Greece's Unesco World Heritage Sites

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MYTHICAL ROUTES HISTORICAL SERIES

GREECE'S UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES

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Table of Contents Table of Contents

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Historical Series

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Unesco Organization

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World Heritage Site

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Greek Unesco Heritage Sites

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Acropolis of Athens

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Archeological site of Vergina

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Archeological site of Delphi

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Archeological site of Mystras

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Archeological site of Olympia

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Archeological site of Philippi

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Archeological site of Mycenae and Tiryns

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Archeological site of Delos

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Medieval City of Rhodes

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Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni

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Old Town of Corfu

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Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki

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Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos

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Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus

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Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae

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Historic Center and Monastery of Saint John

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The Meteora

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Mount Athos

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Geographic coordinates

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Historical Series collection

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Motorcycle Holidays in Greece

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Bibliography & References

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Copyright Notice

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Historical Series Mythical Routes inaugural mission is to help spread the ideas and facts of Ancient Hellenic World with the broader geographical meaning throughout the international adventure and historical community.

WWW.MYTHICALROUTES.COM

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Unesco Organization The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was born on 16 November 1945. UNESCO has 195 Members and 8 Associate Members and is governed by the General Conference and the Executive Board. The Secretariat, headed by the Director-General, implements the decisions of these two bodies. The Organization has more than 50 field offices around the world and its headquarters are located in Paris.

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Idealized reconstruction of the Acropolis of Athens by Leo von Klenze

UNESCO’s mission is to contribute to the building of a culture of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development, and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication, and information.

UNESCO works to create the conditions for dialogue among civilizations, cultures, and peoples, based upon respect for commonly shared values. It is through this dialogue that the world can achieve global visions of sustainable 5 of 50

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development encompassing observance of human rights, mutual respect, and the alleviation of poverty, all of which are at the heart of UNESCO’s mission and activities.

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

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World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other form of significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity". To be selected, a World Heritage Site must be a somehow unique landmark which is geographically and historically identifiable and has special cultural or physical significance. Sites are demarcated by UNESCO as protected zones, with 193 states parties have ratified the convention, making it one of the most widely recognized international agreements and the world's most popular cultural program.

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Greek Unesco Heritage Sites Greece is the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, Western literature, historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, Western drama and the Olympic Games.

From the eighth century BC, the Greeks were organized into various independent city-states (polis), which spanned the entire Mediterranean region and the Black Sea. Philip of Macedon united most of the Greek mainland in the fourth century BC, with his son Alexander the Great rapidly conquering much of the ancient world, from the eastern Mediterranean to India.

Greece was annexed by Rome in the second century BC, becoming an integral part of the Roman Empire and its successor, the Byzantine Empire, which adopted the Greek language and culture.

The country's rich historical legacy is reflected in part by its 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Greece joined UNESCO as a member on 04 November 1946. There are currently 18 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Greece and 16 of these are inscribed based on "cultural" criteria, while the remaining two (Mount Athos, Meteora) are inscribed for meeting both "cultural" and "natural" criteria.

Five of the sites are located on islands, one is distributed between the islands and the mainland, with the remaining 12 exclusively on the mainland. The first site to be inscribed was the Temple of Apollo at Bassae in 1986, the most recent is the Philippi, inscribed in 2016. There are an additional 14 sites on the tentative list. 

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Greece is the Cradle of Western civilization.

50 Cape Sounio, Athens ©8 of2019 Angelo Baltoyannis

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Acropolis of Athens The Acropolis of Athens and its monuments are universal symbols of the classical spirit and civilization and form the greatest architectural and artistic complex bequeathed by Greek Antiquity to the world. In the second half of the 5th century BC, Athens, following the victory against the Persians and the establishment of democracy, took a leading position amongst the other city-states of the ancient world.

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The Parthenon, Acropolis of Athens | UNESCO (1987)

The Acropolis of Athens is the most striking and complete ancient Greek monumental complex still existing in our times. It is situated on a hill of average height (156m) that rises in the basin of Athens. Its overall dimensions are approximately 170m by 350m. The hill is rocky and steep on all sides except for the western side, and has an extensive, nearly flat top. Strong fortification walls have surrounded the summit of the Acropolis for more than 3,300 years. In the 8th century BC, the Acropolis gradually acquired a religious character with the

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establishment of the cult of Athena, the city’s patron goddess. The sanctuary reached its peak in the archaic period.

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Erechtheion, Acropolis of Athens | UNESCO (1987)

In the 5th century BC, the Athenians, empowered from their victory over the Persians, carried out an ambitious building program under the leadership of the great statesman Perikles, comprising a large number of monuments including the Parthenon, the Erechtheion, the Propylaia and the temple of Athena Nike.

On this hill were born Democracy, Philosophy, Theatre, Freedom of Expression and Speech, which provide to this day the intellectual and spiritual foundation for the contemporary world and its values.

