ASEFA COLLABORATION OF ASIAN AND EUROPEAN SCHOOLS

MAGIC WORLD TOUR A MAGIC TOUR ΟF GREECE

THE GREEK TEAM

CHATZINAKOS KONSTANTINOS

CHRYSOCHOIDOU ELENI

PITTA KONSTANTINA

ΤΕΚΕLOGLOU ZOE

ΤSOUMA ΜΑΤΙΝΑ

CO-ORDINATOR

SESSA ANTOINETTA, ITALY

MODERATOR

AXAOPOULOU CHRISTINA, GREECE

2013-2014

THE PARTHENON - GREECE

Posted by Konstantina Pitta on March 11, 2014

The Parthenon is a temple on the Athenian Acropolis, Greece, dedicated to the

maiden goddess Athena, whom the people of Athens considered their patron

deity. Its construction began in 447 BC when the Athenian Empire was at the

height of its power. It was completed in 438 BC, although decoration of the

building continued until 432 BC. It is the most important surviving building of

Classical Greece. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high points

of Greek art. The Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of Ancient

Greece, Athenian democracy, western civilization and one of the world's greatest

cultural monuments. The Greek Ministry of Culture is currently carrying out a

program of selective restoration and reconstruction to ensure the stability of the

partially ruined structure. The origin of the Parthenon's name is from the Greek

word "Παρθενών" (Parthenon), which referred to the "unmarried women's

apartments" in a house and in the Parthenon's case seems to have been used at

first only for a particular room of the temple. The size of the Parthenon is about

69.5 by 30.9 m (228 by 101 ft.). Finally the main architects were Iktinos and

Kallikrates who were the the most famous Ancient Greek architects. Phidias was

the designer and the sculptor of the temple.

Monastiraki

Posted by Helen Chrysochoidou on March 12, 2014

Monastiraki is a flea market neighborhood in the old town of Athens, Greece,

and is one of the principal shopping districts in Athens. The area is home to

clothing boutiques, souvenir shops, and specialty stores, and is a major tourist

attraction in Athens and Attica for bargain shopping. The area is named after

Monastiraki Square, which in turn is named for the Pantanassa church monastery

that is located within the square.

Thessaloniki Posted by Helen Chrysochoidou

and Kostas Chatzinakos

on January 25, 2014

EPTAPYRGION : MY VERY POPULAR NEIGHBOORHOOD

Posted by Matina T <3 on January 29, 2014

Our school is located near the castle of Thessaloniki which was built on the

spot of the ancient Acropolis, founded by Cassander in 316 B.C. The walls of

the castle, that are still visible today, date from the 4th century A.D. when

the Byzantine emperor Theodosius I fortified the town. Eptapyrgion (7

towers) was built in the Venetian period (1423-1430) to resist the Turks. The

Castle, is located on a hill above the Old Town (Ano Poli). Its location gives

gorgeous views to the city, the port and the Aegean Sea. Many buildings and

towers were constructed all along the Byzantine period, till the town was

conquered by the Ottomans in 1430. Few years later in 1444, the castle was

renovated, old buildings were destroyed and more towers were built. In fact,

the Castle has ten towers in total, although its name Eptapyrgion means

seven towers. Till the 1890s the Castle was the seat of the garrison

commanders and then it was turned into a prison till 1989. In fact, this

prison was known as a severe place of torture as it is frequently mentioned

in the underground rebetika songs. After the damages that wars,

earthquakes and time have caused, the Castle of Thessaloniki is open to

visitors, and the view from the battlemants is breathtaking. It attracts a lot

of tourists and it's one of my favourite places to hang out with my friends, so

if you ever visit Thessaloniki give me a call and we can go for a walk on the

most amazing-in my opinion- place of the whole city:)

These are some photos of the Eptapyrgion now

And now some photos of how Eptapyrgion was thought to be when it was first built.

That's for now friends,if you're interested in learning more about the region leave a comment:)

The White Tower of Thessaloniki - Greece

by Konstantina Pitta

METEORA-GREECE By Konstantina Pitta

Posted by Konstantina Pitta on March 11, 2014

The Meteora lit "middle of the sky", "suspended in the air" or "in the heavens

above” is one of the largest and most important complexes of Eastern Orthodox

monasteries in Greece, second only to Mount Athos. The six monasteries are

built on natural sandstone rock pillars, at the northwestern edge of the Plain of

Thessaly near the Pineios river and Pindus Mountains, in central Greece. The

nearest town is Kalambaka. All of these monasteries are located at Meteora in

Greece, and most are perched on high cliffs and accessible by staircases cut into

the rock formations. They were created to serve monks and nuns following the

teachings of the Greek Orthodox Church. Much of the architecture of these

buildings is Athonite in origin. Of the six intact monasteries, the Holy Monastery

of St. Stephen and Monastery Roussanou are inhabited by nuns.

Pelion Posted by Helen Chrysochoidou on March 3, 2014

Pelion is a mountainous peninsula endowed with amazingly beautiful

thick forests in central Greece. It is also known as the “Medicinal

mountain” since it is full of medicinal herbs and plants.

