WELCOME ΤΟAthina

The Academy of Athens is Greece's national academy, and the highest research establishment in the country. It was established in 1926, with its founding principle traces back to the historical Academy of Plato, and operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Education. The Academy's main building is one of the major landmarks of Athens.

The Acropolis of Athens, meaning “high point city” in ancient Greek is an iconic symbol which stands 156 meters above the sea leve, home to numerous temples and other important buildings. It has a privileged location and is visible from most parts of the city. The Acropolis in Athens was a fortress and military base during the Neolithic period, due to its position which offers a great view of the land and the sea. During the Mycenaean times, it became a religious center, dedicated to the worship of the goddess Athena. It is said that the place was declared a province only to the gods by an oracle, and therefore stopped being inhabited by the people. The three temples of major importance, the Parthenon, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Nike, were erected during the classical period (450-330 B.C.) on the remains of earlier temples. The Persians destroyed some parts of the Acropolis during the battle of Salamis in 480 B.C. The founder of the Athenian democracy, Pericles, was the one who rebuilt it under the form it has kept until today. He made it into a city of Temples, and, as everything else created at that period, turned it to the ultimate achievement in terms of classical Greek architecture and sculpting.

Anafiotika is a scenic tiny neighborhood of Athens, part of the old historical neighborhood called Plaka. It lies in northerneast side of the Acropolis hill. The first houses were built in the era of Otto of Greece, when workers from the island of Anafi came to Athens in order to work as construction workers in the refurbishment of King Othon's Palace.

The Ancient Agora of Athens was the social, political and commercial hub of the city during Ancient Greece. This "meeting place" is the best kept example of an Agora. Agoras in Ancient Greece were public squares where the inhabitants would meet to discuss politics and their quotidian lives. It is also where elections, religious celebrations, athletic competitions and various types of shows were held. The first excavations in the Agora area took place between 1859 and 1912. During the following years, important remains, including large sculptures, were found in a deep trench when the railway tracks were being installed. Although most of the buildings in the Agora are not very well preserved, some of the most prominent edifices have been reconstructed extremely well like the Stoa of Attalos, an ancient department store, currently housing the Ancient Agora Museum. The Agora is also home to the Temple of Hephaestus, one of the best-preserved temples of Ancient Greece. It was built between 449 and 415 BCE. The Ancient Agora is one of the capital’s most special landmarks. Although most of the area’s constructions are badly damaged, the historic importance of this archaeological site makes it a must-see visit for all visitors.

Kerameikos is an area of Athens, Greece, located to the northwest of the Acropolis, which includes an extensive area both within and outside the ancient city walls, on both sides of the Dipylon Gate and by the banks of the Eridanos River. It was the potters' quarter of the city, and was also the site of an important cemetery and numerous funerary sculptures erected along the Sacred Way.

The Lyceum was a temple dedicated to Apollo Lyceus. It was best known for the Peripatetic school of philosophy founded there by Aristotle in 334 BC. Aristotle fled Athens in 323 BC, and the university continued to function after his lifetime under a series of leaders until the Roman general Sulla destroyed it during his assault on Athens in 86 BC. The remains of the Lyceum were discovered in modern Athens in 1996 in a park behind the Hellenic Parliament.

The Athinais Cultural Center is a "multi-purpose" conference complex in Athens, Greece. It hosts business events, cultural activities, and entertainment. It also contains an art gallery with a permanent exhibition of contemporary Greek art. The building was originally a silk factory, since renovated.

The Bouleuterion of Ancient Olympia was a building inside the archaeological site of Olympia. A bouleuterion was an assembly house for local legislatures and other meetings. Building complex comprising two main buildings, a square room, and a stoa.

The church of St. Marina is located in Thissio district in Athens, on a hill near the National Observatory. Originally, the Church was carved in the rock, and inside it was covered with numerous wall paintings. It is now a baptistery. The foundation was laid in 1922. The construction, led by the talented architect Achilleos Georgiadis, was started in 1924 and finished in 1927. is made in an elegant Byzantine style.

