The National Garden of Athens

in #greek-trail5 years ago

The National Garden is a public park of 15.5 hectares (38 acres) in the center of the Greek capital, Athens.

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It is located between the districts of Kolonaki and Pangrati, directly behind the Greek Parliament building.

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It used to be the Royal Garden, commissioned by Queen Amalia in 1838 and completed by 1840.

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She imported over 500 species of plants and a variety of animals including peacocks, ducks, and turtles. But the dry Mediterranean climate proved too harsh and they did not survive.

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A part of the upper garden, behind the Old Palace, was fenced off and was the private refuge of the King and Queen. The garden was open to the public in the afternoons.

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The Royal Garden was the scene of an unusual turning point in Greek history. In 1920, at the end of World War I, Greece under King Alexander and the government of Eleftherios Venizelos remained committed to the Megali Idea (Greek for The Great Idea) that Greece should gain control of portions of Asia Minor.

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While walking in the Garden on September 30, 1920, King Alexander was bitten by a pet monkey and he died of sepsis three weeks later. His death ushered the return of his deposed father, King Constantine and the new Prime Minister, Dimitrios Gounaris, a monarchist, began replacing the experienced Venizelist military staff with officers unexperienced but more loyal to the new King.

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The result was the 1922 Great Fire of Smyrna, the defeat of Greek troops in Turkey with exodus of Greek refugees and the 1923 Exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey.

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In the 1920s the park was opened to the public and renamed "National Garden". In honor of Amalia of Greece, the entrance was moved to the 12 palms she planted and the street in front was renamed Queen Amalia Avenue.

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Since then the National Garden, is open to the public from sunrise to sunset.

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Today, in the National Garden there is a duck pond, a Botanical Museum, a small cafe and a Children's Library and playground.

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It still remains open to the public from sunrise to sunset.

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sources,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Garden,_Athens

The photos are mine


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Very beautiful park (Garden). Is there a small zoo in the garden? ... or only some goats and geese?)

thank you, yes there is a small zoo (e.g. Yes, there are birds, parrots, peacocks, ducks)

It's wonderful. Thank you. I have never heard of it before.

thank you very much!

and hector was also greek :)
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Hahaha.... :))

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