On my last full day in Athens I decided that it was about time that I explored some of the city’s churches. My first of these was Agia Dynami partly because it was nestled under the Electra Metropolis Hotel and I could see it from my hotel balcony. The Greek Church leased the property to the hotel franchise in 2016.
Built on top of what used to be a shrine dedicated to Hercules it is one of the oldest Christian churches in Athens, built during the 16th century. Following the Greek War of Independence in the 1830s the buildings around the church were knocked down and the streets widened but the Greek Church refused the same to happen to the church.
The name Agia Dynami relates to the Virgin Mary and as such the church is dedicated to pregnant women. Inside the tiniest of churches are beautiful icons and frescoes most of which depict women.
Things to note – it’s free to visit but donations are welcome. It’s also, as with all Greek Orthodox churches, polite to at least cover your shoulders and knees when entering. I never saw anyone pulled up on this but I personally always made sure to carry a cardigan that I could cover my shoulders with.
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