Panagia Kapnikarea is an 11th-century church dedicated to Panagia and is situated in the middle of the busy Ermou shopping strip, on the way from Syntagma to Monastiraki square. The church is dedicated to Panagia and has a unique name “Kapnikarea” which may refer to the Byzantine tax “kapnikon” or some say it derives from the word “kapnismeni” which in Greek means “smoked”, due to the marks of fire that are seen on the building. The church is filled with a rich history and during the Greek Independence War, it was damaged, like most other monuments in Athens. In 1834, the year of the construction of Ermou Street, authorities had planned to demolish the church. This was during the reign of King Otto, as it was not included in the urban designs of his architect, Leo von Klenze but it was saved after the intervention of the King of Bavaria, Ludwig. Today, the church belongs to the University of Athens and continues to stand out as a unique part of the city’s history, attracting thousands of locals and tourists who walk inside each day to light a candle, say a prayer and look around this sacred site.

Ermou Street is a one and a half kilometer-long road in central Athens, Greece, connecting Kerameikos archaeological site with the Syntagma Square . Ermou street is a commercial avenue which has been turned into a pedestrian only street.

The First Greek Evangelical Church is a historic church in the center of Athens founded in 1858 and its history is linked to the modern history of the Greek nation. It is the oldest Protestant church in the country and as such, it understands its special role as a resource center that will serve the wider evangelical community in Athens, Greece, and the Balkans.

The Gate of Athena Archegetis is situated west side of the Roman Agora, in Athens and considered to be the second most prominent remain in the site after the Tower of the Winds. Constructed in 11 BCE by donations from Julius Caesar and Augustus, the gate was made of an architrave standing on four Doric columns and a base, all of Pentelic marble. A dedicatory inscription offers an insight into the time and circumstances of the monument's construction.

The Arch of Hadrian, most commonly known in Greek as Hadrian's Gate, is a monumental gateway resembling—in some respects—a Roman triumphal arch. It spanned an ancient road from the center of Athens, Greece, to the complex of structures on the eastern side of the city that included the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

Hadrian's Library was created by Roman Emperor Hadrian in AD 132 on the north side of the Acropolis of Athens. The building followed a typical Roman forum architectural style, having only one entrance with a propylon of Corinthian order, an inner courtyard surrounded by columns and a decorative oblong pool in the middle. The library was on the eastern side where rolls of papyrus "books" were kept.

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Dionysius the Areopagite is the main Roman Catholic church of Athens, Greece, and the seat of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Athens. The church is a three-aisle basilica in the neo-Renaissance style. The German architect Leo von Klenze drafted the plans for the cathedral at the behest of King Otto of Greece.

The Agia Dynami (Holy Power) church was built in the 16th century. Following the victory in the Greek War of Independence in the 1830s, the buildings around the church were demolished so the street could be widened to serve the growing needs of the city. In the 1950s, the area was again redeveloped .

The Byzantine imperial church of St Nicholas Ragkava is situated in the north-east side of the Acropolis. It is one of the most beautiful and popular historical churches of the Plaka neighborhood of Athens. According to historical sources, the name Ragkavas belongs to an important family from Constantinople (Istanbul) and Athens, the most well-known member of which was the Byzantine emperor Michael A’ Ragkave (811-813).

The church of Saint Panteleimon of Acharnai is a Greek Orthodox basilica in the center of Athens. It has a maximum length of 63 m and width 48 m and it is the biggest church of Greece. The church is in the downtown of the modern city of Athens, close to the high-traffic Acharnon Avenue .The foundations of the church were laid on 12 September 1910 by King George I of Greece and it was consecrated on 22 June 1930.

The church is near Klathmonos Square, in Evripidou and Skuleniou Street, in the center of Athens. It is an eminent Byzantine monument of Greece dated to the middle of the 11th century. It is a simple, distyle, cross-in-square church. The historical evidence on the church is a founder’s inscription walled above its entrance in the west.

The Church of the Holy Trinity is a Byzantine-era church at Filellinon Street that serves the Russian Orthodox community of Athens, Greece. The church is known by a variety of names: the Russian Church or St. Nikodemos a name of modern origin that is a corruption of its original name Soteira Lykodimou. A number of graffiti in the church indicate that the present structure was built before 1044 (or even earlier, 1031).

Daphni or Dafni is an eleventh-century Byzantine monastery eleven kilometers northwest of central Athens in the suburb of Chaidari, south of Athinon Avenue. It is situated near the forest of the same name, on the Sacred Way that led to Eleusis. The forest covers about 18 km², and surrounds a laurel grove.

Kolonaki Square is located in central Athens, Greece. Kolonaki itself is named after the small ancient column in the center of the square; the modern official name of this square is Plateia Filikis Etaireias named for the "Friendly Society" that supported Greek independence.

