Between the classical age and modern Greece, Athens lived for almost a thousand years as a city of the Byzantine Empire. It was no longer a capital, but it remained a religious and learned city, and in the 11th and 12th centuries it saw a flowering of small, refined churches, cross-in-square with a central dome, built in the characteristic masonry of stone blocks framed by bricks. Many were destroyed in the 19th century when the new capital was redesigned; those that survive are gems to discover on foot. See the Byzantine Empire.
In the centre
Kapnikarea. The most photographed, because it stands literally in the middle of Ermou Street, the shopping street, which flows around it. It dates from the 11th century and is dedicated to the Presentation of the Virgin. In the 19th century it was to be demolished to straighten the street: it was saved by King Ludwig I of Bavaria, father of King Otto. The frescoes inside are 20th-century, by the painter Fotis Kontoglou, who revived the Byzantine style.
Little Metropolis (Panagia Gorgoepikoos or Agios Eleftherios). Next to the large cathedral, this 12th-century chapel is built almost entirely of reused ancient marble: on its outer walls you can make out classical reliefs, Byzantine crosses, a frieze with the months of the year and assorted symbols, a collage of eighteen centuries of history.
Metropolitan Cathedral (Mitropoli). The large church of the Annunciation, built between 1842 and 1862, is the seat of the Archbishop of Athens. It is not Byzantine but 19th-century: official ceremonies and state funerals are held here. See the Greek Orthodox Church.
Holy Apostles (Agioi Apostoloi Solaki). The only non-ancient building preserved inside the Agora, built around the year 1000 over an ancient fountain. During the 1950s excavations it was freed of later additions; it has 17th-century frescoes.
St Nicholas Rangavas. An 11th-century church in Plaka, at the foot of the Acropolis. Tradition says its bell was the first to ring in Athens after the Ottomans left in 1833.
Agioi Theodoroi and Sotira Lykodimou. The first, near Klafthmonos Square, has terracotta decoration with Kufic motifs; the second, the city's largest medieval church, is now the Russian Orthodox church, with a broad, bright dome.
Outside the centre
Daphni Monastery. About 10 km west of the centre, on the ancient Sacred Way to Eleusis, Daphni monastery preserves in its main church some of the finest Byzantine mosaics in the world, from the 11th century, with the famous Christ Pantocrator gazing down from the dome. Since 1990 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage site together with Hosios Loukas in Boeotia and Nea Moni on Chios. The monastery was damaged by the 1999 earthquake and underwent long restoration; check opening times before going.
Kaisariani Monastery. On the slopes of Mount Hymettus, in a wood of pines and cypresses a few kilometres from the centre, is an 11th-century monastery with 17th-century frescoes and an ancient spring whose water pours from a ram's head. It is a peaceful half-day outing, best combined with a walk on Hymettus trails.
Visiting
| Tip | Details |
|---|---|
| Dress | Shoulders and knees covered; shawls are often available at the entrance |
| Opening times | Small city churches are open mainly in the morning and during services |
| Behaviour | Silence during services; no flash photography |
| Entry | Free in city churches; ticket at the state monasteries of Daphni and Kaisariani |
| Museums | The most precious icons are in the Byzantine and Christian Museum, see Athens museums |
A special experience is Orthodox Easter: on the night of Holy Saturday the churches fill up, candles are lit at midnight and the Resurrection is announced with fireworks. See Easter in Greece.