Athens

Athens In One Shot/H Αθήνα σε μία Φωτογραφία

The Bustling Monastiraki Square

If there was a photograph that can encompass everything that a city has to offer, than this one would be it. Everything that someone would see in Athens is in this photograph, from the churches, the ruins, the many yellow cabs, motor bikes and of course all kinds of people.

Αν υπήρχε μία φωτογραφία η οποία μπορεί να περιλαμβάνει τα πάντα που εχει μια πόλη, τοτε αυτη θα ήταν. Κάθε πράγμα που θα δει κάποιος στην Αθήνα είναι σε αυτή τη φωτογραφία, από τις εκκλησίες, τα ερείπια, τα πολλά κίτρινα ταξί, μοτοσικλέτες και φυσικά όλους τους τύπους ανθρώπων.

The Agora of Athens/Η Αγορα Της Αθηνας

Creative Entrance at a Shop

Happy to Serve You!

Bakery with heart-shaped chocolate cakes. Not for the diabetic.

Sign says ‘Small goods. Soft drinks and cigarettes’ Healthy stuff.

Colourful Chairs at Restaurant at Psirri

A basement shop that sells Greek traditional clothing and footwear in Psirri

A Flea Market at Thiseio

Thousands of small business owners have had to close up their shops during the economic crisis in Greece. Athenians can’t believe how many ‘for rent’ signs they have seen on every shop window they happen to walk by. The hardest small businesses hit are the neighbourhood businesses just outside the city center. When a shop closes downtown a new one quickly opens because downtown Athens will always have its crowds of shoppers. It’s a tourist area and there is a lot more to see and do than in any other area of Athens. Many business owners have now realised that to survive they have to come up with an idea for a business that is s unique and creative and that people will really like and will want to come back to again. Hundreds of ‘souvlakia’ shops appeared like mushrooms and several months later those shops have had to close down. How many ‘souvlakia’ can a person eat anyways? It’s not very healthy either. Healthy eating is popular now and that is why frozen yogurt shops do well, but there are already enough of those now. The only positive thing about an economic crisis in that it can inspire people to be more creative. The competition is a lot more fierce now. A new shop cannot not be a carbon copy of a shop down the street. The business should be unique and the business owners have to supply the people with the things that they really want. Of course, it helps if people (the customers) had more money in their pockets too.

The Artsy Avenue/Ο καλλιτεχνικός λεωφόρος

Narrow street with couches on a tiny sidewalk from an outdoor café in Psirri

Open shutters of an old building

Row of lamp shades against a back drop of a run down building

Funky lamp shades and chandeliers light the street at night

Lamp shades in Psirri

Chandelier in the sky with crystals

How can a creative person like myself not take a few photographs of the quirky and creative neighbourhood called ‘Psirri’. Psirri is located in the downtown area of ancient Athens and is a well-known ‘artsy’ area with a shady reputation. Many university students live there and they have made their presence known to visitors, an example would be the lamp shades and chandeliers hanging above the streets. They light the dark and narrow streets beautifully at night. These photographs are just a glimpse of the offbeat quality of Psirri that you won’t find in other areas of Athens.

Dilapidated Homes/Ερειπωμένα Σπίτια

Abandoned home and ancient ruins below

No use in saving this one! Some scaffolding on a dilapidated home

Renovations on another home

Yo! Graffiti on shutters

Beautiful classical balcony

These are a few photographs that I took on a long walk toward the area of Thiseio in downtown Athens, Greece. Athens is a great city for those who love ‘urbex photography‘ as the city has tons of abandoned buildings. Some are in the process of being renovated and others homes have occupants, but they are very old and are not in the greatest condition.

The Glorious Past/Το Ένδοξο Παρελθόν

A statue of a Greek soldier staring at the Acropolis from below.

“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.”

–J.R.R. Tolkien

Technopolis/Τεχνόπολις

Technopolis is located in a trendy district of ‘Gazi’ with its many cafés and restaurants. Technopolis was the site of a gas factory that was built in 1867 by a French gas company. With this new innovation Athens was able to be lit at night like Paris. The site didn’t have much character in its day as it was industrial and it was considered a nuisance by the nearby inhabitants. In 1984, after some protesting by the nearby inhabitants the gas factory shut down. Years later, the site was renovated and in 2013 it was open to the public. Today, Technopolis hosts many art exhibitions, fashion shows, and concerts and much more. Each building is dedicated to famous Greek poets and even opera singer Maria Callas has a building in her name.

Η Τεχνόπολις βρίσκεται σε μια μοντέρνα συνοικία «Γκάζι» με τα πολλά καφέ και εστιατόρια του. Η Τεχνόπολις ήταν η περιοχή του εργοστασίου φωταερίου, που χτίστηκε το 1867 από μια Γαλλική εταιρεία φωταερίου. Με αυτή τη νέα καινοτομία της Αθήνας ήταν σε θέση να φωτίζεται τη νύχτα, όπως το Παρίσι. Τότε η τοποθεσία δεν διέθετε κάποιο ιδιαίτερο χαρακτήρα καθώς ήταν βιομηχανική. Μετά από μερικά χρόνια θεωρήθηκε ως μια ‘ενόχληση’ από τους γύρω κατοίκους . Το 1984, μετά από κάποια διαμαρτυρία από τους κατοίκους της περιοχής, το εργοστάσιο του φωταερίου εκλείσε. Χρόνια αργότερα, ο χώρος ανακαινίστηκε και το 2013 ήταν ανοικτή για το κοινό. Σήμερα, η Τεχνόπολις φιλοξενεί πολλές εκθέσεις τέχνης, επιδείξεις μόδας, και συναυλίες και πολλά άλλα. Κάθε κτίριο είναι αφιερωμένο σε διάσημους Έλληνες ποιητές, ακόμα και η τραγουδίστρια της όπερας Μαρία Κάλλας έχει ένα κτίριο με το όνομά της.

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

Different Modes Of Travel/Διαφορετικοί Tρόποι Mετακίνησης

The Happy Bus!

The Happy Train!

Happy on a Four wheeler bicycle!

Not-so-happy waiting for the bus!

Aghion Apostolon/Άγιον Απόστολον

These are few photographs that I took of the Byzantium Saint Apostles church. The ancient structure is located on the southeast side of the ancient Agora in Athens. It was built in the last quarter of the Byzantium period, and in its early days the church was mostly used for baptisms. St. Apostles’ church is of great historical significance and is protected by the government. Today, the church operates as a museum and the only time it is used for religious ceremonies is on the 29-30 of June which is the day of the Synaxis (congregation) of the 12 Apostles.

Αυτές είναι μερικές φωτογραφίες που έβγαλα από τη βυζαντινή εκκλησία των Αγίων Αποστόλων. Το αρχαίο οικοδόμημα βρίσκεται στη νοτιοανατολική πλευρά της Αρχαίας Αγοράς στην Αθήνα. Χτίστηκε κατά το τελευταίο τετάρτου της περιόδου του Βυζαντίου, και στις πρώτες ημέρες της, η εκκλησία χρησιμοποιείται κυρίως για βαπτίσεις. Την εκκλησία του Αγίου Αποστόλων εχει μεγάλη ιστορική σημασία και προστατεύεται από την κυβέρνηση. Σήμερα, η εκκλησία λειτουργεί ως μουσείο, και η μόνη φορά που χρησιμοποιείται για τις θρησκευτικές τελετές είναι στις 29-30 Ιουνίου που γιορτάζουν της Συνάξεως των 12 Αποστόλων