Piraeus an integral part of the Greek capital. The port of Piraeus is now an important international port, and the largest in the country. Piraeus is situated in the southwest part of the central plain of Attica, also widely known as the "Athens or Attica Basin", which the Athens agglomeration (urban area) sprawls across. Piraeus is bounded by the Mount Aigaleo to the northwest, and the Saronic Gulf to the south and west, and connected with the rest of the Athens Urban Area to the east and northeast. The "city proper" of Piraeus consists of a rocky peninsula, originally an island,
Piraeus Lion Swedish Museum of National Antiquities in Stockholm. The lion was originally sculpted in about 360 BC, and became a famous landmark in Piraeus, having stood there since the 1st or 2nd century AD. Its prominence was such that the port eventually became referred to in Italian as Porto Leone ("Lion Port") as the port's original name ceased to be used. It is depicted in a sitting pose, with a hollow throat and the mark of a pipe (now lost) running down its back; this suggests that it was originally used as a fountain. This is consistent with the description of