Athens - Omonia 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.

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 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.

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

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.

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