108 | Atina » Athens AT INA / ATHENS B EAU T I F U L AT HENS AND T HE EVEN MOR E B EAU T I F U L SOUN I ON Where Aegeus threw himself into the sea Sounion is the site with the most beautiful sunsets in Greece. Thousands of tourists flock there every day to admire the "architectural decoration" formed by the sun falling into the sea as it sets over the temple Cape Sounio is the southernmost tip of the Attic Peninsula that today forms part of a national park. Located 65 kilometres south of Athens, it rises from the sea to a great height, creating a sandy beach at the foot. During ancient times Sounion provided a good landmark for mariners to confirm that they were on the right course for Athens. It was first written about by Homer in his Odyssey. Hementioned it as the place where Menelaus agreed to the burying of the captain of a ship carrying soldiers home from the TrojanWar. Legend has it that one of the first Athenian emperors, Aegeus, looked into the distance from the highest point of the cape every day to spot the ship bringing his son, Theseus, home from Crete. Prior to his departure, Theseus had agreed with his father to raise white sails on the ship in the case of victory. On his return, his happiness over his victory in the war caused him to forget to replace the black sails with white ones. And when he saw black sails on the high seas, a despairing Aegeus threw himself into the sea, which has carried his name ever since. A temple dedicated to Poseidon, god of the seas, was later built on that spot. There are two roads leading to Sunion, and both are interesting in their own way. You can choose the road from the direction of the Saronic Gulf, where very popular Athenian tourist zones are located: Glyphada, Voula, Vouliagmeni, Varkiza…The second road is hilly, but along the way you can visit the Pini caves and the village of Koropi, which is home to Attica‘s oldest preserved church, which boasts the remains of frescoes dating back to the 10th century. Of course, while you‘re in Athens, among its many fantastical places, don‘t miss out on a visit to these three… me scan FOTO: Profimedia
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