Sunlight on the deck, a soft breeze moving through the rigging. The ship is back at sea. Sails begin to fill, and the course is set. Across the captain’s table, the charts remain open, lines extending beyond the familiar into routes not yet taken. The Greek Expedition is underway – the journey has already begun.

And already, some routes are no longer distant. Some of them are within reach.

Secret Athens – discover it at your own pace

Are you among the lucky ones visiting Athens this spring? With our tour Secret Athens in your headphones, you’ll slip past elegant avenues and discover the quieter corners of the city that most visitors never notice.

▶️ A glimpse of the route:

🎧 Check out the entire tour here:
https://voicemap.me/secretathens
(In Virtual Play mode, you can also follow the tour from anywhere in the world)

Athens – walk the lesser-known city with us

If you prefer to step ashore with us, you’re welcome to join our guided walks through Athens this season. We explore the city in small groups, moving beyond the obvious and into places that rarely make it into guidebooks.

The tours are available in both Swedish and English.

See dates and secure your spot:
https://greekexpedition.com/en/guided-tour-in-athens-lesser-known/

New entries in the log

Along the way, new ports continue to appear in the journal of Greek Expedition:

Further routes taking shape

A new audio journey along one of Athens’ hidden rivers , by Greek Expedition on Voice Map, is nearing completion.

Beyond that, upcoming explorations will take us to Northern Greece, Meteora, and onward to Ioannina, with a closer look at its silver-craft tradition.

At the same time, we’ll explore the atmosphere of Greek Easter as it unfolds across the country.

In the days leading up to it, the rhythm of daily life begins to shift. Bakeries fill with the scent of tsoureki, preparations intensify, eggs get colored red, and shops – especially butcheries – see their busiest days of the year.

On the evening of Good Friday/Megáli Paraskevi, the Epitafios procession moves slowly through the streets, carried by candlelight and silence, as communities gather to the sound of familiar Orthodox hymns echoing softly and stirring memories that reach far back into childhood.

The next night, on Saturday, the Anastasi/Resurrection takes place. People gather outside churches holding unlit candles. At midnight, as the priest proclaims “Christós Anésti” (Christ is risen), the flame is passed from one to another, the bells ring out, the darkness suddenly gives way to light, and fireworks begin to burst across the night sky.

By Sunday, everything changes. Fires are lit early, food is prepared outdoors, and the air fills with smoke, music, and conversation, as families and friends gather around long tables. It is a celebration that is both deeply rooted and widely shared, felt across cities, villages, and islands alike.

The Greek Expedition will be be on the ground during the celebrations, reporting directly from where it all unfolds.

Back on deck – setting a new course

As the days grow longer, the work continues on deck – charting, adjusting, and setting our course for the journeys now unfolding. We look forward to sharing them with you along the way. Until then, thank you for sailing with the Expedition!

Stay connected

If you’d like to follow along more closely, you can join our newsletter and receive updates as new routes, stories, and journeys take shape. It’s completely free, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Sign up here:

The history of rebetiko is often told through its great male figures. But the genre was also shaped by women who lived and worked in the same world as their male counterparts.

From the café-amans of Smyrna and Constantinople to tavernas and recording studios in Athens, female artists were an integral part of the tradition that would later come to be known as rebetiko. They carried with them experiences of migration, hardship, resilience, and love. In doing so, they left a lasting mark on the music and helped carry it far beyond Greece.

This article highlights eight of these voices. Together, they offer another way into rebetiko – and tell a story that often remains in the shadow of the more familiar male names.

Marika Papagika (Μαρίκα Παπαγκίκα)

Marika Papagika was born in 1890 on the island of Kos and grew up in a world where Ottoman and Greek cultures met. Her family first emigrated to Alexandria and later to the United States, following a path taken by many Greeks in the early 20th century.

In New York, she became a pioneer when she began performing in one of the city’s first café-amans. Through her recordings, she carried the Smyrnaic singing style across the Atlantic and helped Greek-American communities maintain a connection to their cultural roots.

