My last full afternoon in Athens was spent at the Athenian or Ancient Agora (not to be confused with the Roman Agora which I did not visit). It was the heart of ancient Athens where supposedly democracy first sprang to life, as the social, political and commercial hub of the city, a meeting place and a site of temples and of shops.
Another small church on Ermou Street, the heart of a popular shopping district, is the Church of Panagia Kapnikarea. Panagia as we’ve already seen relates to the Virgin Mary but more interestingly Kapnikarea relates to either the tax collector responsible for the church or the tax on residential buildings that produced smoke from cooking nearby. Dedicated to the Virgin Mary this church actually belongs to the University of Athens.
The Church of Panagia Pantanassa is another one of those tiny churches that you could almost but not quite blink and miss it. One of the oldest churches in Athens its name come from the Greek for the Virgin Mary. It has some confused origins, either dating from the 7th or the 9th century depending on which source you trust. Located at Monastiraki Square, one of the busiest areas of Athens, it was curious to see how few people were paying attention to it – now lower than the ground level it initially would have dominated this part of the city.
The Cathedral has a number of names including the Holy Metropolitan Church of the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary. It’s the principal Greek Orthodox church in Athens and is the seat of the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece. Building began on Christmas Day in 1842 using marble from 72 demolished churches.
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.
After I’d visited the Benaki Museum I headed practically round the corner in order to go to the Museum of Cycladic Art. Cycladic refers to the islands of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea and the culture dates from roughly 3200 BCE to 1050 BCE. The collection was brought together by Nicholas Goulandris, a shipping magnate and his wife Dolly. It is one of the most complete collections of Cycladic art in the world.
The Benaki Museum started as the private collection of Antonis Benakis, a wealthy cotton merchant, and is housed in the family’s original neoclassical home. Antonis and his three sisters donated it to Greece in 1930. The museum contains thousands of exhibits tracing Greek culture from the prehistoric to the modern age.
After the Acropolis I would put the Panathenaic Stadium as my favourite site in Athens. I deliberately planned my visit for early in the morning to beat the heat (there is no shade) and apparently the crowds because it wasn’t at all busy while I was there, but a queue was starting to build up as I was leaving. An adult ticket cost €10 and included a very good audio guide that came in the form of an old style mobile phone. Note that you can only buy admission tickets in person from the entrance booth.
Kerameikos hadn’t been on my radar when I was researching things I might like to do in Athens but my hotel provided a handy map and list of things to do in the area that recommended the site so I decided to check it out and was very glad I did.
The Acropolis Museum is an easy walk downhill from the Acropolis and it makes sense to do one after the other if you have the time. During the summer season (1 April – 31 October) tickets cost €15 and can be bought in advance but as I didn’t know how long I was going to be at the Acropolis I settled for buying when I was there. Do note that your bag goes through an x-ray scanner at the entrance and large bags will have to be placed in the cloakroom.
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