Shadows of Byzantium: The Sunken City of Athens

TOUR START

Church of Panagia Kapnikarea

An 11th-century church sitting in the middle of a bustling shopping street, saved from 19th-century demolition by a Bavarian king.

Image by George E. Koronaios on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

STOP 2

Church of Agia Dynami

A tiny 16th-century chapel literally encased within the concrete pillars of the modern Electra Metropolis Hotel.

Image by George E. Koronaios on Wikimedia Commons (CC0)

STOP 3

Little Metropolis (Church of St. Eleftherios)

A tiny church built almost entirely out of reused ancient Greek and Roman marble reliefs, sitting next to the massive modern Cathedral.

Image by C messier on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

STOP 4

Church of Agios Ioannis Theologos

An 11th-century church hidden in the quiet alleys of Plaka, offering a pristine example of Byzantine cross-in-square architecture.

STOP 5

Church of Metamorphosis tou Sotiros

A tiny, unadorned 11th-century chapel tucked into the northern slope of the Acropolis, blending seamlessly into the hillside.

END

Church of Agioi Asomatoi

An 11th-century church sitting significantly below modern street level, restored in the 20th century as Athens reclaimed its Byzantine heritage.

Image by George E. Koronaios on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)