lies on the south slope of the Acropolis. Built in A.D. 161, the structure still serves as a venue for concert performances.

The Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens.

A view of the exterior of the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens, constructed A.D. 161.

The Zappeion in Athens is used as a conference and exhibition center.

Olives from across Greece on display at an Athens market.

A view of the theater at Delphi and the remains of the Temple of Apollo. Delphi was the site of the most famous oracle in the classical Greek world.

The Lion Gate at the Late Bronze Age site of Mycenae. The archeological site is located 90 km (55 mi) southwest of Athens on the Peloponnesian Peninsula. Agamemnon, Clytemnestra, and Orestes all reputedly lived in the royal palace of the fortified city.

The monument to Leonidas and the Spartans at Thermopylae, 200 km (125 mi) north of Athens. The memorial structure celebrates a 480 B.C. battle in which a small army of Greeks, led by King Leonidas, held at bay for three days a vastly superior invading Persian force, thus allowing the main part of the Greek army to escape.

Boats docked at the island of Poros.

Harbor and ship on the island of Patmos, as seen from the shrine of St. John the Evangelist. According to tradition, it was here that the saint, living in exile from Ephesus, wrote the Biblical "Book of Revelations."

Mandraki Harbor at Rhodes, the site of a third century B.C. statue to the Greek sun god, Helios. Standing some 30 m (100 ft) high, it became known as the Colossus of Rhodes, and was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The town of Mykonos on the eponymous island in the Aegean Sea. A tourist destination of sandy beaches and diverse night life, Mykonos is well known for its many windmills.

Boats in the harbor at Mykonos.

A sailing vessel plies the sun-drenched Aegean Sea.

Located 200 km (120 mi) southeast of the mainland, the island of Santorini surrounds a sunken caldera formed by a volcanic explosion that occurred about 1630 B.C. The eruption destroyed and buried Akrotiri, a large Bronze Age Minoan seaport on the island. Excavations begun in 1967 are ongoing.

Picturesque view of Santorini Bay.

Rousanou Monastery in the Meteora region was one of 20 monasteries built on natural sandstone pillars in the 14th century by monks taking refuge from the advancing Turks. The only ingress was by ladder or rope and net.

Agio Triada Monastery is one of six remaining monasteries in the Meteora region that are listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites. Each of these monasteries is built on a natural sandstone pillar.

Grand Meteora Monastery, one of six remaining 14th-century monasteries all located near the town of Kalmbaka in the Meteora region.

Varlaam Monastery at the Meteora complex is one of six remaining 14th-century monasteries built on natural sandstone pillars.