A tour of the Byzantine churches in the historic center of Athens offers history, unique architecture, a rare viewing experience and a knowledge boost. Not only have they survived, but many churches are still open for spiritual business and tourists and doing a roaring trade.
It was in the middle Byzantine period during the 11th and 12th centuries when the most significant churches were built in Athens, denoted by their small proportions, elaborate brickwork decoration, and constructed in an architectural style known as cross-in-square.
What truly distinguishes these churches as “Athenian” are their unique red-tiled, eight-sided domes (Athenian Dome) that crown these holy buildings, representing the last traces of Byzantium in Athens.
The Byzantine churches of Athens
Panagia Kapnikarea
This is one of the oldest churches in Athens, situated in the heart of Ermou Street and built around 1050AD over the ruins of an ancient temple that honored the goddess Athena or Dimitra. The Byzantine church is dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin.
There are icons, including the Platytera—also known as Our Lady of the Sign—which depicts the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child, by one of Greece’s most celebrated hagiographers, Fotis Kontoglou.
Panagia Pantanassa
Panagia Pantanassa was built around 10th century and is located at Monastiraki Square.
“Monastiraki,” means “small monastery,” referring to its origins as a monastery once annexed to the Monastery of Kaisariani. It was used by monks during the Frankish occupation and later as a nunnery.
The monastery cells were located in what we see today as the public square. Approximately one-third of the church is below ground level. It is a barrel-vaulted basilica denoting the transition from late antiquity to the Byzantine and Medieval World, although its bell tower, along with the frescoes and iconography, are more recent additions.
The Church of Agios Dimitrios Loumbardiaris
At the foot of Philopappos Hill lies the small 12th-century Byzantine chapel of St. Dimitrios, a single-aisle vaulted church that appears to have been built with recycled materials.
The original construction is likely associated with the final phase of the Diateichisma fortification wall—a first line of defense for Athens, established in the 4th century BC.
Church of the Holy Apostles
The Church of the Holy Apostles is located in the Ancient Agora of Athens, Greece, next to the Stoa of Attalos and can be dated to around the late 10th century.
The church is particularly significant as the only monument in the Agora other than the Temple of Hephaestus to survive intact since its foundation and for its architecture. It was the first significant church of the Middle Byzantine period in Athens and marks the beginning of the so-called “Athenian type,” successfully combining the simple four-pier with the cross-in-square forms.
Agios Eleftherios (Little Metropolis)
The Little Metropolis, formally the Church of St. Eleftherios, is a Byzantine church located at the Mitropoleos Square (Cathedral of Athens), next to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens.
The church is built on top of the ruins of an ancient temple dedicated to the goddess Eileithyia. Various dates for its construction have been proposed in the past, from the 9th century under Empress Irene of Athens to the 13th century.
It differs considerably from other Byzantine churches of the same period in Athens, and indeed elsewhere; although it follows the typical cross-in-square style, it is, uniquely, almost entirely built of recycled stones from earlier buildings, ranging from Classical Antiquity to the 12th or even 13th centuries.
Agios Nikolaos Ragavas
This church is located in Anafiotika, near the monument of Lysikrates. It is estimated that its name derives from the legendary family of Constantinople that spawned the Byzantine Emperor Michael I Rangabe.
The first temple was built in the 9th century, but it was mysteriously destroyed. The second was built in the 11th century and took its present form after maintenance works in 1979-1980.
Other Byzantine churches in the center of Athens include the Metamorfosi tou Sotiros in Plaka, the Hagioi Theodoroi Church near Klathmonos Square, and the church of Chrysospiliotissa.
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