With a collection of massive, yet perfectly balanced architectural masterpieces in harmony with the natural landscape, the Acropolis of Athens is one of the most important expressions of Classical Greek aesthetics, and has since then exerted a profound influence on architecture worldwide.

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Archeological site of Vergina The excavation by Greek archaeologist Manolis Andronikos under the Great Tumulus of Vergina village (Central Macedonia) in 1977 brought to light the one of the most important archaeological discoveries of the 20th century in Greece.

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Philip II tomb, Vergina | UNESCO (1996)

Andronikos found four buried tombs, two of which had never been disturbed, claimed to be the burial sites of the kings of Macedon, including the tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great (Tomb II) and also of Alexander IV of Macedon, son of Alexander the Great and Roxana (Tomb III).

Today’s Vergina, in the foothills of Mt. Pieria, was the first capital of ancient kingdom of Macedonia, called Aigai. The Archaeological Site of Aigai, containing an urban centre, the oldest and most important in Northern Greece, and several surrounded settlements, and provides important information about the culture, history and society of the ancient Macedonians, the Greek border tribe

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that preserved age-old traditions and carried Greek culture to the outer limits of the ancient world.

Among them is the tomb of Euridice, mother of Philip II and the unlooted tombs of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, and his grandson, Alexander IV, which have been discovered in 1977-8 and made a worldwide sensation. The quality of the tombs themselves and their grave-goods places Aigai among the most important archaeological sites in Europe.

Aigai has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status as "an exceptional testimony to a significant development in European civilization, at the transition from classical city-state to the imperial structure of the Hellenistic and Roman periods".

Archeological site of Delphi The pan-Hellenic sanctuary of Delphi, location of the oracle of Apollo, was the spiritual centre of the Greek world. Situated in a spectacular natural setting at the foot of Mount Parnassus, it was a symbol of Greek cultural unity from the 8th century BC onwards.

Here lies the Temple of Apollo, the Olympian god of light, knowledge and harmony. The area was inhabited in the 2nd millennium BC, as is evident from Mycenaean remains (1500 - 1100 BC). The development of the sanctuary and oracle began in the 8th century BC, and their religious and political influence over the whole of Greece increased in the 6th century BC. At the same time, their fame and prestige spread throughout the whole of the then known world, from which pilgrims came to the site to receive an oracle from the Pythia, the priestess of Apollo.

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Temple of Apollo, Delphi | UNESCO (1987)

Delphi, in legend previously called Pytho, took its name from the Python, the dragon serpent who lived there and was killed by the god Apollo. Delphi was a sacred precinct that served as the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient classical world.

The oracle was international in character and also fostered sentiments of Greek nationality, even though the nation of Greece was centuries away from realization.

The ancient Greeks considered the centre of the world to be in Delphi, marked by the stone monument known as the omphalos (navel). According to myth, it was the meeting point of two eagles released by Zeus, one to the East and one in the West. The magnificent monumental complex is a human-made environment in perfect harmony with the rare natural environment, the principal features of which gave rise to the organization of the cults.

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Valley of Delphi | UNESCO (1987)

This harmonious relationship, which has remained undisturbed from ancient times to the present day, makes Delphi a unique monument and a priceless legacy bequeathed by the ancient Greek world to following generations. The precinct is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in having had a great influence in the ancient world, as evidenced by the various monuments built there by most of the important ancient Greek city-states, demonstrating their fundamental Hellenic unity. It would be impossible to remove the influence of the Delphic oracle from the written history of the times. 

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Archeological site of Mystras Long known as "the Wonder of the Morea", the remarkably well-preserved medieval city of Mystras played a central role in the final years of the Byzantine Empire. Built on a steep hill at the foot of Mount Taygetus, erected in 1249 by the prince of Achaia, it was the last Byzantine stronghold to fall to the Ottomans, holding out until 1461.

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Mystras palace, Laconia | UNESCO (1989)

Mystras or Mistras, also known as Myzithras in the Chronicle of the Morea, lies in the SE of the Peloponnese. It is a fortified town at the top of a 620Â m high hill overlooking Sparta, and situated on Mt. Taygetos, near ancient Sparta, served as the capital of the Byzantine Despotate of the Morea in the 14th and 15th centuries, experiencing a period of prosperity and cultural flowering. The site remained inhabited throughout the Ottoman period, when it was mistaken by Western travelers for ancient Sparta. In the 1830s, it was abandoned and the

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new town of Sparti was built, approx. 8 km to the east, leaving only the breathtaking medieval ruins, standing in a beautiful landscape.

Mystras’ distinct architecture is influenced by the so-called “Helladic” school of Byzantine architecture as well as the architecture of Constantinople. The painting of churches reflects the quality and the eclecticism of the art of Constantinople. Elements of Romanesque and Gothic art are also present as a result of the city’s wide range of contacts during the 14th and 15th centuries. The beauty of its churches, which during the Palaeologan Renaissance were covered with magnificent frescoes, the renown of its libraries and the glory of its writers gave substance thereafter to the legend of the Wonder of the Morea. Mystras is therefore a truly outstanding example of late Byzantine culture which influenced the rest of the Mediterranean world and beyond.

