Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens, Eastern Orthodox cathedral in Athens, Greece
The Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens is an Eastern Orthodox church in the Greek capital built from brick in neoclassical style. The complex consists of a basilica with three aisles, two bell towers at the front and a central dome covering the main hall.
The foundation stone was laid on Christmas Day in 1842 during the reign of King Otto and Queen Amalia. The Danish architect Theophil Hansen drew up the initial plan, but the finished church was not consecrated until two decades later.
The name reflects the role of this church as the seat of the Archbishop of Athens, who leads major ceremonies here. On Sundays parishioners gather for services, while on holidays such as Easter many worshippers follow the ceremony from outside through open doors.
You will find the church on Mitropoleos Street between Syntagma and Monastiraki squares in central Athens. Visitors may enter the complex daily without admission fees, though Sunday morning services take place and the aisles may be filled with worshippers.
During construction stones and marble from 72 demolished churches and monasteries across Greece were gathered and incorporated into the walls. This created a building that unites fragments from different centuries and regions, offering every visitor visible traces of Greek church history.
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