Ruins of glorious sites in an ebook

• Category: Interviews

Triantafyllos Lazarides needed two years of research to complete his book Archaeological sites in Greece- Ruins of a glorious era that was eventually published this past March (2015). Although the theme was not directly connected to his professional background, writing this book was a way to express his great interest in Greek antiquities and his passion for the ancient Greek civilization. Mr Lazarides talked to Greeka.com about the entire process of writing this book.

What information did you mostly focus on while you were doing your research on the book?

The book is actually a guide of the most important archaeological sites in Greece, including the Acropolis of Athens, Delphi, Delos island, Olympia and many more. In order to be more precise, I focused mainly on historical information about the ancient sites and monuments. However, in some cases, legends and myths have also been included. These myths are actually very important because they formed the basis on which famous temples and sanctuaries were built.

Which of the Greek ancient sites would you personally distinguish as something that visitors should not miss during their trip to Greece?

Very important are of course the Athens Acropolis that shelters some of the most important and illustrious monuments of the ancient Greek culture, the archaeological site of Delphi, the naval of the earth according to the legend, and the archaeological site of Olympia that constituted the birthplace of the Olympic Games. These are among the sites that a visitor to our country should not miss.

Are there any ancient sites in Greece that you think would deserve more attention from visitors and should definitely be more famous?

Yes, of course there are. Actually some of the most important ancient sites of our country are almost unknown and deserve more attention from visitors. For example, there is an important archaeological site in Eleusis, attached to the centre of the modern town. This was actually the place where the Eleusinian mysteries were taking place, the most famous secret religious rites in Ancient Greece. However, even a more famous site, Ancient Dodona in north western Greece, is not receiving as much attention as it deserves. This was a legendary oracle dedicated originally to a Mother Goddess (Rhea or Gaia) and later to Zeus, lord of the Olympian gods.

Is there any thought on another book?

I would like to write a guide about the museums or more specifically about the archaeological museums of Greece. It is a shame that people visit mostly the large archaeological museums, such as the Acropolis Museum and the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, while there are so many other worth to see museums around the country. There is for example a fantastic museum in Ancient Corinth, with a small yard lined around with Classical and Roman statues and with marvelous mosaics inside. It is a pity that tourists do not get enough information about all the fantastic things that they can see in our country.

For more info, check the e-book of Mr Lazarides: Archaeological sites in Greece