Archeological site of Olympia The site of Olympia, built on the banks of the Alpheios river in the Peloponnese, was the location of the ancient Olympic Games beginning in 776 BC. In addition to numerous temples and sanctuaries, it contains the remains of several sporting structures, such as its famous stadium.

The site was primarily dedicated to Zeus and drew visitors from all over the Greek world as one of a group of such "Panhellenic" centers which helped to build the identity of the ancient Greeks as a nation. Despite the name, it is nowhere near Mount Olympus in northern Greece, where the Twelve Olympians, the major deities of Ancient Greek religion, were believed to live.

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Olympia palaestra, Elis | UNESCO (1987)

Olympic Games The Olympic Games were held every four years throughout Classical antiquity, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. They were held in honor of Zeus, and the Greeks gave them a mythological origin. The first Olympics is traditionally dated to 776 BC. They continued to be celebrated when Greece came under Roman rule, until the emperor Theodosius I suppressed them in ADÂ 394 as part of the campaign to impose Christianity as the State religion of Rome. The games were held every four years, or olympiad, which became a unit of time in historical chronologies.

During the celebration of the games, an Olympic Truce was enacted so that athletes could travel from their cities to the games in safety. The prizes for the victors were olive leaf wreaths or crowns. The games became a political tool used by city-states to assert dominance over their rivals.

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Olympia, Elis | UNESCO (1987)

The games were also used to help spread Hellenistic culture throughout the Mediterranean. The Olympics also featured religious celebrations. The statue of Zeus at Olympia was counted as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Sculptors and poets would congregate each olympiad to display their works of art to would-be patrons.

The ancient Olympics had fewer events than the modern games, and only freeborn Greek men were allowed to participate, although there were victorious women chariot owners. As long as they met the entrance criteria, athletes from any Greek city-state and kingdom were allowed to participate. The games were always held at Olympia rather than moving between different locations as is the practice with the modern Olympic Games. Victors at the Olympics were honored, and their feats chronicled for future generations. 

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Archeological site of Philippi The remains of this walled city lie at the foot of an acropolis in the present-day region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, on the ancient route linking Europe and Asia, the Via Egnatia. Founded in 356 BC by the Macedonian King Philip II, the city developed as a “small Rome” with the establishment of the Roman Empire in the decades following the Battle of Philippi, in 42 BC.

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Philippi, Kavala, Eastern Macedonia | UNESCO (2016)

The Archaeological Site of Philippi is lying at the foot of an acropolis in northeastern Greece on the ancient route linking Europe with Asia, the Via Egnatia.

The Hellenistic theatre and funerary heroon (temple) were supplemented with Roman buildings such as the forum.

The city of Philippi, re-founded by Philip II, was reshaped by the Romans into a "small Rome" with its elevation to a Colonia Augusta of the Roman Empire in the decades following the Battle of Philippi. Later the city became a centre of 19 of 50

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Christian faith and pilgrimage deriving from the visit of the Apostle Paul in 50 CE and the remains of Christian basilicas and the octagonal church testify to its importance as a metropolitan see.

Archeological site of Mycenae and Tiryns The archaeological sites of Mycenae and Tiryns are the imposing ruins of the two greatest cities of the Mycenaean civilization, which dominated the eastern Mediterranean world from the 15th to the 12th century BC and played a vital role in the development of classical Greek culture. These two cities are indissolubly linked to the Homeric epics, the Iliad and the Odyssey, which have influenced European art and literature for more than three millennia.

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Lions Gate at Mycenae, Argolis | UNESCO (1999)

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Mycenae acropolis In the second millennium BC, Mycenae was one of the major centers of Greek civilization, a military stronghold which dominated much of southern Greece, Crete, the Cyclades and parts of southwest Anatolia. The period of Greek history from about 1600 BC to about 1100 BC is called Mycenaean in reference to Mycenae.

Mycenae, an acropolis site, was built on a hill 274 meters (900 feet) above sea level, some 19 kilometers (12 miles) inland from the Gulf of Argolis. Situated in the north-east corner of the Argive plain, it easily overlooked the whole area and was ideally positioned to be a centre of power, especially as it commanded all easy routes to the Isthmus of Corinth. Besides its strong defensive and strategic position, it had good farmland and an adequate water supply.

Lion Gate (Mycenae) The Lion Gate was the main entrance of the Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae, southern Greece. It was erected during the 13th century BC, around 1250 BC in the northwest side of the acropolis and is named after the relief sculpture of two lionesses or lions in a heraldic pose that stands above the entrance.

The Lion Gate is the sole surviving monumental piece of Mycenaean sculpture, as well as the largest sculpture in the prehistoric Aegean. It is the only monument of Bronze Age Greece to bear an iconographic motif that survived without being buried underground, and the only relief image which was described in the literature of classical antiquity, such that it was well known prior to modern archaeology.