Mikrolimano is a heavenly beautiful nook and the most photographed location in Athens that will appeal to everyone who likes discovering awesome places, freshly cooked fish, Greek coffee, and vibrant nightlife. It is located northeast of the Piraeus peninsula, bordering on the Neo Faliro coastal area. The harbor has a centuries-old history.

Mount Lycabettus (or Lykavittos) stands 278 meters (over 900 ft) tall and is the highest peak in Athens with superb views of the capital. It is situated in the Kolonaki neighborhood. Greek mythology tells the story that the goddess Athena yearned her temple on the Acropolis to be closer to the sky, so she seized a large rock to place on top of the Acropolis, and while she was carrying it, she received a news that startled her and dropped the 278 meter-rock creating Mount Lycabettus. Lycabettus probably means “Mountain of Wolves” in ancient Greek, as it is believed that the natural elevation was once inhabited by wolves. During the Classical period, the hill was covered by dense vegetation and the top was crowned by a temple in honor of the Greek god Zeus. The hill was deserted after the Turkish occupation. Between 1880 and 1915, the area was re-planted and is now a hill full of native trees and plants. The views of Athens, and particularly the Acropolis, are stunning from the very top of Lycabettus hill. The small Orthodox chapel of St. George, a charming white traditional Greek temple, sits at the top of the Lycabettus. There are various ways to access this tourist attraction. You can either walk up a winding road surrounded by pine trees, by car (not to the top), or on the funicular.

A metroon was an ancient Greek temple dedicated to a mother goddess. They were often devoted to Cybele, Demeter, or Rhea. The Athenian Metroon was located on the west side of the city's Agora, in the Old Bouleuterion, which formerly housed the city council. At the end of the 5th century BC, the New Bouleuterion was built and the council's former home converted into a temple to Cybele.

The Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation, popularly known as the Metropolis or Mitropoli, is the cathedral church of the Archbishopric of Athens and all of Greece. Construction of the cathedral began on Christmas Day, 1842 with the laying of the cornerstone by King Otto and Queen Amalia. Construction started under the architect Theophil Hansen and was continued by Dimitris Zezos, Panagis Kalkos and François Boulanger.

The Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, inaugurated in 1986, features a 5,000-year-old artwork collection from the Cyclades Islands. It also displays countless pieces of art from Cyprus and Ancient Greece. The museum houses a collection of over 3,000 works of art from the Cyclades, Cyprus and Ancient Greece. This evidence shows the various cultures that bloomed from the fourth century BC till the sixth century AD in the Aegean Sea islands and East Mediterranean. The museum has four floors where the items are displayed by themes: Cycladic culture: The museum’s first floor features over 350 sculptures, vessels and figurines made of stone, marble, metal, bronze and clay. These objects are characteristic of Cycladic culture from the Early Bronze Age. Ancient Greek Art: The second-floor and fourth floor house nearly 400 artifacts dating between 2000 BC and the fourth century AD. All the pieces of art, including weapons, jewelry, vases, glass-made objects are from central Aegean and represent the spreading of Classical culture in the islands. Cypriot Art: The third floor is dedicated to the relics found in Cyprus dating from the Chalcolithic to the Modern periods. It has over 500 objects made of stone, gold, silver, bronze, clay and marble. Scenes of daily life during Ancient times: The fourth floor displays 142 objects from Antiquity. They are all labeled with an explanation of what each item was used for. Visitors will get a good idea of how daily life was for the Ancient Greeks.

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, usually referred to simply as the University of Athens, is a public university in Zografou, a suburban town in the Athens agglomeration, Greece. It has been in continuous operation since its establishment in 1837 and is the oldest higher education institution of the modern Greek state and the first contemporary university in both the Balkan Peninsula and the Eastern Mediterranean.

Omonoia Square is a central square in Athens. Forming the centre of Omonoia. It marks the northern corner of the downtown area defined by the city plans of the 19th century, and is one of the city's principal traffic hubs. It is served by Omonoia metro station.

The Philopappos Monument is an ancient Greek mausoleum and monument dedicated to Philopappus, a prince from the Kingdom of Commagene. It is located on Mouseion Hill in Athens, Greece, southwest of the Acropolis. Philopappos died in 116,. As a dedication to honor the memory of Philopappos, Balbilla his sister with the citizens of Athens erected a tomb structure on Muses Hill near the Acropolis of Athens.

The Academy Park is a big plot of land located in the Kolonus neighborhood of Athens. It was here the great philosopher, Plato, decided to build one of the most famous universities (we can even say the first university) of the ancient world, the Academy of Plato. The Academy Park, is a gorgeous contrast from the modern Athenian urban environment.