Papagika recorded hundreds of songs and is considered one of the earliest female voices in rebetiko to be preserved on record. Despite her importance, she never returned permanently to Greece and died in New York in 1943. Her recordings remain an important part of the early musical life of the Greek diaspora in America.

Rosa Eskenazi (Ρόζα Εσκενάζυ)

Rosa Eskenazi, born Sarah Skinazi in Constantinople around 1897, grew up in a Sephardic Jewish family and spent her early years between Constantinople and Thessaloniki. She began her career as a dancer and singer, quickly developing a stage style where Eastern melodies met Byzantine and Greek musical traditions.

When she arrived in Athens in the 1920s, she was discovered by the composer Panagiotis Tountas. During the 1920s and 30s, she recorded hundreds of songs and became the first true female star of rebetiko.

Rosa Eskenazi toured throughout the Eastern Mediterranean, and her voice remains closely associated with port cities like Piraeus and Thessaloniki. She continued performing well into the 1970s and is today regarded as one of the greatest women in rebetiko and one of the genre’s most iconic voices.

Rita Abatzi (Ρίτα Αμπατζή)

Rita Abatzi was born in Smyrna in 1914 and arrived in Athens as a refugee after the Asia Minor Catastrophe of 1922. She began singing in small tavernas in Faliro and quickly gained attention for her powerful, slightly raw voice.

During the 1930s, she became one of the most recorded female singers in Greece, appearing on hundreds of recordings. Abatzi performed both the Greek song tradition from Asia Minor and the emerging rebetiko of Piraeus’ port districts. She collaborated with several of the era’s leading composers, including Panagiotis Tountas and Vassilis Tsitsanis.

Today, her recordings offer a vivid glimpse into the experiences of the refugee generation in Greece during the interwar years.

Stella Haskil (Στέλλα Χασκίλ)

Stella Haskil was born in 1918 in Thessaloniki into a Sephardic Jewish family. She moved to Athens shortly before the German occupation during World War II. During the war years, she performed in small clubs in Omonia and lived under difficult conditions while many of her relatives were persecuted.

After the war, her career took off and she became one of the leading female voices in rebetiko. In just a few years, she recorded more than a hundred songs. She collaborated with some of the era’s most important composers, including Vassilis Tsitsanis, Apostolos Kaldaras, and Markos Vamvakaris.

Haskil’s career was tragically short. She died of cancer in 1954 at the age of just 36, but her recordings are today considered part of the classic rebetiko repertoire.

Marika Ninou (Μαρίκα Νίνου)

Evangelia “Marika” Atamian was born in 1922 on a ship carrying her Armenian family from Smyrna to Piraeus after the Asia Minor Catastrophe. She grew up in the refugee district of Kokkinia and began performing at an early age alongside her husband in an acrobatic stage act.

After the war, she turned to singing and adopted the stage name Marika Ninou. The guitarist Manolis Chiotis discovered her voice, and in 1948 she made her first recordings. When she joined Vassilis Tsitsanis’ orchestra in 1949 at the famous tavern “Tzimi tou Chondrou” in Piraeus, she quickly became one of rebetiko’s most beloved voices.

Her powerful and dramatic singing style made her a defining figure of postwar rebetiko. She died tragically young in 1957 at the age of just 35.

Ioanna Georgakopoulou (Ιωάννα Γεωργακοπούλου)

Ioanna Georgakopoulou was born in 1920 in Pyrgos on the Peloponnese but moved to Athens at an early age. She was discovered as a teenager while singing in the church choir at Agios Pavlos and began recording at just 18. Her elegant voice quickly made her sought after, and she collaborated with composers such as Vassilis Tsitsanis, Giorgos Mitsakis, and Manolis Hiotis.

Georgakopoulou also wrote her own songs, something that was uncommon for female artists in rebetiko. Her most well-known composition is Trelé Tsigane.

