Month: January 2014

Wood Sculptures/Ξύλινα Γλυπτά

The Cross of the Martyr

Window of hope/Eye of the soul

The Window of Hope

Redemption

‘The Wing-symbolizes freedom’

Display of scultures and their meaning

A Poem by famous Greek poet Giannis Ritsos who was a patient at the sanatorium

In my previous blog post I talked about the Sanatoruim which is located outside of Athens on the mountain of Parnitha. Across the road from the abandoned building is a small park with wooden sculptures. The wooden sculptures  were created by sculptor Spirdon Dasiotis in 2012. The sculptures are an homage to the people who passed through the doors of the building when it was operating as a Sanatorium for tuberculosis patients.

 ‘We love the earth, , people, the animals.  The reptiles, the sky, and the insects. We are, we are and all of us together. Together and the sky and earth.” Giannis Ritsos

Στο προηγούμενο αρθρο μου έγραψα για το σανατόριο στο βουνό της Πάρνηθας. Απέναντι από το εγκαταλελειμμένο κτίριο είναι ένα μικρό πάρκο με ξύλινα γλυπτά που δημιουργήθηκαν από τον γλύπτη Σπυριδων Ντασιωτης το 2012. Τα γλυπτά είναι ένας φόρος τιμής προς τους ανθρώπους που πέρασαν μέσα από τις πόρτες του κτιρίου, όταν λειτουργούσε ως σανατόριο για τους ασθενείς της φυματίωσης.

Sanatorium/Σανατόριο
Exterior of abandoned Sanatorium
Scary clown graffiti
Rubble of steps to the front entrance
This Hospital/hotel has seen better days

Here are some photographs that I took of an abandoned Sanatorium at Parnitha Mountain located just North of Athens.  Its doors were opened in May of 1912 to treat patients withtuberculosis. Health officials thought that it was the most suitable location, as the cure for tuberculosis was thought to be fresh air and Mount Parnitha had plenty of it. The facility treated thousands of patients, but many never left alive. Then, in 1960, antibiotics for tuberculosis was discovered and the hospital closed down.  Afterwards, the sanatorium, served a dual purpose as a hotel and as a school for tourism studies. In 1985 both the hotel and school closed down. Since then it has been abandoned.   Like all abandoned structures this one has a reputation of being haunted. The day I went up there I had only planned on taking some scenic photos of Athens, but then I stumbled across this building. I was really creeped out by it. I didn’t like the atmosphere and I refused to go inside. What made it even more scary were the scorched trees (from the fire of 2007) that surrounded the building. The scorched tress gave the place an even more desolate feeling. To conclude Urbex photography is probably not for me!

Εδώ είναι μερικές φωτογραφίες που τραβηξα οταν επισκέφθηκα το εγκαταλελειμμένο Σανατόριο στην Πάρνηθα, το οποιο βρικσκεται Βόρεια της Αθήνας.  Η πόρτες του σανατορίου άνοιξαν το Μάιο του 1912 για τη θεραπεία των ασθενών με φυματίωση . Θεωρήθηκε ότι είναι η πιο κατάλληλη τοποθεσία καθως πιστεύαν ότι ο καθαρός αέρας μπορει να θεραπευσει τους ασθενεις.  Στο σανατοριο έμειναν χιλιάδες ασθενείς , αλλά ηταν πολλοι που δεν εφυγαν ζωντανοι .  Tο νοσοκομείο έκλεισε το 1960 όταν ανακαλύφθηκαν τα αντιβιοτικά .  Στη συνέχεια λειτουργησε με διπλο σκοπό, ως ένα ξενοδοχείο και ως  σχολή Τουριστικών Επαγγελμάτων, ομως το 1985 το ξενοδοχείο και το σχολείο έκλεισε .  Από τότε παραμενει  εγκαταλειμενο. Όπως όλα τα εγκαταλελειμμένα χτιρια, το σανατοριο στη Παρνιθα έχει τη φήμη ότι είναι στοιχειωμένο.  Οταν πηγα στη Παρνηθα ο σκοπος μου ηταν να τραβηξω μερικές γραφικές εικόνες της Αθήνας. Η  ανακάλυψη του σανατορίου ηταν εντελως τυχαιο.  Αρχικά ειχα τρομαξει με το θεαμα του κτιριου, και δεν τολμησα να μπω μεσα.  Αυτο που εκανε τι περιοχη πιο τρομακτικη ηταν τα καμένα δέντρα που ειχαν καει από την πυρκαγιά του 2007.   Τα καμένα δέντρα  έδωσε στον τόπο μια πιο έρημη αίσθηση . Έχω καταλήξει στο συμπέρασμα οτι η φωτογραφία τυπου ‘urbex’ μάλλον δεν είναι για μένα!

