Anafiotika, Cycladic neighborhood at the northern slope of Acropolis, Greece.
Anafiotika is a residential neighborhood with white cubic houses built on the northern slope of the Acropolis hill. Narrow cobblestone streets connect the low-rise homes, small courtyards, and green pockets throughout the area, forming a dense, interconnected network of dwellings and passageways.
The settlement emerged in the 1840s when laborers from Anafi island arrived in Athens to work on King Otto's palace construction. After completing this project, many chose to settle in this area and build homes using the architectural style of their home island.
The neighborhood displays the architectural traditions of the Cycladic islands through its whitewashed walls, small windows, and blue-painted wooden shutters. Local residents maintain close community ties, and the lanes function as extensions of their homes where daily life unfolds naturally.
Access is best on foot from the eastern side of the Acropolis grounds or from Stratonos Street. The paths are steep and narrow, so wearing comfortable shoes is advisable, and visiting during early morning or late afternoon hours beats the midday heat.
The houses lack formal street addresses and are instead numbered sequentially as Anafiotika 1, Anafiotika 2, following the traditional village numbering system. This old method reflects how residents recreated their own village community and maintained it across generations.
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