Eftychia Papagianopoulou – the woman behind many of the well-known songs

Not all the women who shaped rebetiko stood on stage. One of the most important was the lyricist Eftychia Papagianopoulou (1893–1972). She was born near Smyrna and came to Greece as a refugee after the upheavals around 1922.

Eftychia wrote the lyrics to many of the most beloved songs in Greek music and collaborated with composers such as Vassilis Tsitsanis, Apostolos Kaldaras, and Manos Hadjidakis. Among her best-known lyrics are Τα καβουράκια (Ta kavourákia), Δυο πόρτες έχει η ζωή (Dyo portes echi i zoi), and Είμαι αετός χωρίς φτερά (Ime aetos horis ftera).

Despite her immense influence, she long remained in the shadow of the artists who performed her songs. It was only after her death that her importance to Greek music began to be fully recognized.

Sotiria Bellou (Σωτηρία Μπέλλου)

Sotiria Bellou was born in 1921 near Chalkida and had a dramatic youth marked by conflict and political engagement. During the German occupation, she joined the resistance and was tortured by the Gestapo. After the war, she established herself as one of the most powerful voices in rebetiko and worked closely with Vassilis Tsitsanis. Bellou is especially associated with some of the genre’s most iconic songs, including the well-known Συννεφιασμένη Κυριακή (Synnefiasméni Kyriakí).

She also became a symbol of personal freedom and defiance within Greek musical culture. Bellou continued performing well into the 1980s and passed away in 1997.

Marió (Μαριώ)

Maria Konstantinidou, known as Marió, was born in 1945 in Thessaloniki and belongs to the generation that carried rebetiko into the present day. She began performing as a child alongside her father, who was a musician, and learned to play the accordion at an early age. As a young girl, she heard Rosa Eskenazi sing and decided to devote her life to rebetiko.

Since the 1960s, she has performed with both older masters and younger musicians and is regarded as one of the last classical female voices of rebetiko. Based in Athens, she remains closely connected to the tradition, often appearing on smaller stages where the music still lives on.

The women of rebetiko who shaped the genre

Most people who discover rebetiko first encounter its great male figures – Markos Vamvakaris, Vassilis Tsitsanis, Giorgos Batis, and others whose names have become almost synonymous with the genre.

But the women of rebetiko were an integral part of this world, even if their names have often remained in the shadow of their more well-known male counterparts. On stage, in the studio, and on record, they helped shape the music’s expression and gave voice to the experiences that define so many rebetiko songs.

They all sang about the same kinds of lives – love, loss, migration, everyday struggles, and survival.

When listening to their recordings, a richer picture of the genre emerges. Not just as the story of a few legendary male musicians, but as a musical tradition and way of life in which female artists also left a clear and lasting mark on both the stage and the repertoire.

Related articles

• https://greekexpedition.com/en/music/misirlou-takes-the-world/

It is a detail that gives the images an additional dimension of discomfort – they were taken by the perpetrator’s own documentarian, but have now, decades later, become evidence of the resistance they were intended to suppress.

For many Greeks, the photographs have become a powerful visual encounter with a history that has lived on, for generations, primarily through stories, ceremonies, and memorials.

Facts about the Kaisariani mass execution

The Nazis’ execution of 200 Greek resistance fighters at the shooting range in Kaisariani (Skopetírio Kaisarianís), just southeast of central Athens, took place on May 1, 1944, and has for decades been a central part of the country’s historical consciousness. The newly published photographs have once again brought this memory into focus and given it renewed life.

The background was an attack in late April 1944, when Greek resistance fighters killed the German General Franz Krech and his entourage near Molaoi in Laconia, not far from Sparta. As a reprisal, the German occupation authorities decided that 200 political prisoners would be executed. The men were taken from the internment camp in Haidari and transported at dawn to Kaisariani.

