Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece, with around 643,000 people in the municipality and more than three million across the wider urban area. It is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities, with settlement dating back to the Neolithic period, and reached its greatest influence during the 5th century BC, when it became a centre of philosophy, democracy, theatre and the arts. The Acropolis dominates the historic centre, with the Parthenon, Erechtheion and Temple of Athena Nike among its best-known monuments, while other major sights include the Ancient Agora, the National Archaeological Museum and the districts of Plaka and Monastiraki. Athens became the capital of the modern Greek state in 1834 and has since expanded into a vast metropolitan area around the Attica basin. The city also has an important place in extreme metal history: Rotting Christ formed in Athens in 1987 and became one of Greece’s most influential metal bands, while Septicflesh followed in 1990 and developed into a major name in symphonic death metal.

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