Athens Byzantine churches & monasteries

One of the particularities of Athens is that in every corner of every street you're going to find a church. Churches are everywhere: in little parks, in  small streets, in big roads, between huge buildings or on top of little hills for churches are in Greek's everyday life. Most of the famous churches were built between the 11th and the 12th C during the Golden Age of Athens' Byzantine art.

The old Metropolis(The old Cathedral), Odos Mitropoleos
Known as "The church of Panagia Gorgoepikoos or Agios Eleftherios," this 12th-century little church is considered as one of the finest of the city's Byzantine relics. It stands on Plateia Mitropoleos, in the shadow of the large and modern Metropolis Cathedral which was built between 1842 and 1862. With much more historical value than its new neighbour, this humble church was built on the ruins of an ancient temple witch was dedicated to the goddess Eileithyia.
It is partly built with Greek Pentelic, Roman and early Byzantine marble blocks and decorated with marble murals, such as one dating from the 4th century BC on which you can admire the symbols of the twelve months, as well as an external frieze of symbolic beasts. It is a cross-in-square church in a four-column type and only the dome is the part built in the typical cloisonn masonry. This church was initially know as Little Metropolis and was dedicated to the Madonna, the Panaghia Gorgoepikoos; much later, in 1863, it was dedicated to Aghios Eleftherios, which explains its double name.

Sotira Lykodimou, Odos Filellinon - the largest medieval structure built in 1031 as part of a Roman Catholic monastery was destroyed in 1780 by Ali Heseki, a Turkish official. In 1847 the octagonon type church was purchased by the Russian government. Extensive repairs and restorations were done during Tsar Alexander II and since then it has been serving as the Russian Orthodox Church. The present icon-screen was installed instead of the low Byzantine templon and the murals by Ludwig Thiersch(1847) replaced by the Byzantine wall paintings.

Kapnikarea, Odos Ermou - dedicated to Virgin Mary. This church is located in the famous street of Ermou, well-known for the great amount of shops boarding it. The church was built at the beginning of the 11th century on the ruins of an ancient temple, possibly dedicated to the goddess Athena or Demeter, and was probably named after its donor. It is a cross-in-square church and has a dome witch it's supported by four Roman columns. You can admire three apses on the east side and a narthex on the west. In the north side of the church, a chapel dedicated to Aghia Varvara was added as well as the exonarthex, which was built slightly later in front of the two churches. The church's walls were built in the typical cloisonn masonry and are decorated with limited brick, Cufic ornaments.

Agioi Theodoroi, Platia Klathmonos - 11th century. This tiny church, situated west of Plateia Klafthmonos, was probably erected over the ruins of an earlier structure and is possibly the oldest Byzantine church in Athens. Simply, in a transitional cross-in-square shape, the church has inscribed plaques built into the west wall, over the entrance in the western wall, recording that it was renovated in 1065 A.D. by Nicolaos Calomalos. During the opening phase of the Greek Revolution in 1821 the church was badly damaged but was restored in 1840. The ambo and. the sanctuary of the church has also been restored. It is a lovely building with walls built in the typical cloisonn masonry and decorated with brick, Cufic ornaments and terracotta frieze of animals and plants. The paintings in the interior wall are dated to the 19th century. More...
Agios Ioannis stin Kolona, Odos Evripidou - 12th cent. has a Roman column over its roof to which it owes its name (kolona=column).

Agios Dimitrios Loumbardaris, Philopapou, Acropolis, a small church in the type of the basilica with one aisle, on the hill of Philopapou across Akropolis, built during the 9th C. AD and named after St. Demetrios. In contrast to most churches of this period it is a single sloped church roofed by a vault, not a dome. According to legend the name Loumbardaris was taken from the following incident: During the Turkish rule the Christians gathered with great devotion at the church the day of the Saint's name day . This happened on the eve of October 26, 1656. Ruler of Athens on those days was Ghioussouf Agha, a fierce enemy of the Christians and the Greeks. He deceived the evil plot to kill "en masse" the congregation of the church. He primed all the guns as well as the big cannon, called "Loumbarda" that was on the propylea of the Akropolis to the little church 300m away. God through the intercession of St. Demetrios hurled down a lightning bolt that destroyed the cannons, killed the soldiers, Ghioussouf Aga and his whole family. Ever since the church was named "Loumbardaris". The frescoes were painted during 1735. Many interventions have been made to the exterior, the last by architect D. Pikionis, who also laid out the surrounding area.