The executions were carried out in groups of twenty. The prisoners were lined up at the shooting range and shot by German firing squads. In postwar accounts, it has often been emphasized that many of those sentenced to death displayed calm and solidarity as they were led toward their fate. It is part of the collective narrative of the Kaisariani mass execution, a story of dignity under extreme violence.

It is precisely this dimension that the newly published photographs now provide with concrete visual confirmation. In the images, the men can be seen walking toward the site, lined up along the embankment, with postures that many Greeks perceive as composed and resolute rather than resigned. What previously lived through testimony and memorial words thus gains a different presence.

The Massacres in Athens

Among the archives of the Greek state is, among other things, the front page of the resistance newspaper Apeléfterotis from May 17, 1944. Under the headline “The Massacres in Athens,” the execution at the shooting range in Kaisariani is described as the most extensive that spring. The newspaper reported that the men were executed in groups of twenty over the course of a few hours.

Contemporary texts testify to how the execution was experienced by those in the vicinity. The church bells in Kaisariani are said to have rung throughout the entire course of events, and people at a distance followed what was happening with strong emotions. In postwar accounts, it has often been recounted how those sentenced to death stood upright until the very end and shouted slogans for freedom and national independence.

For many families, this is not an abstract historical episode but part of their own family history from the occupation period. In my own family as well, some young men were executed by the German occupation forces in August 1944 – a story that has lived on through oral accounts and that has previously been recounted here on the Expedition: Anonymous Heroes of the Greek Resistance

The weight of the event also extends far into international diplomacy. During his visit to Greece in June 1987, German Federal President Richard von Weizsäcker chose the memorial in Kaisariani to honor the victims of the occupation during the Second World War. It was a gesture that at the time was met with skepticism from conservative circles in both the Greek and German administrations. During his visit, Weizsäcker also mentioned the names of several other places in Greece where the German war machine carried out massacres: Kalavryta, Distomo, Kleisoura, Kommeno, Lyngiades, and Kandanos.

The Greek resistance during the Second World War was organized into several groups, of which EAM (National Liberation Front) was the largest and most influential resistance organization during the occupation. EAM included civilian activists, partisans, and organized resistance fighters who fought against the German and Italian occupation forces. More information about the Greek resistance movement can be found here >>

Monument vandalized

But the circulation of the photographs has not only been met with reverence. Shortly after the images began circulating in Greek feeds, it was reported that the memorial monument at the shooting range in Kaisariani had been subjected to vandalism. Unknown perpetrators defaced the marble plaque on which the names of the 200 executed men are engraved.

The incident provoked strong reactions and was immediately condemned by the Municipality of Kaisariani. In a statement, local representatives emphasized that historical memory cannot be erased through vandalism and assured that the damage would be promptly restored. This physical attack on the monument, at a time when the event has become more visually present than ever, serves as a reminder that the memory of the occupation and its victims remains a sensitive issue in Greek society.

Worth noting about the image material

Many have reacted to the fact that the published images primarily show the preparations before the execution and the transport to the site. According to experts who have examined the collection, however, an additional three to four photographs exist that depict the execution itself or the moments immediately afterward. That these were not shown in connection with the eBay auction is likely due to the platform’s strict rules against the publication of violent imagery, rather than their absence from the historical archive.

From eBay to National Memory

The chain of events behind the sudden spread of the images began only a few weeks ago, when a Belgian collector put the unique original photographs up for sale on the auction site eBay. The discovery was quickly noticed by the Greek Facebook group Greece at WWII Archives, which shared the images further, still bearing the seller Crainsmilitarias watermark and a clear reference to the auction.

The publication of the Kaisariani mass execution images immediately triggered what can best be described as a digital volcanic eruption; the images spread virally across Greek social media and were almost immediately picked up by established news outlets throughout the country.

The enormous attention prompted the Greek Ministry of Culture to act swiftly. Experts were sent to verify the authenticity of the images, and after rapid confirmation, the photographs were officially declared a national historical memory. To secure the documents for posterity, the Greek state has now initiated negotiations with the collector for a purchase to incorporate them into the national archives.