The Lion Gate is a massive and imposing construction, standing 3.10 m (10 ft) wide and 2.95 m (10 ft) high at the threshold. It narrows as it rises, measuring 2.78 m (9 ft) below the lintel. The opening was closed by a double door mortised to a vertical beam that acted as a pivot around which the door revolved.

The gate itself consists of two great monoliths capped with a huge lintel that measures 4.5 × 2.0 × 0.8 m (15 × 7 × 3 ft). Above the lintel, the masonry courses 21 of 50

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form a corbelled arch, leaving an opening that lightens the weight carried by the lintel. This relieving triangle is a great limestone slab on which two confronted lionesses or lions carved in high relief stand on either sides of a central pillar.

The heads of the animals were fashioned separately and are missing, but their necks are present.

Treasury of Atreus The Treasury of Atreus or Tomb of Agamemnon is a large tholos or beehive tomb at Mycenae, constructed during the Bronze Age around 1250 BC. The stone lintel above the doorway weighs 120 tons, with approximate dimensions 8.3 x 5.2 x 1.2m, the largest in the world. The tomb was used for an unknown period. Mentioned by the Roman geographer Pausanias in the 2nd century AD, it was still visible in 1879 when the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovered the shaft graves under the "agora" in the Acropolis at Mycenae.

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Treasury of Atreus at Mycenae, Argolis | UNESCO (1999)

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The tomb has probably no relationship with either Atreus or Agamemnon, the legendary rulers of Mycenae or Argos, as archaeologists believe that the Mycenaean sovereign buried there ruled at an earlier date than king; it was named thus by Heinrich Schliemann and the name has been used ever since.

The Lion's Gate and Treasury of Atreus at Mycenae have been listed as "outstanding examples of human creative genius".

Tiryns Tiryns is a Mycenaean archaeological site in Argolis in the Peloponnese, and the location from which mythical hero Heracles performed his Twelve Labors.

Tiryns was a hill fort with occupation ranging back 7000 years, from before the beginning of the Bronze Age. It reached its height between 1400 and 1200 BC, when it was one of the most important centres of the Mycenaean world, and in particular in Argolis. Its most notable features were its palace, its Cyclopean tunnels and especially its walls, which gave the city its Homeric epithet of "mighty walled Tiryns".

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Tiryns megaron, Argolis | UNESCO (1999)

Tiryns is linked with the myths surrounding Heracles, as the city was the residence of the hero during his labours, and some sources even cite it as his birthplace.

The famous megaron of the palace of Tiryns has a large reception hall, the main room of which had a throne placed against the right wall and a central hearth bordered by four Minoan-style wooden columns that served as supports for the roof. Two of the three walls of the megaron were incorporated into an archaic temple of Hera. The site went into decline at the end of the Mycenaean period, and was completely deserted by the time Pausanias visited in the 2nd century AD. Tiryns was recognized as a World Heritage Site in 1999.

Archeological site of Delos The birthplace of Apollo and Artemis according to Greek mythology, the sacred island of Delos was one of the most important pan-Hellenic sanctuaries. The sanctuary of Apollo on Delos attracted pilgrims from all over Greece, making Delos a prosperous trading port.

The island of Delos, near the centre of the Cyclades archipelago, is one of the most important mythological, historical, and archaeological sites in Greece.

The excavations in the island are among the most extensive in the Mediterranean, and many of the artifacts found are on display at the Archaeological Museum of Delos and the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.

Delos had a position as a holy sanctuary for a millennium before Olympian Greek mythology. From its Sacred Harbor, the horizon shows the three conical mounds that have identified landscapes sacred to a goddess in other sites: one, retaining its Pre-Greek name Mount Kynthos, is crowned with a sanctuary of Zeus.

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Naxian Lions, Delos | UNESCO (1990)

By the writing of the Odyssey, the island was already famous as the birthplace of the twin gods Apollo and Artemis. Between 900 BC and 100 AD, Delos was a major cult centre where Dionysus and Titaness Leto, mother of the twin deities Apollo and Artemis, were revered. Eventually acquiring Panhellenic religious significance, Delos was initially a religious pilgrimage for the Ionians.

A number of "purifications" were performed by the city-state of Athens in an attempt to render the island fit for the proper worship of the gods. The first took place in the 6th century BC, directed by the tyrant Pisistratus who ordered that all graves within sight of the temple be dug up and the bodies moved to another nearby island. In the 5th century BC, during the 6th year of the Peloponnesian war and under instruction from the Delphic Oracle, the entire island was purged of all dead bodies. It was then ordered that no one should be allowed to either die or give birth on the island due to its sacred importance and to preserve its neutrality in commerce, since no one could then claim ownership through inheritance.

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House of Dolphins, Delos | UNESCO (1990)

Immediately after this purification, the first quinquennial festival of the Delian games were celebrated there. Four years later, all inhabitants of the island were removed to Atramyttium in Asia as a further purification.

