Omonia, Athens Omonia

The Church of St John of the Column, standing in a small courtyard in Athens, takes its name from the Roman column in the chancel; the column has a Corinthian capital which projects through the roof.John the Baptist, to whom the church is dedicated, is invoked for all diseases of the head and its organs. Attached to the column with wax are ex-votos in the form of threads, hairs and tablets.

Omónia Square (the Square of Concord, Omónias) and its immediate surroundings are one of the busiest parts of Athens - busy in terms of traffic, commerce and tourism, with numerous offices, shops and hotels.In the center of the square are gardens and a fountain; but around it tall modern blocks have almost completely displaced the low Classical-style buildings of the 19th C., creating a cosmopolitan atmosphere in sharp contrast to the male society of the typical old Greek coffeehouses. Additional traffic is brought to the square by its Electric Railroad station and underground shopping arcade.Omónia Square was laid out by the town planners of the 19th C. It was originally intended to be the site of the new royal palace which was finally built in Syntagma Square. From this square radiate two sides of the isosceles triangle which was the basis of the city plan - Pierós Street to the southwest and two parallel streets, Panepistimíou and Stadíou Streets, to the southeast. The third side of the triangle is formed by Ermoú Street, which is bisected by Athinás Street, running south from Omónia Square. A third of the way down Athinás Street is Kótzia Square, with the Town Hall and Head Post Office.

The Academy of Arts building on Panepistimíou (University) Street in Athens- now officially Venizélou Street - together with the University, National Library and the New Palace, are the most striking achievements of the young kingdom of Greece in the field of architecture and town planning. It was designed by the Hansen brothers of Copenhagen.The two flanking buildings of the Academy were designed by Christian Hansen's younger brother Theophil (1813-91) in a richer style than the university. The design for both buildings was prepared in 1859, and work began in that year on the Academy of Sciences (to right of the University), which was financed by a Greek living in Vienna, Baron Sina. The building was not completed, however, until 1885. When restored in 1982 the Ionic columned-hall was returned to its original coloring. The carved pediments display the gods of Olympia. In front of the buildings are seated sculptures of Plato and Socrates, and to the side of them, on tall Ionic columns, are the deities Athena and Apollo.

The Athens Theatre Museum is known to few tourists. In charmingly arranged dressing rooms can be found memorabilia of famous actors and actresses. Also of interest are photographs of the play "Antigone" when it was performed in Epidauros in 1905, for the first time in 2,000 years, and of the same play performed in 1926 in the Herodion in Athens.Directors' scripts going back to 1804, scenery, costumes, masks and a pretty collection of nostalgic theater posters from all over Europe complete this most informative exhibition.

The National Library on Panepistimíou (University) Street - now officially Venizélou Street - together with the University, Academy and the New Palace, are the most striking achievements of the young kingdom of Greece in the field of architecture and town planning. It was designed by the Hansen brothers of Copenhagen.The complex on Panepistimíou was completed when Theophil Hansen built the National Library, to the left of the University, in 1887-91.In 1903 the stock of the National Library was combined with that of the University Library.

Like the basilica on the northern slopes of the Areopagos, this Roman Catholic cathedral is dedicated to Dionysios the Areopagite (St Denis). It is a three-aisled basilica without transepts, fronted by a Corinthian arcade. Built in 1853-87, it was designed by Leo von Klenze (1784-1864) and later re-designed by the Greek architect Kaftanzoglou.

The National Historic Museum, in the Old Parliament Building on Stadion Street (Staiou) is devoted to the history of Greece in the 18th and 19th centuries. The main emphasis is on the period of the struggle for the liberation of Greece (1821). Among the relics of this period are Byron's helmet and sword.

The Museum of History of the Greek Costume in Athens houses over 25,000 items, featuring displays of Greek regional costumes, ornaments, copies of Minoan, Classical and Byzantine costumes, as well as china dolls dressed in Greek costume.

The Cartoon Museum in Athens, which has been in existence since 1994, houses a collection of Greek cartoon masterpieces. There is also a library and archives.

The Hadjikiriakos-Gikas Museum features paintings by the Greek artist N. Hadjikiriakos-Gikas.

Modern music concerts are held at the Rodon on a regular basis. Foreign groups and musicians often appear.