GREECE or HELLAS

Hellas from prefix - el- that means sunand -las - which means rock or stone.So Hellas is the land of the sun and the rock. And in fact, these are the features of the country.And these features contributed to shaping the character and culture of the Greek.

Olympic flame ceremony in ancient Olympia.The torch is lit using the sun’s rays and a mirror.

….butwhat is culture?

Culture is …

…our language

Phaistos Disc

(17th century BC)

It is believed to be a document in an archaic form of Greek.

Ostracon - piece of pottery- bearing the name of Cimon. 486 BC

Άξιον ΕστίΤη γλώσσα μου έδωσαν ελληνική·Μονάχη έγνοια η γλώσσα μου στις αμμουδιές του Όμηρου. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Μονάχη έγνοια η γλώσσα μου, με τα πρώτα Δόξα Σοι!………………………………………………………………………………………………………………Μονάχη έγνοια η γλώσσα μου, με τα πρώτα λόγια του Ύμνου!

Worthy it isI was given the Greek language;My only care my language on Homer’s beaches.………………………………………………………………………………………………………My only care my language with the first Glory to Thee!………………………………………………………………………………………………………My only care my language with the first words of the Hymn!

(Odysseas Elytis Nobel Price 1979Translated by Jeffrey Carson and Nikos Sarris)

Graffiti on a wall somewhere in Athens

• The official language of Greece is Greek, spoken by 99% of the population.

In addition, a number of minority languages and some Greek dialects are spoken as well.• The main minority languages in Greece are : Albanian, Aromanian, Turkish and Slavic.

• Immigrant languages are mostly : Armenian , Assyrian Neo-Aramaic , English , Kurdish, Russian, Serbian, Arabic.

• The most common foreign languages learned by Greeks are English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.

Some facts about language

Culture is …

…our history

The rape of Europa. Ancient Greek myth.

Battle of Marathon 490 BC

Alexander the Great. 356-323. King of the Macedon.

Medieval castles in

Greece

Byzantine coins

Grateful Hellas. (1858) Greece among warriors and heroes.

The heroines of 1940

marble panel Part of the marble panel “Memories of Pindos”

Knitting for the soldiers at

war. (Coloured lithograph poster)

Coloured poster

Children’s drawings inspired by the Athens Polytechnic School uprising against the military junta.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

1981. Greece becomes member of the EU.

Culture is …

…our music

Harpist. The harp player. 2700 to 2300 BC.

The musical theory of Pythagoras.Pythagoras (570 – 495 BC) discovered that musical notes could be translated into mathematical equations.

Traditional Greek musical instruments

Domna Samiou.Great Folk singer

Greek Folk musicians

Macedonian street bands playing brass instruments.

Great Greek musicians

Dimitris Mitropoulos Iannis Xenakis

Mikis Theodorakis Manos Hatzidakis

The Athens Concert Hall

Culture is...

…our literature

HomerThe author of the Iliad and Odyssey. (about 850 BC)

Iliad, Book VIII, lines 245–53, Greek manuscript, late 5th, early 6th centuries AD.

Erotokritos. A romance composed by Vincenzo Kornaros . (early 17th century)

Dionysios Solomos (1798 -1857) The national poet of Greece.

• The national poet of Greece

From Hymn to Liberty, a poem written by Dionysios Solomos ,and National Anthem of Greece

Greek Nobel laureates in literature

George Seferis. Nobel Prize 1963 Odyseas Elytis. Nobel Price 1979

National Library of Greece

Culture is …

…our dances

Marble relief from the archaic period (800 BC- 480 BC) showing dancing men.

Culture is…

… theatre

Ancient theatre masks (1st century BC).

Drama performance at the ancient theatre of Epidaurus.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus

Odeon Herodus Atticus.Stone theatre located on the slope of the Acropolis of Athens.

National Theatre of Greece

….and cinema

Theodoros Aggelopoulos

Culture is…

...art

Spring. Wall painting from Thira. 17th Century BC

Red figure and black figure vases. 600- 500 BC.

The famous statue of Heniochus (the charioteer) 478 BC.

El Greco

Dormition of the Virgin 1565

Olive harvesting. 1933Painting by Theofilos (major folk painter).

Contemporary artists

Kostas Tsoklis Alekos Fasianos

Street art in Thessaloniki

Umbrellas. Contemporary work of art.(artist: G. Zoggolopoulos)

Culture is ……the architectural

monuments

Mycenae. The Lion Gate1700 BC

The palace of Knossos in Crete. 1500 BC

The Acropolis of Athens

The Erechtheum

Propylaia (the gateway)

The Parthenon

Stoa of Attalos 138 BC

Tower houses in Mani

Santorini. The world’s best Island according to BBC in 2011.

The new Acropolis Museum.Opened to public in 2009.

Culture is …

…our religion

The oracle of Delphi.The Tholos and the treasuries at the Athena Pronaia sanctuary.

A historic Byzantine church on the island of Paros. The church dates to 326AD.

Panagia Ekatontapyliani (the Church of 100 Doors)

Osios LoukasHistoric Monastery. (early 10th century)

Mount Athos. “ The Holy Mountain”. It is home to 20 Orthodox monasteries.

Some facts about religion• The Greek population is composed of a 97% of Christian

Orthodox. The rest of the population is Muslim, Roman Catholic and Jewish.

• For historical reasons the Muslim minority resides in Thrace.• Greek Catholics number about 0.5% of the population. A large number of Catholics live in the Cyclades, where Syros and Tinos have entirely Catholic villages and parishes. • The Jewish community currently amounts to roughly 5,000

people, concentrated mainly in Athens, Thessaloniki and Ioannina.

Culture is …

…our traditions

Flower wreath to celebrate the first day of May.

Kathara Deftera. Clean Monday. The first day of the lent.

Carnival

ChristmasCarol singing

Christmas tree

and Christmas …boat.

Traditional Christmas sweets

EasterMidnight Service of the Resurrection

Breaking each other’s egg Tsoureki. Easter bread.

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Breaking each other’s Easter egg

Culture is …

…our love and care for

the environment

Wind farm

Solar power plant

Culture is …

…what we eat

Goddess Athena donated the Olive tree, according to theGreek Mythology.

Olive oilOlive oil is a versatile ingredient that has been used in cooking for thousands of years.