Claim: Greece is located in southeastern Europe.

Athens -LRB- -LSB- ˈæθᵻnz -RSB- Αθήνα , Athína -LSB- aˈθina -RSB- , Ἀθῆναι , Athênai -RRB- is the capital and largest city of Greece . It dominates the Attica region and is one of the world 's oldest cities , with its recorded history spanning over 3,400 years , and its earliest human presence starting somewhere between the 11th and 7th millennia BC .   Classical Athens was a powerful city-state that emerged in conjunction with the seagoing development of the port of Piraeus , which had been a distinct city prior to its 5th century BC incorporation with Athens . A centre for the arts , learning and philosophy , home of Plato 's Academy and Aristotle 's Lyceum , it is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy , largely because of its cultural and political impact on the European continent , and in particular the Romans . In modern times , Athens is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central to economic , financial , industrial , maritime , political and cultural life in Greece . In 2012 , Athens was ranked the world 's 39th richest city by purchasing power and the 67th most expensive in a UBS study .   Athens is recognised as a global city because of its location and its importance in shipping , finance , commerce , media , entertainment , arts , international trade , culture , education and tourism . It is one of the biggest economic centres in southeastern Europe , with a large financial sector , and its port Piraeus is both the largest passenger port in Europe and the second largest in the world .  The municipality -LRB- city -RRB- of Athens had a population of 664,046 -LRB- in 2011 -RRB- within its administrative limits , and a land area of 38.96 km2 . The urban area of Athens -LRB- Greater Athens and Greater Piraeus -RRB- extends beyond its administrative municipal city limits , with a population of 3,090,508 -LRB- in 2011 -RRB- over an area of 412 km2 . According to Eurostat in 2011 , the functional urban area -LRB- FUA -RRB- of Athens was the 9th most populous FUA in the European Union -LRB- the 6th most populous capital city of the EU -RRB- , with a population of 3,828,000 . Athens is also the southernmost capital on the European mainland .   The heritage of the classical era is still evident in the city , represented by ancient monuments and works of art , the most famous of all being the Parthenon , considered a key landmark of early Western civilization . The city also retains Roman and Byzantine monuments , as well as a smaller number of Ottoman monuments .   Athens is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites , the Acropolis of Athens and the medieval Daphni Monastery . Landmarks of the modern era , dating back to the establishment of Athens as the capital of the independent Greek state in 1834 , include the Hellenic Parliament and the so-called `` architectural trilogy of Athens '' , consisting of the National Library of Greece , the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the Academy of Athens . Athens is also home to several museums and cultural institutions , such as the National Archeological Museum , featuring the world 's largest collection of ancient Greek antiquities , the Acropolis Museum , the Museum of Cycladic Art , the Benaki Museum and the Byzantine and Christian Museum . Athens was the host city of the first modern-day Olympic Games in 1896 , and 108 years later it welcomed home the 2004 Summer Olympics .