2 locations :
Hadrian’s Library and
The Horologion of Andronikos Kyrrhestes

Hello friends.

I hope your day is going great! Today I have 2 locations in Athens, Greece. I would like to share them with you.

The library of Hadrian, also called the Hadrian’s Library, was a public library in Rome, founded by the emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD. The library was housed in the Celian Hill on the Esquiline Hill. The library was Hadrian’s private collection of classical manuscripts. It was open to the public, and scholars were allowed to view the manuscripts. The library collection was bequeathed to the city of Rome by the emperor’s widow, Sabina.

The Horologion of Andronikos Kyrrhestes is an Ancient Greek astronomical clock, dating from around 125 AD. It is the oldest surviving astronomical clock from antiquity. The timepiece is a cylindrical marble structure with a hole in the center that is thought to have been used to mark the hours of the day. The clock is decorated with carved scenes of animals and the 8 winds, and the hours are marked by the position of the sun and the moon. The Horologion of Andronikos Kyrrhestes is one of the oldest known timepieces in the world, and it is a remarkable example of ancient Greek engineering.

Both of these locations are in the shadow of the Acropolis, and while neat, if you are crunched for time, you could skip them. But if you have a few days and are a history buff, or just like looking at old things and wondering, then sure, go check them out. 😀

For myself, I would also not pay the ticket price. However, when I went to see the Acropolis a few days back, I opted to buy the €30 ticket that came with entrance to these locations. Was €30 worth it… I am still undecided, but hey, I had the ticket, so why not explore the wonders right?

Come with me and lets wal around these locations and take a look at some photos.

Hadrian’s Library

Location : Κ, Άρεως 3, Τ, Αθήνα 105 55
Google map link : https://goo.gl/maps/YJXu13NGpiqKCQoq6

Hadrian’s Library was an impressive architectural feat, commissioned by the Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD. It was one of the largest libraries of the ancient world, and was said to hold around 500,000 scrolls. Sadly, the library was destroyed in the Herulian invasion of 267 AD.

Here you can see the Acropolis rising up from behind the fallen stones.

A lot of reconstruction is going on too, and that is great. Like here, you can see the old column, and what it must have looked like when it was new. Amazing!

The walls and buildings, just an echo of what it once was, like all of ancient Greece. You have to wonder what this all looked like back in the day. How it was used, who came here, what information did it hold and what was lost.

Along the backside of the site, you can see some efforts to strengthen to reinforce the walls, so they don’t fall in. But to see the layers of time, stacked up… Windows that have been bricked over to make the next layer… it’s wild.

Here is another view of the layers of time, different stones, layers of time stacked up. I have to wonder if the builders sat and thought about what they were building over as they put new bricks on the old, or if it was just another day for them.

Here you can see the master works of reconstructing what the orginal must have looked like. Wow! the mix of past and present. Just astounding.

I have to wonder if in another 500 years what this place will look like. Will it still be here, how will it change again, and how will the future look back on us.

The Horologion of Andronikos Kyrrhestes

Location : Aiolou, Athina 105 55
Google map link : https://goo.gl/maps/YnyyesYRNFghLU9r8

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This is an octagonal clock tower in the Roman Agora in Athens that once functioned as a timepiece. This building is considered the world’s first meteorological station too! Unofficially, the monument is also called Aerides, which means ‘winds’ in Greek, so some call it The Tower of the Winds.

You walk along this old arch way. How grand that must have looked back in the day. You come here to see science, and you enter via this grand room.

When you enter this location, it is now, just like a big old open field with a lot of broken rocks around. I would advise you to not go in the afternoon heat, but early or later in the day when the sun is down. Or hey, if you like the sun, okay, go for it. 😀 hahah.

Inside the clocktower, you can see the shell of what it was. Wooden top, and 3 layers. To walk in here long ago and see it working must have been another level. Like today, going in and seeing a quantum computer, you say… hmm… How does this work?

Outside you have a lot of well-preserved columns. To me, they look like they were painted light blue at one point. If that is true or not, I am not sure… But the old Greece paintings feature a lot of colors, so perhaps it is true.

I also find the battle to keep history alive, interesting… such as how people work on strengthening the old, so the new can see it.

It is clear that Hadrian’s Library was an important monument in the city of Athens, and its remains can still be seen today. The Horologion of Andronikos Kyrrhestes is a less well-known monument, but it is an interesting example of Ancient Greek engineering. The two monuments illustrate the importance of books and learning in Ancient Greece, and they are a reminder of the great achievements of the ancient world.

I hope you found this walk intresting and that if you are in Greece, and have some extra time, you too will walk this walk.

Cheers

If you liked reading this article, here is one you may like about A Hike up the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.