That these photographs from the Kaisariani mass execution have now become public reveals a clear contradiction. When the images are sold on a site like eBay, a historical trauma is transformed into a commodity, forcing us to consider who truly has the right to these men’s final moments.

But in the end, the circulation has had another effect. Despite the vandalism of the monument and despite the originals having ended up in private hands, the event the images depict – the Kaisariani mass execution – can no longer be silenced or hidden. Now that they exist both in state archives and in the public consciousness, the 200 men have gained a presence that was not there before. It becomes a reminder that certain events are so significant that they belong to shared memory rather than to a single owner.

Film recommendation

For those who wish to gain a deeper understanding of the events, the film The Last Note (2017), directed by Pantelis Voulgaris, is recommended. The film portrays these final days in the Haidari camp and the heavy march toward the shooting range, offering a moving depiction of the courage that the images have now given us visual confirmation of.

Related articles

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_May_1944_Kaisariani_executions
• https://greekreporter.com/2026/02/15/rare-photos-nazi-mass-execution-greek-prisoners-kaisariani/
• https://www.ekathimerini.com/news/1261011/kaisariani-memorial-to-resistance-fighters-vandalized/
• https://www.ekathimerini.com/culture/1295710/kaisariani-wwii-execution-photo-archive-declared-protected-monument/
• About user rights (Greek)
• Filmen The Last Note

Over the years, many have tried. Some speak of honor. Others of care, responsibility, or dignity. Yet, each suggestion feels like a simplification. In this first installment of our series on Greek words that are difficult to translate, we begin with the very term most often mentioned first—not because it lacks equivalents, but because it contains more layers than a single translation can carry.

The Greek word filótimo cannot be pinned down by a definition. It is better understood as a stance. It is visible in how someone acts when no one is watching, in responsibility taken without being demanded, and in a dignity that is not advertised. And perhaps it is precisely in the attempt to describe it that its contours begin to emerge.

Filótimo – origins

This layered stance rests on a simple linguistic foundation. The Greek word filótimo is composed of two elements: philos and timi. Literally, it can be read as “love of honor” or “friend of honor.” In classical antiquity, however, the word carried a different connotation than it does today. It could refer to ambition, honor, and social prestige – sometimes even to a strong desire for recognition at the expense of others.

From the Hellenistic period onward, its meaning gradually began to shift. The word philotimon appears frequently in Hellenistic literature, yet its tone evolves. During the Christian era, it acquires a more inward and ethical dimension.

It becomes less associated with public honor and more with virtues such as humility, self-restraint, and selflessness. What once concerned status and visibility increasingly comes to express responsibility and moral disposition.

Within the Orthodox tradition, the Greek word filótimo takes on a particular resonance. The Greek monk Paisios of Mount Athos describes it as follows:

“The reverent distillation of goodness, the love shown by humble people, from which every trace of self has been filtered out. Their hearts are full of gratitude toward God and their fellow human beings, and out of spiritual sensitivity, they try to repay even the slightest good others do for them.”

Modern-day Filótimo

Over time, the word settled into its modern usage – not in the sense of becoming simpler, but of becoming more everyday. Today, filótimo is not an abstract idea but something that permeates contemporary Greek society, from family life to popular culture.

Many who grow up in Greece hear the word early in life. It appears in conversations, in admonitions, and in praise. A parent uses it when a child behaves selfishly. A teacher mentions it when someone shows responsibility. A neighbor invokes it as a reminder of how one ought to behave. Filótimo functions as a moral compass in everyday life – a word that contains both encouragement and correction.

Filótimo as a compass

How does one recognize filótimo in practice? Often in situations where nothing is expected.

An elderly man insists on paying for the coffee, even though he has less money than the person he is treating. Not to impress others, but because it feels right. A neighbor helps carry groceries upstairs without being asked – and disappears before the thanks grow too loud. Someone repays a small favor with something greater, not out of obligation but from an inner impulse.

