Visiting Herod Atticus Odeon, Athens

_{The Lego Bricks of Herod Atticus Odeon}

What kind of historical architectures is the most common in Greece? The answer is the Acropolis, the stadium and the theatre. Nearly in every main city, you may find historical sites of those architectures, and some of them are still in use today. Among numerous theatres in Greece, the Odeon of Herodes has become one of the landmarks apparently. This stone theatre is located on the southwest slope of the Acropolis of Athens, completed in 161 AD and then renovated in 1950.

Odeon of Herodes Atticus was built by the Athenian magnate Herodes Atticus in memory of his wife, Aspasia Annia Regilla. Originally, this theatre had a wooden roof made of expensive Lebanon cedar timber. With a capacity of 5,000, this structure was used as a venue for music concerts, however, it was destroyed by the Heruli in 267 AD. The structure you see today was renovated in the 1950s. The facade, the stage and the audience stands were restored by marbles, but the roof was not rebuilt, leaving it as an open theatre.

Recently, from May to October every year, it has been the main venue of the Athens Festival. Many famous Greek artists, as well as International performances, hosted their shows in this historic theatre next to the Acropolis of Athens. I am so excited that I had the opportunity to enter this historic site on Oct 5th, 2017, to see the live show of Queen of the Violin, Vanessa Mae. It was also the Chinses Mid-Autumn Day. Glittering in the moonlight, in the thousands of years long history theatre, we had enjoyed an unforgettable violin show and had a very pleasant time.

Today, this theatre is not only a tourist attraction but also a popular public spot. Many local people like to have a jog or walk their dogs around. There are also many featuring details, such as the antique tape, still in use now.

_{The historic theatre hosted a modern violin show.}