Βυζαντινοί Ναοί στην Αττική-Byzantine churches in Attica

During the last century of the Turkish occupation, there were 136 churches in Athens . Several of them got destroyed by the Bavarians, who did not really take an interest on medieval-Christian monuments in Athens , since these were not included in the esthetics of classicism, dominant current of the period. The rest of the churches left in Athens are today, apart from some exceptions, adapted to the modern city and, in many cases, they merge with apartments. Nonetheless, the still remain, not only evidence of the past, but also samples of a high esthetics among the most faultless of all.
They still manage to thrill us and we trace them unswervingly. In actual fact this is a recording of our own personal relationship with the object, the holy places along with their unrivalled devotion to the Byzantine architectural tradition.
We would like to remind of their existence, which although drowned among asymmetrical buildings, insignificant among concrete titans or forgotten on lost hills, remains unique, and in some cases like the one of the monastery in Dafni, captures worldwide attention for its magnificent mosaics.
The conservation of these historical monuments, is not something that should be taken for granted. For various reasons, either environmental ones or because of human error, only a tiny percentage manages to live on and, the more we travel back to the past, the smaller this percentage becomes.
One of the main factors of the history and the limited knowledge on lost monuments we possess is Art (writers and artists).. As for the case of Byzantine monuments in Attiki, there was the architect Theodore Du Moncel (1821-1884), one of the first explorers engaged in creating portrayals of churches in Athens . Another renowned architect was Olga Papalopoulou.
Through our trial to present the Byzantine monuments of Attiki, we cannot compete the esthetics of the paintbrush or the pen; nevertheless, we try to preserve them, indicate them and distinguish them on the universal e-world.
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Attic’s monasteries


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Daphni Monastery

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Saints Asomatoi of Thesseion



Cross-inscribed, four-columned church with cupola, dating from the second half of the 11th century. It was deformed by additions that were removed in 1959, when the monument was restored to its original form.
The facades were decorated with a frieze of clay tiles with "kufic" relief decorations (inspired from the old Arabic script). two of them are incorporated to the west facade. This frieze parallels the one on the church of Sts Theodoroi in Klafthmonos Square
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The Church of the Savior of Lykodemos


The Church of the Savior of Lykodemos Is a domed octagonal type cruciform church , the largest medieval structure in Athens. It was built in 1031 as part of a Roman Catholic monastery that survived until 1701.It was damaged by the Turks in 1780 .The building was restored by Czar Alexander II in the 1850s, and redecorated internally by the painter Ludwig Thiersch. Since then re-dedicated to St Nicodemus . It is now used as the Russian Orthodox Church of Athens.
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Agioi Theodoroi, Athens





This tiny church, situated west of Plateia Klafthmonos, was probably erected over the ruins of an earlier structure and is possibly the oldest Byzantine church in Athens. Simply, in a transitional cross-in-square shape, the church has inscribed plaques built into the west wall, over the entrance in the western wall, recording that it was renovated in 1065 A.D. by Nicolaos Calomalos. During the opening phase of the Greek Revolution in 1821 the church was badly damaged but was restored in 1840. The ambo and. the sanctuary of the church has also been restored. It is a lovely building with walls built in the typical cloisonn masonry and decorated with brick, Cufic ornaments and terracotta frieze of animals and plants. The paintings in the interior wall are dated to the 19th century.
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Omorfokklisia Galatsi



It is estimated that the church was built some time in the 12th century over an earlier Christian temple, which in turn had been built over an earlier pagan temple. Around the church, ancient Greek antiquities have been found as well as ancient human remains and it is probable that an ancient cemetery existing nearby.