MONASTIRAKI

Monastiraki, (meaning « little monastery»), is situated under the shadow of the Acropolis. The old name of the flea market neighborhood was Monastirion, because of the small church found right on the Monastiraki square.   The main flea market of Athens is at the Avyssinias square, at the end of Hephaestou street. There, the visitor can find a great number of shoe shops, clothing and music stores. Along the Adrianou street, (facing the Acropolis and the stoa of Attalos), there are several cafes and restaurants.   Monastiraki is one of the most picturesque areas of Athens, so do not forget to visit it while doing your shopping under the Greek, warm sun…

 CHURCHES, ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES 

• «Pantanassa Church»

Pantanassa church, (meaning «the Mother of God»), is situated on the Monastiraki square, dating in the 10^th century. It is a three-aisled basilica, which used to be known as the Great Monastery.   During the 18^th and 19^th centuries, it was one of the most important parish churches in Athens. Towards the end of the 19^th century, due to the archaeological excavations and the construction of the metro station, the church lost most of its monastic building.  In 1911, the church was repaired and its western façade was altered, together with its tall bell tower.

• «Hadrian’s Library»

The Library of Hadrian is located on the north side of the Acropolis, next to the metro station of Monastiraki. It was built in 132 A.D. by the emperor Hadrian, while it was destroyed by the Herculae in 267 A.D.  In form, the complex consists of a large, rectangular walled enclosure with entrance on the west. It, also, comprises a Corinthian propylon on the west side, an open peristyle courtyard, a library, study and lecture halls.    It was repaired by the Roman eparchus Herculius in 412 A.D. and in the 5^th century the quatrefoil building of the early Christian church was constructed in the center of the peristyle court. Finally, during the Turkish occupation, it became the seat of the Voevode, (Governor), and in 1835, the barracks of king Otto were erected in the place of the Voevodalik.

Most important monuments of the site:

1. Quatrefoil Building. Dating in the 5^th century A.D. was an Early Christian church with a wide peristyle altrium on the west side.
2. Church of Megale Panaghia. The first church was a three-aisled basilica, built in the 7^th century A.D. It was destroyed in the 11^th century A.D. and a single-aisled church was erected in its place. Unfortunately, was burnt down in the year of 1885.
3. Ruins of  a church. The church is situated on the north side of the quatrefoil building, dating in the 17^th century A.D.

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   • «Stoa of Attalos»

The Stoa of Attalos is situated in the east side of the Ancient Agora in Athens, just opposite the Adrianou street in Monastiraki. It was built by and named after king Attalos II of Pergamon who ruled between 159 B.C. and 138 B.C.   During antiquity, the building was the largest in length in Greece, (115 by 20 meters wide), made of Pentelic marble and limestone.

The stoa is a large-scale building consisting of two floors. The ground floor belongs to the Doric style, while the first floor to the Ionic style. The two levels are connected by two staircases at the end of the building. The roof is covered with tiles.

The stoa of Attalos is identified as a gift to the city of Athens for the education that Attalos received there. It was, both, an ancient shopping center and a place where citizens used to gather in order to discuss different matters.

In the 1950’s, the stoa was fully reconstructed and made into the Ancient Agora Museum by the American School of Classical Studies at Athens.

• «Museum of the Ancient Agora»

The Stoa of Attalos houses the Museum of the Ancient Agora. The collection includes clay, glass and bronze objects, sculptures, coins and inscriptions dating from the 7^th o the 5^th century B.C., as well as pottery of the Byzantine period and the Turkish occupation.                                                                                                                  The exhibits of the museum are, all, related to the functions of American democracy. Some of the most significant objects of the rich collection have as follows:

• A 5^th century clepsydra, (water clock), which used to measure time in the law courts.
• An inscribed bronze shield, taken as a trophy by the Athenians after their victory over the Spartans in the battle of Sphacteria, (425 B.C.).
• An ivory pyxis, (jewelry case), from a Mycenaean tomb, (1400 B.C.), with a scene of griffins attacking a deer.
• Small terracotta animal toys found in a child’s grave of the 4h century A.D.
• An aryballos, (small flask with narrow neck), in the form of a kneeling athlete binding the victor’s ribbon around his head, (530 B.C.).
• Byzantine and Ottoman period ceramics.
• A bronze Nike head, once gilded with inlaid eyes, (425 B.C.).
• A marble statue of a winged Nike, (415 B.C.).