In Greek mythology, Mount Pelion was the place where many ancient

Greek heroes, such as Jason, Achilles, Theseus and Hercules were

educated. Nowadays, Pelion’s twenty-four, close-to-the–sea villages

retain traditional Pelian architecture and construction with stone

buildings.

G reek C yclades

Posted by kotsos xatzinakos on February 24, 2014

Greece has about 3000 islands grouped into clusters depending on their

geographic position. One of these clusters is the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea.

Their name means around (cycle), and many of them are well known such as the

sacred island of Delos, The Cosmopolitan Mykonos, Naxos with the gigantic

Kouros, the volcanic Santorini to name but few.

CRETEMinoan Civilization

Posted by Matina T <3 on March 15, 2014

The largest island of Greece, Crete was inhabited for the first time during the Bronze age.

Gradually civilization in Crete reached a very high level, from a political, economic and cultural

aspect. It is also known as the “Minoan Civilization”.

Since the start of the third millennium B.C. the population of Crete steadily increased. The

Minoans had been in touch with other regions of Aegean like Cyprus and Cyclades .

Knossos (pronounced Kuh-nuh-SOS) is the ancient Minoan palace and surrounding city on the

island of Crete. King Minos, famous for his wisdom his name to the people of Knossos. The

settlement was established well before 2000 BCE and was destroyed, most likely by fire (though

some claim a tsunami) c. 1700 BCE. Knossos has been identified with

Plato’s mythical Atlantis from his dialogues of the Timaeus and Critias and is also known in

myth most famously through the story of Theseus and the Minotaur. It should be noted that King

Minos’ character in the story, as the king who demands human sacrifice from Athens, is at odds

with other accounts of him as a king of wisdom and justice who, further, built the first navy and

rid the Aegean sea of pirates. This first palace was destroyed c. 1700 BCE and re-built on a

grander, though less massive, scale. Great attention was paid to intricacy of architecture and

design with less effort spent on defensive walls

Knossos also flourshed through maritime trade. They traded oil, wine , wood, silver , gold and

vessels. This way, certain cities became richer and wider. An era of well-being, peace and

wealth led to the creation of the first palace, around 2000 B.C. Around it other small

communities developed. The same time, due to the continuous trade, the first script named

Grammiki A’ made its appearance. It was a mixture of Hieroglyphics and another, unknown

script.

The Minoans worshipped mostly female Goddesses, who were linked with nature and fertility.

The Snake Goddess of the Minoans was the supreme deity who may have been an early version

of the Greek goddess Eurynome who danced with the serpent Ophion across the chaos of the

primordial sea in the act of creation. Images and figures of the Snake Goddess (now at the

Iraklion Museum) have been found at Knossos and elsewhere in Crete dating from this period

Bulls were the larget animals on Crete and were of great social significance. Bull jumping was

probably performed during religious ceremonies, although a leap such as this would have been

almost impossible. Evidence that bull jumping was performed on Crete during the time Minoans

ruled the island are the various murals and bases that showed young men jumping over bulls,

supporting themselves at the bull’s horns.Also, the Minoans developed many different types of

art, at an incredible level. The most common themes were scenes of haunting and nature. Murals

that depicted every day life scenes had dazzling colors. Finally, their ceramics were impressive,

with very lively figure

The whole Minoan culture and civilization influenced their neighbours, mostly other Greek

islands. But it was bound to come to end,and that end came brutally. The city of Knossos, and

almost every other community centre on Crete, was destroyed by a combination of earthquake

and the invading Mycenaeans c. 1450 BCE with only the palace spared. The eruption of the

volcano on the nearby island of Thera (Santorini) in c.1600 or 1500 BCE has long been held a

major factor in the destruction of the city and second palace.

Crete nowadays remains one of the most important islands of Greece. The palaces of Knossos

and Festus are the main attractions, as well as the labyrinth of Minoa that I guess most of would

like to visit. But be aware, I’ve heard that the minotaur still stays in it… The island of Crete has

a never-stopping life, with tourist filling the beaches from early May till the end of October.

Who could say no to such a beauty? Beaches that look like they’re taken out of a fairytale,

cultural and historical heritage, and of course all-night-long clubs. Perfect place for vacation, I

suggest you all visit it!

Traditional Costumes of Greece

Posted by Zoi Tekeloglou on March 21, 2014

Greeks wear traditional costumes on special occasions, such as holidays and

weddings. The style of the costumes has its roots in ancient Greek fashion and

Byzantine era. There are many types of traditional costumes, varying from one

region to another due to climate conditions, season, wealth and political situation

- in times of peace costumes were different from the ones in war : clothes were

more elaborate, fancy, they had cheerful colours and many jewellery whereas the

others were more plain. The national dress worn by men is the Fustanella and it

is a traditional skirt-like piece of clothing. The different types of traditional

Greek clothing for women and men can be seen below:

Greek Cuisine : Greek traditional food

Posted by Helen Chrysochoidou on February 22, 2014

Mmmm…! It smells like Greek food… Oh! It’s moussaka! Are you interested in tasting our traditional cuisine? Here everywhere you can smell a traditional dish! So come to Greece and a Greek mommy will welcome you with an unforgettable dish!