Agioi Apostoloi tou Solaki, Ancient Agora - the oldest church in Athens(1020). The church of the Holy Apostle is a little jewel standing near the southern entrance of the Ancient Agora. It was built in the early 11th century in honour of St Paul who thought in the Agora. The charming little church was restored to its original form in 1954-57 and stripped of its 19th century additions. Inside, you can admire its fine Byzantine frescoes.
Agioi Asomatoi, Thission
Agios Ioannis Theologos, Plaka - Erotokritou & Erechtheos St. a very beautiful church of the 11 - 12th century.
Sotira tou Kotaki, Plaka - better known as Agia Sotira
Metohi tou Panagiou Tafou,Anafiotika - a small monastery belonging to the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. The church of the monastery, Agioi Apostoloi dates back to the 17th C.

Agios Nikolaos Rangavas, Anafiotika - 11th century

Panagia Chryssokastriotissa, Anafiotika - Legend says that when the Turks entered the Akropolis, women and children threw themselves down from the cliff. The miraculous icon of Panagia (Virgin Mary) saved them all and since then the church has been a refuge for women and children in peril.
Agia Ekaterini, Plaka - near the monument of Lysikrates, built during 11th C.
Panagia Chrysospiliotisa. In a small grotto in the cliff face situated behind the Theatre of Dionysos you're going to discover the tiny church of Panagia Chrysospiliotisa (Chapel of the Madonna of the Cavern). You're going to be touched by this little place with walls full of old pictures and icons. In this grotto, in 320 BC, Thrasyllos built a temple dedicated to Dionysos. This explains the two Ionic columns remaining above the chapel. You can reach this beauty by a rock path leading up from the Theatre of Dionysos.

Agios Georgios, Lykavitos Hill. The small chapel at the highest point of Athens.

Agioi Isidoroi, Lykavitos
Taxiarches, Moni Petraki
The Kessariani Monastery, Mount Hymitos. This interesting site is situated 5km east of Athens, near the top of Mt. Hymitos, near the cemetery of Kaissariani.Surrounded by pine trees, cypress trees and wild flowers this place is a real pleasure for the senses. This 11th century church is dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin and built to the Greek-cross plan. It was originally a temple to Demeter who was goddess of agriculture and nature. The actual monastery was built with the stones of the second temple erected there during the Roman period (100-300 AD); this is the reason of the existence of the four columns supporting its dome. In the narthex of the church you can admire the 17th century frescoes, work of Ioannis Ipatos. On the hill above the church you're going to discover a spring, source of the river Ilissos whose waters were once sacred to Aphrodite and therefore believed to cure infertility.

Daphni Monastery, Daphni, on the way to Corinth. This 11th century most important Byzantine monument of Attica (it's even on UNESCO's World Heritage list) was built on top of an ancient temple.. The temple was named after the daphnia laurels which was sacred to Apollo. It was destroyed by the Goths in 395 AD but you can still see, in the narthex of the church, the only surviving Ionic column. You can also admire some extremely fine mosaics (of Greece's finest ones) representing saints, monks, apostles, prophets and guardian archangels. But the amazing thing to see is the representation of the Christos Pantokrator (Christ in Majesty) in the centre of the dome. In 1205, the monastery was sacked by the renegades of the Fourth Crusade; rebuilt and then occupied by monks until the War of Greek Independence; it was used as an army barrack and finally as a hospital for the mentally ill. Most of the icons inside the church are the work of the celebrated Modern Greek artist Fotis Kontoglou.

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