The Presidential Mansion in Athens, Greece, is the official residence of the president of the Hellenic Republic. It served previously as the Royal Palace, until the abolition of the monarchy by the 1973 referendum. The decision to construct the building which currently is used as the Presidential Mansion was made in 1868. Building began in 1891 and was completed six years later in 1897.

The Propylaia is the classical Greek Doric building complex that functioned as the monumental ceremonial gateway to the Acropolis of Athens. Built between 437 and 432 BCE as a part of the Periklean Building Program, it was the last in a series of gatehouses built on the citadel.

The Brauroneion was the sanctuary of Artemis Brauronia on the Athenian Acropolis, located in the southwest corner of the Acropolis plateau, between the Chalkotheke and the Propylaea in Greece. It was originally dedicated during the reign of Peisistratos. The sanctuary on the Acropolis was of an unusual trapezoidal shape and did not contain a formal temple. Instead, a portico or stoa served that function.

Athinas street is quite a unique street in the centre of Athens. It is in some ways the heart and soul of the centre of the city. It used to be full of underworld figures dealing in all sorts of activities, There are countless shops selling everything imaginable.

The statue of Constantine XI Palaiologos stands in the Mitropoleos Square, Athens, Greece. A 2.5m high copper statue of the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos. The statue is a copy of his 1978 statue of Constantine in Mystras. Constantine is depicted in full armour, holding his sword proudly across his chest.

The Lord Byron Statue is a 5 minute walk from the Akropoli metro station, just past Hadrian's Arch. A sculpture shows Greece represented by a seated female who is crowning a young Byron with a palm branch. This is a symbol of immortality .

St. Paul's Anglican-Episcopalian Church (central Athens). is a beautiful building ,constructed in the 1840's ,the architectural style is Neo Gothic and the church serves the English speaking community in Athens

Syntagma is a station on the Athens Metro, located at Syntagma Square in the center of Athens, Greece. It serves as the transfer point between Line 3, Line 2 and the Athens Tram. When the Metro first opened, on 28 January 2000, the station was the terminal station for both the new lines.

Also called the Olympieion, the Temple of Olympian Zeus was a grandiose temple built between the sixth century BC and second century AD. It was built in honor of the Greek god Zeus. The Temple of Olympian Zeus, 500 meters southeast of the Acropolis, was once an impressive construction made entirely of white marble from Mount Pentelicus. The monument had 104 15-meter Corinthian columns. Nowadays, only 15 remain standing, and one intact column lies on the ground. The design of this colossal temple began during the period of Peisistratos, in the sixth century B.C. For various reasons, it was not finished until nearly seven centuries later, in 132 AC, under the Roman Emperor Hadrian. When the impressive temple was completed, the Emperor Hadrian commissioned a statue made of gold and marble in the shape of the Greek god Zeus and another of himself to place inside the temple. On the northeast corner of the monument is Hadrian’s Arch, a remarkable 18-meter marble arch that once separated the old city (city of Theseus) and the new city (city of Hadrian). It was built in 131 AC to commemorate the Roman Emperor. Although an earthquake destroyed most of the temple during the Middle Ages, the remains still demonstrate the vastness of the monument and its importance in Ancient Greece.

Athens’ memorial to the victims of the Holocaust takes the shape of a broken Star of David, hewn from Egyptian marble. The creation of Greek-American sculptor Deanna Maganias, it points to the villages and cities across Greece where hundreds of thousands of Jews were gathered and deported under Nazi German occupation.

The prison of Socrates in Athens is on Filopappou Hill, one of the best places in Athens with views of the Acropolis and of the whole city of Athens. Built in the 5th century BC. The use of the rooms is yet unknown. Its cave-like structure and its proximity to the Athenian Agora must have led to the legend that the building is none other than the Prison of Socrates, or an ancient bath.

Tzistarakis Mosque is an Ottoman mosque, built in 1759, in Monastiraki Square, central Athens, Greece. It is now functioning as an annex of the Museum of Greek Folk Art. The mosque was built in 1759, by the Ottoman governor (voevoda) of Athens, Mustapha Agha Tzistarakis. According to tradition, Tzistarakis used one of the pillars of the Temple of Olympian Zeus to make lime for the building.

The Ancient Bath is an old Roman bath house which is located along the side of the road as you pass the National Garden, near the parliament building. These baths date from the late 3rd or early 4th century AD and were expanded in the 5th century.