After the Persian Wars the island became the natural meeting-ground for the Delian League, founded in 478 BC, the congresses being held in the temple (a separate quarter was reserved for foreigners and the sanctuaries of foreign deities). The League's common treasury was kept here as well until 454 BC when Pericles removed it to Athens.

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Medieval City of Rhodes The Order of St John of Jerusalem occupied Rhodes from 1309 to 1523 and set about transforming the city into a stronghold. It subsequently came under Turkish and Italian rule. With the Palace of the Grand Masters, the Great Hospital and the Street of the Knights, the Upper Town is one of the most beautiful urban ensembles of the Gothic period. In the Lower Town, Gothic architecture coexists with mosques, public baths and other buildings dating from the Ottoman period.

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Grand Masters Palace, Rhodes | UNESCO (1988)

Rhodes has been famous since antiquity as the site of Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The citadel of Rhodes, built by the Hospitalliers (Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem), is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe, which in 1988 was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Palace of Grand Masters The Palace of the Grand Master of the Knights of Rhodes, also known as the Kastello, is a medieval castle in the city of Rhodes, on the island of Rhodes in Greece. It is one of the few examples of Gothic architecture in Greece. The site was previously a citadel of the Knights Hospitaller that functioned as a palace, headquarters, and fortress.

Colossus of Rhodes The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue of the Greek sun-god Helios, erected in the city of Rhodes, on the Greek island of the same name, by Chares of Lindos in 280 BC. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, it was constructed to celebrate its successful defense against Demetrius Poliorcetes, who had besieged it for a year with a large army and navy.

According to most contemporary descriptions, the Colossus stood approximately 33 meters (108 feet) high (approx. 2/3 the height of the modern Statue of Liberty from feet to crown) making it the tallest statue in the ancient world. It collapsed during the earthquake of 226 BC, although parts of it were preserved.

In accordance with a certain oracle, the Rhodians did not build it again.

Monasteries of Daphni, Hosios Loukas and Nea Moni Although geographically distant from each other, these three monasteries belong to the same typological series and share the same aesthetic characteristics. The churches are built on a cross-in-square plan with a large dome supported by squints defining an octagonal space.

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Hosios Loukas, Distomo Boeotia | UNESCO (1990)

In the 11th and 12th centuries they were decorated with superb marble works as well as mosaics on a gold background, all characteristic of the 'second golden age of Byzantine art'.

Daphni Monastery Daphni or Dafni is an eleventh-century Byzantine monastery eleven kilometers (6.8 miles) northwest of central Athens in the suburb of Chaidari. It is situated near the forest of the same name, on the Sacred Way that led to Eleusis. The forest covers about 18 km2 (7 sq mi), and surrounds a laurel grove. "Daphni" is the modern Greek name that means "laurel grove", derived from Daphneion (Lauretum).

The exterior of the church has a cloisonné style, which is very common for middle Byzantine churches in Greece. The cloisonné style of masonry consists of rectangular blocks of stone separated or framed on all four sides by bricks.

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and the red bricks around the windows, and the orange roof create a sophisticated and understated elegance.

The floor plan for the Church of Daphni is a simple Greek cross-octagon arranged with various levels of light and illumination. The upper church, particularly the dome symbolizes the Heavens while the lower area symbolizes the earth. A square bay in the center of the church is covered by a broad dome.

Squinches, small half-domes that span the corner of a square are connected by tall L-shaped piers to form the transition from the square to the circle of the dome. The four squinches in the square bay transform it into an octagon. The wall surfaces fan out at the top above the squinches and join together to form the circular base of the dome.

Hosios Loukas Hosios Loukas is a historic walled monastery situated near the town of Distomo, in Boeotia. It is one of the most important monuments of Middle Byzantine architecture and art, and has been listed on UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.

The Hosios Loukas, the oldest in the complex, is the only church known with certainty to have been built in the tenth century in its site in mainland Greece.

This centralized parallelogram-shaped building is the oldest example of the cross-in-square type in the country; its plan closely follows that of Lips Monastery in Constantinople. The walls are opus mixtum (part brick, part stone, part marble) and display curious pseudo-kufic patterns.

Nea Moni of Chios Nea Moni is an 11th-century monastery on the island of Chios that has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is located on the Provateio Oros Mt. in the island's interior, about 15 km from Chios town. It is well known for its mosaics, which, together with those at Daphni and Hosios Loukas, are among the finest examples of "Macedonian Renaissance" art in Greece.

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Old Town of Corfu The Old Town of Corfu, on the Island of Corfu off the western coasts of Albania and Greece, is located in a strategic position at the entrance of the Adriatic Sea, and has its roots in the 8th century BC. The three forts of the town, designed by renowned Venetian engineers, were used for four centuries to defend the maritime trading interests of the Republic of Venice against the Ottoman Empire.

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Corfu, Ionian Islands | UNESCO (2007)

In the course of time, the forts were repaired and partly rebuilt several times, more recently under British rule in the 19th century. The mainly neoclassical housing stock of the Old Town is partly from the Venetian period, partly of later construction, notably the 19th century. As a fortified Mediterranean port, Corfu’s urban and port ensemble is notable for its high level of integrity and authenticity.

