Esther's photos with the keyword: Greek

Caryatids are female figures that are act like columns for the horizontal mouldings of a building. This is a Caryatid from the Erechtheion in Athens. Her four sisters remain in Greece. Caryatids are female figures that serve as the architectural support for the entablature of a building. "On the high stylobate of the south porch of the Erechtheion are six maidens, who take the place of columns in supporting the entablature. Now severely weathered and affected by pollution, five of the caryatids were removed to the Acropolis Museum in 1978 and replaced with replicas. The other figure (the second from the left in the first row of four) was appropriated by Lord Elgin, who, between 1801 and 1805, removed about half of the surviving sculptures from the fallen ruins of the Acropolis and from the Parthenon, itself. They were acquired by the British Museum in 1816 and put on public display the following year. Between 1937 and 1938, even the British caryatid, which certainly is in better condition than its sisters, was damaged when masons abraded the surface (as well as that of some of the Parthenon sculptures) in a misguided and unauthorized attempt to brighten them for the opening of the new gallery in which they were to be displayed." penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_Romana/imperialfora/augustus/erechtheion.html AIMG 6351

St. Mark's Basilica, Venice, Italy. "The Horses of Saint Mark were installed on the basilica in about 1254. They date to Classical Antiquity; by some accounts they once adorned the Arch of Trajan. The horses were long displayed at the Hippodrome of Constantinople, and in 1204 Doge Enrico Dandolo sent them back to Venice as part of the loot sacked from Constantinople in the Fourth Crusade. They were taken to Paris by Napoleon in 1797 but returned to Venice in 1815. After a long restoration, since the 1990s they have been kept in St Mark’s Museum (inside the basilica). The horses now on the facade of the cathedral are bronze replicas." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mark%27s_Basilica en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Mark%27s_Basilica

Panagia Paraportiani in Mykonos, Greece. "The special thing about this church is that it actually consists of five small churches that were built one on top or next to the other. The church of Agios Efstathios is the centre of this complex, surrounded by the churches of Agios Anargyros, Agios Sozon and Agia Anastasia. On top of these four churches, there is the church of Virgin Mary, which looks like a dome." www.greeka.com/cyclades/mykonos/mykonos-churches/panagia-... AIMG_3668

Mykonos, Greece is one of the most popular islands for tourists in the Aegean Sea. It is known for its architecture and windmills, as well as its restaurants and sunsets. Although it encompasses an area of only 33 sq. miles, it has over 250 churches. AIMG_3665

Mykonos, Greece is one of the most popular islands for tourists in the Aegean Sea. It is known for its architecture and windmills, as well as its restaurants and sunsets. Although it encompasses an area of only 33 sq. miles, it has over 250 churches. AIMG_3678

Interior of one of the 250 Greek Orthodox churches in Mykonos, Greece. In traditional Greek Orthodox churches, a beautiful circular chandelier with depictions of the saints and apostles, called the horos, hangs beneath the dome. AIMG_3669

Interior of one of the 250 Greek Orthodox Churches in Mykonos, Greece. "The nave is the main body of the church where the people stand during the services. In most traditional Eastern Orthodox churches there are no seats or pews as in the West, but rather stacidia (A high-armed chair with arm rests high enough to be used for support while standing); these are usually found along the walls. Traditionally there is no sitting during services with the only exceptions being during the reading of the Psalms, and the priest's sermon. The people stand before God. However, many exceptions to this can be found in western countries, especially the USA, where familiarity with Catholic and Protestant churches has led to similarities in church furnishings. It is not uncommon to encounter both pews and kneelers. The walls are normally covered from floor to ceiling with icons or wall paintings of saints, their lives, and stories from the Bible. Because the church building is a direct extension of its Jewish roots where men and women stand separately, the Orthodox Church continues this practice, with men standing on the right and women on the left. With this arrangement it is emphasized that we are all equal before God (equal distance from the altar), and that the man is not superior to the woman. In many modern churches this traditional practice has been altered and families stand together." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_church_architecture AIMG_3676

This odd little restaurant/butcher shop in Mykonos, Greece featured a menu in English and tentacles drying near the entrance. ODT: Dining al fresco AIMG_3652

Mykonos, Greece is one of the most popular islands for tourists in the Aegean Sea. It is known for its architecture and windmills, as well as its restaurants and sunsets. Although it encompasses an area of only 33 sq. miles, it has over 250 churches. AIMG_3667

Mykonos, Greece is one of the most popular islands for tourists in the Aegean Sea. It is known for its architecture and windmills, as well as its restaurants and sunsets. AIMG_3648

The Erechtheion is a Greek temple near the Parthenon on the Acropolis of Athens Athens, Greece. It was built between 421 and 406 BC. and named after the legendary Greek King, Erichthonius. AIMG_3783

The Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece was built between 447 and 438 BC. It was a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena and its name comes from Athena Parthenos, or virgin Athena. AIMG_3781

The Temple of Poseidon on Cape Sounion near Athens, Greece was built between 444 and 440 BC. Cape Sounion is the spot where, according to legend, Aegeus, the king of Athens, leapt to his death off the cliff in the mistaken belief that his son had perished. The Aegean Sea was named after him. AIMG_3866

Greek Priest at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, Athens, Greece AIMG_3805

"The flag of Greece (popularly referred to as the galanolefki or the kianolefki, the "blue-white"), officially recognized by Greece as one of its national symbols, is based on nine equal horizontal stripes of blue alternating with white. There is a blue canton in the upper hoist-side corner bearing a white cross; the cross symbolizes Eastern Orthodox Christianity, the established religion of the Greek people of Greece and Cyprus. According to popular tradition, the nine stripes represent the nine syllables of the phrase "Ελευθερία ή Θάνατος" ("Freedom or Death", " E-lef-the-ri-a i Tha-na-tos"), the five blue stripes for the syllables "Έλευθερία" and the four white stripes "ή Θάνατος". The nine stripes are also said to represent the letters of the word "freedom" (Greek: Ελευθερία). There is also a different theory, that the nine stripes symbolize the nine Muses, the goddesses of art and civilization (nine has traditionally been one of the numbers of reference for the Greeks)." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_flag AIMG_3389

Oia (pronouced Ee-ah) is one of the most beautiful towns on one of the most beautiful islands (Santorini) in Greece. The Church of Panagia of Platsani was built in the mid-18th Century and is located in Oia Caldera Square in Oia, Santoriani, Greece. A circular polarizer filter was used in this shot. AIMG_3333