Churches and Monasteries, Athens

This small church in the centre of Athens is incredible. It is under the Ministry of Education and Religion, in Mitropoleos street, squeezed between the pillars.
Agia Dynami is dedicated to the birth of Virgin Mary. Agia Dynami was believed to protect women in labor.
It seems that the church could not be demolished and the ministerial building had to respect it... but they could, at least, separate a bit more the pillars and leave it "free"!
The church is very popular and many Athenians enter everyday for a while, when going to work.

Archbishop Damaskinos Papandreou was the archbishop of Athens and All Greece from 1941 until his death in 1949. He was also the regent of Greece between the pull-out of the German occupation force in 1944 and the return of King Georgios II to Greece in 1946. His rule marked the reconstruction of Greece after German occupation during World War II.

You may see a statue of Archbishop Damaskinos near the Cathedral at Metropoli Square.

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This domed cruciform church is one of Athens' numerous XI-th century churches. It was damaged by the Turks in 1780 purchased by the Tsar of Russia in 1845 and redecorated internally by the painter Ludwig Thiersch. Since then re-dedicated to St Nicodemus it has belonged to the Russian Orthodox Church.

Services on Sundays at 7.30am (Greek) and 9am (Greek and Russian)

You may watch my high resolution photo of Athens on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 37º 58' 26.25" N 23º 44' 2.51" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Russian Church .

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This Mosque stands in front of the Monastiraki Station.
Tzistarakis (or Tsistarakis) was a governor (voivode) of Athens at the middle of the eighteenth century who constructed this Mosque. He brought to this mosque some columns from the Temple of Olympian Zeus.

As he did it without due permission of the Sultan he was heavily fined and chased out from his position. The minaret was destroyed after 1821. The Mosque once used as prison is now the Museum of Greek Poplar Art.

You may watch my high resolution photo of Athens on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 37º 58' 33.43" N 23º 43' 32.96" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Dzisdaraki Mosque .

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The Church of Panaghia Kapnikarea is a Greek Orthodox Church one of the oldest churches in Athens.
It is estimated that the church was built in the XI-th century. As it was common with the early Christian churches this was built over an ancient Greek pagan temple dedicated to the worship of a female goddess possibly Athena or Demeter.

The church is located in the downtown of Athens right in the middle of the high-traffic shopping area of Ermou Street, at the edge of the Plaka district.

You may watch my high resolution photo of Athens on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 37º 58' 34.95" N 23º 43' 42.58" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Church of Panaghia Kapnikarea .

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This church is also known as “Little Metropolis”. It was dedicated to the Madonna the Panaghia Gorgoepikoos. Later on it was dedicated to Aghios Eleutherios which explains the double name.
This church stands on the Mitropoleos square, in the Plaka neighbourhood, on the side of the huge modern Metropolis Cathedral. It is one of the finest Byzantine relics of the city and is dated to the XII-th century.

You may watch my high resolution photo of Athens on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 37º 58' 30.20" N 23º 43' 47.14" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio The church of Panagia Gorgoepikoos .

In Mitrópolis Square, which is reached from Syntagma Square by way of Mitropóleos Street, are two churches of very different character - the medieval Little Mitrópolis and the modern Great Mitrópolis.

As a cathedral, the Mitrópoli is the seat of the Bishop of Athens. It remains a major city landmark and the site of important ceremonies like coronations of royals and weddings and funerals of the rich and famous. It was built since 1842 till 1862.

You may watch my high resolution photo of Athens on the Google Earth according to the following coordinates 37º 58' 31.51" N 23º 43' 46.06" E or on my Google Earth Panoramio Mitrópoli (Cathedral) .

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Mitropolis, Cathedral of Athens, Church of The Annunciation of The Virgin- these are all names for this large 19th Century place of Worship.

In 1842, construction began, using the remnants of 70 other demolished churches (many destroyed during the Turkish occupation). The architect, E. Schaubert, was German.
Work was completed 20 years later in 1862.

Open from 06.30 - 1900.

I'm afraid that I didn't get the chance to see the inside, there was a service attended by the President, then another televised service on the 2 times I decided to visit.
Apparently, the interior resembles St Marks Cathedral in Venice.

As well as being the chief centre for Greek Orthodox worship, and being the seat of the Bishop of Athens, the Cathedral also has political importance, as new Greek Leaders are sworn in here.