Pláka, Athens

The Monument of Lysikrates stands in a little square at the end of Lysikrátous Street. This rotunda, 6.50m/21ft in height and 2.80m/9ft in diameter is surrounded by what appear to be pilasters but are in fact fully rounded Corinthian columns, between which curved marble slabs have been inserted. Round the top runs a frieze depicting scenes from the life of Dionysos (the transformation into dolphins of the pirates who had captured the god). The stone acanthus flower on the roof originally bore a bronze tripod, the prize received by Lysikrates when the choir which he had financed as choregos was victorious in the tragedy competition in 334 B.C.In 1669 the hollow monument was acquired by a Capuchin convent and used as a library, when it became known as the "Lantern of Diogenes". This is the only surviving example of the numerous choregic monuments in the ancient Street of Tripods (which was on roughly the same line as the present street of that name).Other choregic monuments in Athens are the Monument of Nikias beside the Stoa of Eumenes and the Monument of Thrasyllos above the Theater of Dionysos.

In a little square, opening off Ermoú Street, stands the interesting church of Panaghia Kapnikaréa Church, now the University church, which was saved from destruction during the construction of Ermoú Street in the 19th C. only by the intervention of King Ludwig I of Bavaria.The Kapnikaréa is a very fine example of a domed cruciform church of the 11th C., with the little chapel of Ste Barbara on the north side. In the 12th C. a narthex with four pediments (originally open) was built onto the west end, giving architectural unity to the church and chapel. The graceful entrance portico appears to date from the same period.The paintings in the interior (19th C.) cover the complete iconographic program as developed in the Middle Byzantine period.

St Nicodemus Russian Church, a domed cruciform church, is one of Athens' numerous 11th C. churches. Erected in 1045 (the date is recorded in an inscription), it was damaged by the Turks in 1780, purchased by the Tsar of Russia in 1845 and redecorated internally by the painter Ludwig Thiersch. Since then, re-dedicated to St Nicodemus, it has belonged to the Russian Orthodox Church.Immediately adjoining the church are ancient remains which, according to Travlos, belonged to baths attached to the Lykeion (Lyceum).

Ste Catherine's Church in Athens, near Hadrian's Arch, dates from the 12th or 13th century, with later extensions, and has preserved its original dome and apses.The church, reached by descending a short flight of steps, stands in a large courtyard planted with palms. In this garden are two columns of the Roman Imperial period; the function of the building to which they belonged is unknown, but it was probably part of an earlier church facade.

The Greek Folk Art Museum in the Athens' Pláka is well worth a visit to obtain an insight into the traditions of Greek textile manufacture, including spinning and weaving, gold and silversmith work and wood carving.In a separate department artistically worked old court robes are exhibited, some set with precious stones. In a side room are some murals by the naïve artist Theophilos Hadzimihali, who painted them at the end of the last century.The ceramic department is housed in the Tzistarakis mosque on Monastiráki Square.It also houses a library with a focus on folk art, folklore, ethnology and museology.

The Church of Sts Cosmss & Damianos in Athens, is a 17th century church (with later alterations) in the higher part of the Pláka. It belongs to the monastery of the Panayíou Táfou, a dependency of the Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. It is dedicated to the third century doctor saints Cosmas and Damian, the "moneyless saints". The interior is in Baroque style, with a handsome throne and a carved and gilded iconostasis.In the courtyard are some fragments of ancient capitals.

The Church of the Transfiguration in Athens stands at the upper end of Klepsídras Street, which runs up from the Tower of the Winds to a point immediately below the rock-face of the Acropolis. It can also be reached by taking the panoramic road (Theorías Street) which begins between the Propylaia and the Areopagos.Although built in the 14th C., during the period of Frankish rule, the church is purely Greek in character. An early Christian capital serves as the altar of this modest place of worship.

The elegant townhouse of the Hadzimihali family is now a museum. Much of the interior has been kept as it was, complemented by a number of works of art and old utensils and everyday items, including some musical instruments.One room is dedicated to Angelikis Hadzimihali, who made a name for himself in art circles during the 1920s and 30s.Note also some items made by nomadic shepherds from the Pindus mountains in northern Greece.

Above the Pláka, most conveniently reached from the upper end of Erechthéos Street, is this little settlement established by incomers from the island of Anaphi who came here in the 19th century and built their little village-style houses on an area of undeveloped land below the Acropolis. Their church of St Simeon, built in 1847, is a plain aisleless structure.

On the north side of the market in the Roman Agora is a mosque built in the 15th C. in honor of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror (Fetiye Camii); it is known to the Greeks as the Market Mosque (Djami tou Staropazaroú).The mosque now houses a collection of folk ceramics, part of the collection of the Greek Tradition and Folk Art Museum.

In Athens, between the churches of Ayios Ioánnis o Teológos and Ayios Yeóryios tou Vráchou stands this 11th C. church. It was attached to the palace of the Rangava family, which produced several Byzantine Emperors and Oecumenical Patriarchs. Much altered in later centuries, the church has been recently restored.

The Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry Museum in Athens houses a collection of over 3000 designs in its permanent collection. These exhibits cover areas such as the History of Greek Jewelry, the Dawn of Art, and the art of twelve different civilizations.Collections from other museums are displayed in the temporary galleries.

This tiny aisleless church, probably dating from the Frankish period, stands at the top of the stepped Epichármou Street, on the upper edge of the Pláka. It takes its name from its situation immediately below the rock-face of the Acropolis.There is another church dedicated to St. George on Lykabettos.

St John the Evangelist is a beautiful 13th C. domed cruciform church, with Roman capitals, stands in a little square at the intersection of Erechthéos and Erotokrítou Streets in Athens, in which a mulberry tree provides welcome shade. The church was restored some years ago.

Greek dances are performed as part of the Dora Stratou Folk Dance Festival runs throughout the summer months.The events are described as a "living museum of Greek dance".

There are numerous noteworthy museums in and around the Pláka district.