Greece has more archaeological museums than any other country in the world. The sheer number of museums and sites is testament to Greece’s immense cultural heritage, a cornerstone of European civilization. A large number of monuments from a variety of periods are designated UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Since 1985, three Greek cities, Athens (1985), Thessaloniki (1997) and Patra (2006) have been selected as European Cultural Cities, a choice that reflects their significance for Europe’s cultural identity, but also Greece’s vibrant contemporary arts scene, with avant-garde theatre and cinema, a lively music scene, frontline visual arts, and some of the world’s most pioneering museums.
It is worth mentioning that thousands of words used in European languages come from the Greek language. It is estimated that 12% of the English vocabulary is of Greek origin, while 25% is borrowed indirectly from Greek.