The Greek word filótimo also reveals itself in taking responsibility. A person accepts blame for a mistake that was actually shared by several. Another stays late after work to complete something that ought to be done, even though no one would have noticed if it had been left unfinished.

When a Greek grandmother, who does not even know your name, sits you down and fills your plate as if you were family- that is filótimo in its purest form. It is then closely linked to another Greek word that is difficult to translate directly: filoxenía, φιλοξενία – hospitality.

It is rarely about grand gestures. Rather, it is about the feeling that one cannot refrain from doing what is right—even when there is no advantage to be gained.

Most often, filótimo is visible in small acts, but sometimes it appears in moments that make international headlines. During the most intense years of the refugee crisis, residents of the Aegean islands were seen diving into icy waters to help people in overcrowded boats reach shore. Fishermen, retirees, teachers, and students waited on the beaches, opened their homes, and shared what little they had.

Filótimo appears less as something that can be defined and more as a way of being. For many, it is not about defining filótimo but about living with it. Care without calculation. Responsibility without expectation of return. “I do not have much, but what I have, I share.”

A Greek word impossible to translate?

At the same time, some are critical of the claim that filótimo is “impossible to translate.” Linguists remind us that no words are truly untranslatable – they can always be explained, even if that requires more words, paraphrase, or context. To say that a word cannot be translated can, at worst, become a rhetorical gesture rather than a linguistic observation.

In the Greek debate, it has also been pointed out that the myth of the “untranslatable” can easily slide into something else—a belief that Greeks alone possess unique moral qualities absent in other people. That is a dangerous path. Filótimo describes a stance deeply rooted in Greek culture, but that does not mean similar ethical impulses are absent in other languages and societies.

Comparable discussions exist in many other languages. The German gemütlich—often translated as “cozy” – cannot be captured by a single word in Greek either, as it points to a particular social and emotional atmosphere. Another example is the Albanian word sedër -a blend of dignity, honor, and personal integrity. In several African languages, concepts such as ubuntu describe an ethical outlook grounded in community and mutual responsibility.

To cherish one’s language and its concepts is one thing. To turn them into proof of superiority is another.

Filótimo – a multifaceted yet living Greek word

Finally, it is worth remembering that there is no complete consensus even among Greeks about what filótimo truly means. Ask ten people, and you will likely receive ten different nuances. For some, it is primarily about honor and self-respect. For others, it is about care and responsibility toward others. Some emphasize its religious dimension, others its social or everyday character.

Perhaps it is precisely this multiplicity that keeps the word alive. Filótimo is not a fixed definition that can be looked up and closed. It is a concept shaped by context – and one that therefore continues to be renegotiated.

But it is only one of many Greek words that contain more than a direct and literal translation can capture. In upcoming parts of this series, we will explore more such words- meráki, kefi, palikari, filoxenia – terms that each carry their own layers of experience, history, and daily life.

Filótimo – what do you think?

How would you describe filótimo? Have you encountered it in everyday life during your travels in Greece?
Feel free to share your experience in the comments below 👇

Sources

Wikipedia
Neos Cosmos
https://www.akademie-solitude.de/en/filotimo/
https://greekreporter.com/2013/06/08/filotimo-the-hard-to-translate-greek-word
https://tvxs.gr/apopseis/arthra-gnomis/metafrazetai-filotimo-se-alles-glosses/

Related article

The Greek alphabet – learn how to decode the 24 letters

During the winter solstice, when the movement of the sun seems to halt, they creep out: the malicious, mischievous, ugly, and naughty creatures called Kallikantzaroi – Καλικάτζαροι. They might be likened to leprechauns, vengeful goblins, or pixies in other European folk beliefs.

Alongside fascinating tales of creatures like the Kallikantzaroi, Greek folklore is still today characterized by superstition and mystery. The book “Journeys Through Greek Superstition” explores everything from the dreaded evil eye to the art of interpreting coffee grounds – fascinating reading for the curious and perfect as a gift to the interested.