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Palaiopolis In the city of Corfu, the ruins of the ancient city of Korkyra, also known as Palaiopolis, include ancient temples which were excavated at the location of the palace of Mon Repos, which was built on the ruins of the Palaiopolis. The temples are: Kardaki Temple, Temple of Artemis, and the Temple of Hera.

Hera's Temple was built at the top of Analipsis Hill, and, because of its prominent location, it was highly visible to ships passing close to the waterfront of ancient Korkyra.

Old Town architecture In several parts of the town may be found houses of the Venetian time, with some traces of past splendor. The Palace of St. Michael and St. George is a large structure of white Maltese stone. Of the thirty-seven Greek churches the most important are the cathedral, dedicated to Our Lady of the Cave; St. Spiridon's, with the tomb of the patron saint of the island; and the suburban church of St Jason and St Sosipater, reputedly the oldest in the island.

Based on the ICOMOS evaluation of the old town of Corfu, it was inscribed on the World Heritage List. The ICOMOS experts have noted that "about 70% of the pre-20th century buildings date from the British period" and that "whole blocks were destroyed" in the Old Town by the German World War II blitzes; these were "replaced by new constructions in the 1960s and 1970s".

Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki Founded in 315 BC, the provincial capital and sea port of Thessalonika was one of the first bases for the spread of Christianity. Among its Christian monuments are fine churches, some built on the Greek cross plan and others on the threenave basilica plan. Constructed over a long period, from the 4th to the 15th

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century, they constitute a diachronic typological series, which had considerable influence in the Byzantine Empire.

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Rotunda of Saint George, Thessaloniki (Central Macedonia) | UNESCO (1988)

In 1988, fifteen monuments of Thessaloniki were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites: 1. City Walls (4th/5th centuries) 2. Rotunda of Saint George (4th century) 3. Church of Acheiropoietos (5th century) 4. Church of St. Demetrios (7th century) 5. Latomou Monastery (6th century) 6. Church of St. Sophia (8th century) 7. Church of Panagia Chalkeon (11th century) 8. Church of St. Panteleimon (14th century) 33 of 50

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9. Church of the Holy Apostles (14th century) 10.Church of St. Nicholas Orphanos (14th century) 11.Church of St. Catherine (13th century) 12.Church of Christ Saviour (14th century) 13.Blatades Monastery (14th century) 14.Church of Prophet Elijah (14th century) 15.Byzantine Bath (14th century)

Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos Many civilizations have inhabited this small Aegean island, near Asia Minor, since the 3rd millennium BC The remains of Pythagoreion, an ancient fortified port with Greek and Roman monuments and a spectacular tunnel-aqueduct, as well as the Heraion, temple of the Samian Hera, can still be seen.

Samos, due to its geographical location in the eastern Aegean, securing easy communications with the coast of Asia Minor, was one of the most important centers of political and cultural developments from the prehistoric era (5th/4th millennium BC) until almost the Middle Ages. The site is an area on the northeast coast of the island that is clearly defined by the surrounding mountains. It consists of the fortified ancient city (Pythagoreion) and the ancient Temple of Hera (Heraion), which is situated about 6 km away from the city and indissolubly linked with it.

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Heraion of Samos | UNESCO (1992)

The Heraion and the ancient city were adorned with splendid sculptures, making Samos one of the great centers of sculpture in the Ionic world. Offerings from all over the ancient world poured into the sanctuary of Hera. Samos is linked with great personalities of the ancient world, such as the philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras, the philosopher Epicurus, and Aristarchus the Samian, who first established the theory of the planet system in the 4th century BC.

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Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus In a small valley in the Peloponnesus, the shrine of Asklepios, the god of medicine, developed out of a much earlier cult of Apollo, during the 6th century BC at the latest, as the official cult of the city state of Epidaurus. Its principal monuments, particularly the temple of Asklepios, the Tholos and the Theatre - considered one of the purest masterpieces of Greek architecture – date from the 4th century. The vast site, with its temples and hospital buildings devoted to its healing gods, provides valuable insight into the healing cults of Greek and Roman times.

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Theatre of Epidaurus | UNESCO (1988)

The Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus is a remarkable testament to the healing cults of the Ancient World and witness to the emergence of scientific medicine. Situated in the Peloponnese, in the Regional unit of Argolis, the site comprises a series of ancient monuments spread over two terraces and surrounded by a preserved natural landscape. Among the monuments of the 36 of 50

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Sanctuary is the striking Theatre of Epidaurus, which is renowned for its perfect architectural proportions and exemplary acoustics. The Theatre, together with the Temples of Artemis and Asklepios, the Tholos, the Enkoimeterion and the Propylaia, comprise a coherent assembly of monuments that illustrate the significance and power of the healing gods of the Hellenic and Roman worlds.