But till then here are some delicious recipes.

Moussaka:

Ingredients

750g Minced meat preferably beef but you could also use lamb or a mix of the two.250ml Extra virgin olive oil500gr Peeled Potatoes sliced into 1- 2 cm slices850gr Aubergine ( sliced into 1/2 cm slices and sprinkled with a little salt to degorge)7,5gr Tomato Puree40ml Red Wine1g clove pressed Garlic 4gr Cinnamon

200g puree tomatoes (tinned or fresh (and skinned). It is better to use tinned if the fresh ones are not very ripe)175gr Red Onions (finely chopped)7,5gr Salt2,5gr Pepper125gr Plain Flour125gr Butter 1l Milk1Egg

Directions

Step 1

In a medium sized saucepan add 50mls oil and fry off your red onion on medium heat until soft.

Step 2 Then add the minced meat and mix until it becomes brown. From experience this may be best done in batches so that the meat doesn't stew but is browned quickly

Step 3 Then add your tomato puree, tomato, red wine, cloves of garlic and half the cinnamon and mix well.

Step 4 Cook for at least 30 minutes over a very low heat, stirring occassionally

Step 5 In a larger saucepan add the rest of your oil and bring to medium to high heat.

Step 6 Add the sliced potatoes (in batches if necessary) and cook till golden brown and tender inside

Step 7 When this is done place onto a clean cloth or kitchen roll to remove excess oil

Step 8 Repeat with the aubergines, frying for around 10 minutes then placing on a clean cloth or kitchen roll to remove the excess oil.

Step 9 Make a béchamel by warming the milk till just below simmering

Step 10 Melt the butter in a medium pan

Step 11 Stir in the flour over a very low heat and cook for a minute or so till golden brown

Step 12 Now, gradually add the milk a little at a time, stirring the whole time and reheating till the mixture thickens

Step 13 Once all the milk is added continue to cook for 5 minutes or so then remove from the heat

Step 14 Line a large casserole or baking dish with the potatoes. followed by a layer of half the aubergine, followed by a layer with all of the mince, followed by a layer of aubergine

Step 15 Whisk two eggs into the bechamel which should at this stage be warm.

Step 16 Pour the bechamel over the dish and sprinkle the remainder of the cinnamon on top

Step 17 Bake for and 45 mins at 160C

Meat-stuffed dolmades:

Ingredients

60 (approx. 240 g) vine leaves, fresh, frozen or vacuum packed in brine

500g beef mince

1 large (200 g) red onion, grated

½ bunch dill, finely chopped

1 handful dried spearmint, leaves rubbed between the palms (or 2 tbsp dried mint)

100g short grain rice (or a mix of yellow and white)

1 tsp salt, or more, to taste

200 ml olive oil1 cup water (approximately)1 cup fresh tomato sauce 2 tbsp (40 g) butter, diced½ lemon, juiced, or more, to tastecrusty bread, to serve

PREP.: 35 mins

COOK: 55 mins

Directions

Blanch vine leaves in boiling water for a couple of minutes and then refresh in batches of cold water to cool.

Combine mince, onion, dill, dried spearmint, rice, salt, 100 ml olive oil and enough water to bind the mixture.

Place the vine leaves on a flat surface with the ribs facing upwards and the stalk end facing towards you. Place a teaspoon of stuffing (varying slightly with the size of the leaf) towards the stalk end of the leaf. Firmly roll the stalk end over leaf, then tuck in the sides and roll up completely.

Place seam side down in a large casserole dish. Place close together, in layers, so they don’t unravel.

Season with salt and pepper and pour over fresh tomato sauce, ½ cup (125 ml) water (or more if dolmades seem dry) and remaining olive oil. Top with diced butter. Place two dinner plates on top of the dolmades to weigh them down. Cover and cook for about 40 minutes until meat is cooked, or if cooking in a pressure cooker for about 15 minutes.

Remove dinner plates, add lemon juice and serve dolmades with cooking liquid poured over as a sauce.

Cherry Spoon Sweet:

Ingredients:

1 pound of fresh firm cherries (slightly underripe)

2 cups of granulated sugar

1 teaspoon of lemon juice

1/3teaspoon of vanilla extract (optional)

Preparation:

Wash the cherries well. Remove stems and pits carefully, leaving the fruit intact, and set aside to drain in a colander. Combine water and sugar in a

pot and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring initially to prevent from sticking.

When the syrup thickens to the consistency of maple syrup, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

Add cherries to the syrup and bring to a boil over high heat. With a slotted spoon, skim off foam as it rises to the surface, then add the lemon juice.

Allow to boil for another minute (add vanilla if desired), and remove from heat. When thoroughly cooled, store in airtight glass jars.

OUR SCHOOL by Kotsos Xatzina kos

January 31, 2014