In Greece, Kallikantzaroi are depicted as gruesome and scary human-like creatures, often with strong animal traits. Many of them have tusks, tails, and goat claws for feet. They are hairy, ugly, dirty, and smelly, usually small in stature but sometimes as large as donkeys or horses.

Kallikantzaroi are also portrayed as extremely nimble, with winding bodies and tentacle-like limbs. They can creep into houses at night through chimneys, doors left ajar, small gaps in walls, or even keyholes.

Stirring up mischief in the households

Once indoors, they cause a lot of trouble. They smash furniture and break housewares, devour Christmas food, make a lot of noise, rattle and scream, scare people, cheat children out of sweets, urinate in pans, burp loudly, and drop farts on glasses and plates. In the dark, they assault women, steal people’s voices, and cause all sorts of mishaps and accidents.

The Kallikantzaroi have characteristic names that in the Greek language sound bizarre, but also comical, and peculiar. Those include Malaganas, Triklopodis, Mandrakoukos, Magaras, Malaperdas, Planitaros, Katahanas, Vatrakoukos, Kolovelonis, Paganos.

Humans try to protect themselves against the Kallikatzaroi during Greek Christmas, mainly by exploiting their weaknesses. Since they are extremely light-shy, one should not turn off the fire in the stove and other light sources during the Christmas season. Since they are averse to religious (Christian) symbols, one should make sure to draw a cross on doors, windows, and chimneys. It is also possible to use special charms to scare them. Incense and holy water also keep them away.

Kallikantzaroi and other beings are a classic example of rich Greek folklore. For those curious about how traditions and customs are still alive today, there is the book “A guide to Greek traditions and customs in America”, full of practical information that will be indispensable to anyone interested in the Greek heritage.

Please note: booking through affiliate links in our texts means absolutely no extra cost to you. However, it is a way to support the work of the expedition, so that we can continue to offer first-class content and exciting digital adventures. More about affiliate links in our privacy policy.

Dodekaimeron and Epiphany – the baptism of Jesus

The Kallikantzaroi remain above the Earth for the entire duration of Greek Christmas, Dodekaimeron/Δωδεκαήμερον, which in Greece lasts between Christmas Eve (December 24) and Epiphany (January 6).

Literally, Dodekaimeron means ‘the twelve days’ and is a significant period in traditional celebrations. The concept is also known in English as the Twelve Days of Christmas

On January 6, when in Greece people celebrate the baptism of Jesus – Epiphany (see below), the Kallikantzaroi disappear back into the underworld. They return to their main year-long activity of trying to cut down the World Tree or World Pillar. But on the day of Epiphany, the sun has already regained its movement in the sky and the World Tree has grown large again. The Kallikantzaroi therefore have an impossible mission that can never be completed; it is constantly repeated in circles, year after year.

To ensure that all Kallikantzaroi have returned to their dens, small fireworks or firecrackers are set off on roofs and chimneys in Greece on the evening of Epiphany.

The equivalent of the Greek Kallikantzaroi can also be found in other Balkan countries. In Bulgaria, they are referred to as Karakondjul (Караконджул), in Serbia as Karakondžula (Караконџула), and in Albania as Kukudhi or Karkanxholji.

Epiphany is a major holiday in Greece that celebrates Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan River and the appearance of the Holy Spirit. The Greek Orthodox Church sanctifies the waters of lakes, rivers, and seas. Priests then use basil twigs to sprinkle holy water on the faithful.

They also throw a wooden cross into the water, which young people jump in to catch. Whoever reaches first and picks up the cross, later carries it to each household and receives rich gifts. Believers also get holy water from the churches to use for various protective purposes throughout the year.

Epiphany and the Baptism of Jesus

As we also mention during our guided tours of secret Athens, Epiphany is also the only day of the year when Hadrian’s Reservoir in Kolonaki, Athens, is opened for the church to bless its waters.”