The Sanctuary is the earliest organized sanatorium and is significant for its association with the history of medicine, providing evidence of the transition from belief in divine healing to the science of medicine. Initially, in the 2nd millennium BCE it was a site of ceremonial healing practices with curative associations that were later enriched through the cults of Apollo Maleatas in the 8th century BCE and then by Asklepios in the 6th century BCE. The Sanctuary of the two gods was developed into the single most important therapeutic center of the ancient world. These practices were subsequently spread to the rest of the Greco-Roman world and the Sanctuary thus became the cradle of medicine.

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Epidaurus | UNESCO (1988)

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Among the facilities of the classical period are buildings that represent all the functions of the Sanctuary, including healing cults and rituals, library, baths, sports, accommodation, hospital and theatre.

Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae This famous temple to the god of healing and the sun was built towards the middle of the 5th century BC in the lonely heights of the Arcadian mountains.

The temple, which has the oldest Corinthian capital yet found, combines the Archaic style and the serenity of the Doric style with some daring architectural features.

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Temple of Apollo at Bassae, Arcadia | UNESCO (1986)

The columned temple of Apollo Epicurius rises majestically within the sanctuary of Bassae in the mountains of Arkadia. It is one of the best-preserved monuments of classical antiquity and an evocative and poignant testament to clas38 of 50

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sical Greek architecture. It is highly significant for its architectural features and influence.

The temple was built at the height of the Greek civilization in the second half of the 5th century BC (420-400 BC). It was dedicated to Apollo Epicurius by the Phigaleians, who believed the god of sun and healing had protected them from plague and invasion. In 174 AD the ancient traveller Pausanias admired the beauty and harmony of the temple and attributed it to Iktinos, the architect of the Parthenon.

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Temple of Apollo at Bassae, Arcadia | UNESCO (1986)

The temple appears to have been forgotten for almost 1700 years until it was rediscovered in the 18th century and attracted intense interest from scholars and artists. The isolation of the site ensured many significant features survived largely intact. The temple is one of the earliest post-Parthenonian edifices and the earliest monument in which all three ancient Greek architectural orders (Doric, Ionic and Corinthian) are found together. It also included the earliest surviving Corinthian column capital. The temple further exhibits a number 39 of 50

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of bold and innovative architectural designs that mark a turning point in the development of temple-building. Through a series of ingenious devices, the architect successfully balanced contrasting elements and blended the old with the new, contributing to the unique architectural and artistic value of the monument. The temple, as well as its sculptural decoration consist one of the bestpreserved samples of the ancient Greek civilization, from the period of its heyday (5th century BC).

Historic Center and Monastery of Saint John The small island of Patmos in the Dodecanese is reputed to be where St John the Theologian wrote both his Gospel and the Apocalypse. A monastery dedicated to the ‘beloved disciple’ was founded there in the late 10th century and it has been a place of pilgrimage and Greek Orthodox learning ever since. The fine monastic complex dominates the island. The old settlement of Chora, associated with it, contains many religious and secular buildings.

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Monastery of St. Giovanni, Chora Patmos | UNESCO (1999)

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Patmos is a small Greek island in the Aegean Sea, one of the northernmost islands of the Dodecanese complex. It is perhaps best known today as the location the apostle John received the visions found in the Book of Revelation of the New Testament, and where the book was written. Patmos' main communities are Chora (the capital city), and Skala, the only commercial port.

Monastery of Saint John The Monastery of Saint John the Theologian (also called Monastery of Saint John the Divine), named after St. John of Patmos, is a Greek Orthodox monastery founded in 1088 in Chora on the island of Patmos. UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage site.

The Meteora In a region of almost inaccessible sandstone peaks, monks settled on these 'columns of the sky' from the 11th century onwards. Twenty-four of these monasteries were built, despite incredible difficulties, at the time of the great revival of the eremitic ideal in the 15th century. Their 16th-century frescoes mark a key stage in the development of post-Byzantine painting.

The Meteora is a rock formation in central Greece hosting one of the largest and most precipitously built complexes of Eastern Orthodox monasteries, second in importance only to Mount Athos. The six (of an original twenty four) monasteries are built on immense natural pillars and hill-like rounded boulders that dominate the local area. It is located near the town of Kalabaka at the northwestern edge of the Plain of Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains.

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Meteora, Kalambaka | UNESCO (1988)

The name means "lofty", "elevated", and is etymologically related to meteor.

Meteora was included on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1988.

Mount Athos An Orthodox spiritual centre since 1054, Mount Athos has enjoyed an autonomous statute since Byzantine times. The 'Holy Mountain', which is forbidden to women and children, is also a recognized artistic site. The layout of the monasteries had an influence as far afield as Russia, and its school of painting influenced the history of Orthodox art.

Cloaked by beautiful chestnut and other types of Mediterranean forest, the steep slopes of Mount Athos are punctuated by twenty imposing monasteries and their subsidiary establishments. Covering an area of just over 33,000 hectares, the property includes the entire narrow rocky strip of the easternmost 42 of 50

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of the three peninsulas of Chalcidice which jut into the Aegean Sea in northern Greece.