Underground City/Υπόγεια Πόλη

Entrance at Zara

Ancient Stone Structure

The ancient city of Athens is littered with ruins. The famous of all ruins, the Acropolis,  is the most visible of all. But, there are buildings underneath our feet that many people do not know are there. Although I know that the ruins are everywhere, especially in the downtown area, I was pleasantly surprised when I saw some ruins at the entrance of the clothing store Zara at Panepistimiou Street. At the entrance and underneath a large sheet of plexiglass is what appears to be a stone archway of a home or some other structure. I didn’t notice it when I walked in but when I walked out I saw it and I took some photographs.

Η αρχαία πόλη της Αθήνας είναι γεμάτη με ερείπια. Το διάσημο από όλα τα ερείπια, την Ακρόπολη, είναι το πιο ορατό από όλους. Αλλά, υπάρχουν κτίρια κάτω από τα πόδια μας, ότι πολλοί άνθρωποι δεν γνωρίζουν ότι υπάρχουν. Αν και ξέρω ότι τα ερείπια είναι παντού, ειδικά στο κέντρο της πόλης, εξεπλάγην ευχάριστα όταν είδα κάποια ερείπια στην είσοδο του καταστήματος ενδυμάτων Zara στην οδό Πανεπιστημίου. Στην είσοδο και κάτω από ένα μεγάλο φύλλο του πλεξιγκλάς είναι αυτό που φαίνεται να είναι μια πέτρινη καμάρα ενός σπιτιού ή κάποια άλλη δομή. Εγώ δεν το προσέξει αυτό, όταν μπήκα μέσα, αλλά όταν μπήκα έξω το είδα και πήρα μερικές φωτογραφίες.

Socrates’ Prison/Η Φυλακή Tου Σωκράτη

Entrance To The Park

Front View Of Prison

A Sign For Visitors

Locked Cell

Inside The Ancient Prison Cave

A Short Distance From the Prison Cave

Just below the Acropolis lies a very arid and ancient park on Philopapou hill.  The park has a strange of atmosphere as do many places that have such a rich history. There were hardly any visitors in the park that day, and as I  was walking and taking photographs I noticed a cave with rusty iron bars on it. It crossed my mind that it could be Greek philospopher Socrate’s prison. I had about it a while ago, but I wasn’t sure about were its exact location might be . As I got closer to the sign I saw that it was were he was kept imprisoned and I was thrilled to see it up close.

Socrates, as many might know, was kept imprisoned after being accused of corrupting the minds of Athenian youth and not believing in the 12 Gods of Olympus. He was sentenced to death by being forced to swallow a poison called ‘konio’. He died at the age of 71 in 399 B.C.

He was a genius and the wisest of philosphers and I sometimes wonder what Socrates would say about Athens and the rest of the world today.  I think that I might have some idea of what he would say..or maybe he won’t say anything.

Many people know his most famous words that some know- it- alls may have a hard time swallowing..

“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
― Socrates

 

The Cross/O Σταυρός

“Even on the cross He did not hide Himself from sight; rather, He made all creation witness to the presence of its Maker.”
“Ακόμη και στο σταυρό δεν έκρυψε τον Εαυτό του από τη θέα, μάλλον, έκανε τους ανθρώπους να είναι μαρτυρες για την παρουσία του Δημιουργού του.”― Athanasius of Alexandria, On the Incarnation

Slave Τo Time/Σκλάβος Με Το Χρόνο

‘Slave To Time’ by Angela Zafiris
Handmade collage background with layered photographs of a mountain, tree branches and female statue in the foreground.

This is my first artwork for this blog in 2014.   I thought that it was fitting since the subject is about time and this is a new year, a new time. A time of reflecting on the year that has passed and making new resolutions.

Time seem to pass by so quickly.  We are always being made aware of the time that passes because time is everywhere. We wear the time on our wrists, we see the time on our television screens, computer screens and telephones. We are constantly told how valuable and precious it is.  We are told to never waste our time. It is considered a great sin to waste time. Time has to be well spent. No idleness, no daydreaming. Your time has to be productive every minute like a machine. My great-grandparents didn’t have the exact time. They followed the movement of the sun. They looked at the shadow on the ground and they knew what time it was, although not accurate to the minute, but accuracy wasn’t necessary back then. They were not panic-stricken by the passing of minutes as we are now so they moved at a slower pace. Today we are slaves to time . We consume so much of everything now and time will never be enough.