What I can see

Many pass by, but few notice this small church of the Ottoman period. It is a tiled-roofed, single-aisled basilica with a semicircular dome that ends in quadrants to the east and west. Recent interventions – especially those of the 20th century – have significantly altered the church, with the western facade completely deformed and part of the church located in an uncovered warehouse space. The facade is systematically vandalized, mainly with graffiti and tags.

What I can't see

The church of Agios Athanasios is also known as the Aegina Sepulcher, because it was probably owned by the Monastery of Our Lady Chrysoleontissa in Aegina island. It was not the parish church of the Psyrri area, but the residents went there regularly and prayed, especially during Holy Week. It was probably built on the site of an early Christian church of the same architectural type. During the Ottoman period, it was rebuilt according to the same architectural standards. This architectural type of single-aisled basilica is found only in Athens (e.g. Our Lady of Romvis, Pantanassa, Agiotafitiko Sepulcher), in Armenia and pre-Islamic Persia, from where it was probably introduced to Greece in the 9th century AD. The oldest surviving hagiographies of the church date back to 1638.

Info

• Address: 32 Aristofanous St.

Bibliography