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Monastery, Mt. Athos | UNESCO (1988)

The subsidiary establishments include sketae (daughter houses of the monasteries), kellia and kathismata (living units operated by the monks), where farming constitutes an important part of the monks’ everyday life. An Orthodox spiritual centre since the 10th century, Mount Athos has enjoyed a self-administered status since Byzantine times.

The 'Holy Mountain', which is forbidden to women and children, is also a recognized artistic site. The layout of the monasteries (which are presently inhabited by some 1,400 monks) had an influence as far afield as Russia, and its school of painting influenced the history of Orthodox art. The landscape reflects traditional monastic farming practices, which maintain populations of plant species that have now become rare in the region.

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Geographic coordinates UNESCO SITE

LOCATION

GPS

Acropolis of Athens

Athens, Attica

37.97°N 23.73°E

Archeological site of Vergina

Imathia, Central Macedonia

40.47°N 22.43°E

Archeological site of Delphi

Phocis, Central Greece

38.48°N 22.5°E

Archeological site of Mystras

Laconia, Peloponnese

37.08°N 22.37°E

Archeological site of Olympia

Elis, West Greece

37.64°N 21.67°E

Archeological site of Mycenae and Tiryns

Argolis, Peloponnese

37.64°N 22.75°E

Delos

Cyclades, South Aegean

37.39°N 25.16°E

Historic Centre (Chora) with the Monastery of Saint John

Patmos, South Aegean

37.309189°N 26.548053°E

Medieval City of Rhodes

Rhodes, South Aegean

36.433333°N 28.216667°E

Monasterie of Hosios Loukas

Distomo, Boeotia

38.394722°N 22.746667°E

Monasterie of Daphni

Chaidari, Attica

38.013056°N 23.635833°E

Monasterie of Chios

Chios, North Aegean

38.373906°N 26.055739°E

Old Town of Corfu

Corfu, Ionian Islands

39.616667°N 19.916667°E

Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia

40.65°N 22.9°E

Pythagoreion and Heraion of Samos

Samos, North Aegean

37.701208°N 26.868783°E

Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus

Epidaurus, Peloponnese

37.633333°N 23.133333°E

Temple of Apollo Epicurius at Bassae

Bassae, Messenia, Peloponnese

37.429722°N 21.900278°E

Meteora

near Kalabaka, Thessaly

39.714167°N 21.631111°E

Mount Athos

Autonomous Monastic State of the Holy Mountain

40.157222°N 24.326389°E

Philippi

Philippi, Kavala, Eastern Macedonia

41.013056°N 24.286389°E

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Historical Series collection To read or download all available free Mythical Routes Historical Series eBooks, in mobile-friendly layout, visit our Shop.

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Motorcycle Holidays in Greece Greece is a motorcycle paradise, blessed with majestic scenery and rich ancient history. Our climate is mild and there is almost no probation for riding offroad in amazing routes. Mythical Routes was created for all adventure motorcycle aficionados, that crave great motorcycle experiences, in majestic landscapes with top-class motorcycles.

Plastiras lake, Central Greece Š 2020 Angelo Baltoyannis

We organize Adventure (off-road) and Historical (on-road) Motorcycle Tours that can be ridden with your own motorcycle or with one provided from us.

Our Motorcycle Tours showcase the beauty and the hidden historical facts of the Ancient Hellenic World with the broader geographical meaning of the term while riding through the breathtaking scenery of long mountain ridges, forest national reserves, remote dragon lakes and isolated hi-planes. You ride at your own pace, always accompanied by a tour leader who will take care of everything for you.

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“ Live with no excuses and travel with no regrets ” ~ Oscar Wilde

47 Greece of 50 Epirus Dragonlakes Tour, Central © 2019 Angelo Baltoyannis

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Bibliography & References For the reader that would like to engage with the subject in depth, the author interposes, useful bibliographic and proving evidence, without numbering. The author used both Greek and English texts, and photographic material from the Mythical Routes archive, from Mythical Ambassadors and from Unesco and Commons courses. ❖ Ancient Greek Architecture / Mythical Routes (mythicalroutes.com) ❖ UNESCO World Heritage (unesco.org) ❖ Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org) ❖ Creative Commons (creativecommons.org) ❖ Wikimedia Commons (commons.wikimedia.org)

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Copyright Notice All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, send us an email or write at the address below: Mythical Routes Plateia Nymfon 1, Glifada 16674, Greece Disclaimer All materials are protected under the United States and international copyright laws and treaties which provide substantial penalties for infringement. The use of any images or other materials, in whole or part, for any purpose, including, but not limited to, reproduction, storage, manipulation, digital or otherwise, is expressly prohibited without the written permission of Mythical Routes.

Governing Law Any claim relating to Mythical Routes's web site shall be governed by the laws of the State of Greece without regard to its conflict of law provisions. General Terms and Conditions applicable to Use of a Web Site.

Editor in chief: Angelo Baltoyannis ISBN: 978-618-84479-0-5

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