Monastiraki Square, Central market square in Athens, Greece

Monastiraki is a large trading square in Athens where traditional shops, local vendors, and modern stores blend together across multiple connected streets. The layout creates a dense network where walking from one spot to another reveals different kinds of goods, from everyday items to rare finds.

The square was laid out in 1834, when Athens became the capital of the new Greek state, and the streets Ermou, Athinas and Pandrosou were traced around it. Its name comes from the former katholikon of the Great Monastery, the church of the Dormition of the Theotokos (Pantanassa), on its south side. Earlier names included Plateia tis Palias Stratonas, after the nearby prison, and Plateia Adrianoú, after Hadrian's Library. The electric railway station opened on 17 May 1895 under the name Monastirion.

The square's name comes from the Pantanassa monastery that once stood here; the church of the Dormition of the Theotokos, called Panagia Pantanassa or Athiniotissa, survives on its south side. Between 1881 and 1895 Saint Nektarios served there, and the writers Alexandros Papadiamantis and Alexandros Moraitidis often sang in the church. It keeps old icons from churches demolished after the 1821 Revolution, wall paintings by Spyridon Chatzigiannopoulos and icons by Fotis Kontoglou.

The square is easily reached by Monastiraki Metro Station, which connects two different lines and links to major areas across the city. The best time to visit is during daytime hours when shops and market vendors are most active.

The Tzistarakis Mosque, built in 1759 by the Ottoman governor Tzistarakis, was used as a barracks, a prison, a warehouse and even a ballroom for King Otto in March 1834. From 1918 to 1973 it housed the Museum of Greek Handicrafts, and since 1966 the ground floor has held shops with the prayer hall above. It is now an annex of the Museum of Greek Folk Art.