To immerse yourself in Greek folklore take a look at: “The Book of Greek and Roman Folktales, Legends and Myths”. A rich collection of myths, fables, and jokes from antiquity – everything from centaurs and satyrs to seers, women who suddenly change sex, and men who can’t laugh… The book offers a fascinating glimpse into the captivating, colorful storytelling and humorous fairy tale treasure of our ancestors.

Other Greek Christmas and New Year traditions

In this article, we have only scratched the surface of some of the countless Greek Christmas and New Year traditions. Folklorists have documented hundreds of different customs, songs, dances, and more that vary greatly depending on where you are in Greece.

There are major differences in customs between, for example, the Cyclades and Northern Thrace, the Peloponnese, Crete or Greek Macedonia. There may even be differences between coastal and inland areas within the same region. There may be distinctive food traditions, special ceremonies, songs and dances, or other customs that appear very different between islands and the mainland, or between mountainous areas and plains.

The Greek Christmas table

Greek Christmas is filled with culinary traditions that reflect the country’s rich history and its many local variations. The table overflows with a variety of appetizers and countless main courses featuring lamb, poultry, or game. Each region or area has its unique delicacies and customs, making the celebration especially diverse and rich. But no Christmas in Greece is complete without the beloved classic Christmas cookies: melomakarona (μελομακάρονα) and kourabiedes (κουραμπιέδες).

• Melomakarona are sweet cookies soaked in an aromatic syrup of honey, orange, brandy, and cinnamon, topped with chopped walnuts.
• Kourabiedes are buttery cookies covered in a layer of powdered sugar, reminiscent of winter snow.

These two types of cookies are indispensable during the Greek Christmas season and are beloved for their unique flavors. Although recipes vary between families and regions, they hold a prominent place in Greek Christmas celebrations. At the same time, they carry influences from the wider Eastern Mediterranean, where different peoples have shared flavors and traditions for centuries.

Superstition and proverbs are a central part of Greek culture. In the book “Yiayia Approved: Greek Sayings, Proverbs, Advice, Superstitions, & More”, author Angela Vardalos Saclamacis has collected over 200 classic sayings, advice, and supernatural beliefs – perfect for impressing relatives or just having fun while learning more about the traditions.

Kalanda – Greece’s traditional Christmas carols

“Κάλαντα/Kalanda are traditional songs typically sung by children during holidays such as Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve, and Epiphany (January 6). The name kalanda is inherited from the medieval Greek καλένδαι/calende, which originates from the Latin calenda

Children go from house to house, politely asking, ‘Shall we sing?’ before performing the songs, often accompanied by a triangle-shaped percussion instrument or other simple instruments. Afterward, they receive a gift, usually in the form of sweets, fruit, or a small amount of money.

The lyrics and melodies vary significantly between different regions of Greece. These local variations reflect the unique culture and traditions of each area, making Κάλαντα a vibrant part of the country’s rich cultural heritage.

New Year traditions in Greece

We conclude with a few other common customs associated with the New Year, observed throughout the country:

• Right foot first. When you enter a house for the first time in the year, you should do so with your right foot. In this way, you bring good luck and fortune to the house and its occupants for the whole of the coming year
• The long-awaited cake Βασιλόπιτα/Vasilopitta, in which a coin is hidden before baking. Whoever gets the piece of cake with the coin inside will have good luck and fortune throughout the new year
• Crushing a pomegranate in front of the door. The more seeds scattered, the more luck the house will have in the new year. Since ancient times, the pomegranate has been a symbol of happiness and abundance

Have you tasted some particular dishes or witnessed any special habits and customs during the celebrations of Greek Christmas? We would greatly appreciate it if you would share your experiences in the comments section!

More about Kallikatzaroi in folklore and tradition

Kallikantzaroi: The Christmas Goblins of Greece on DAIMONOLOGIA: An article discussing the Kallikantzaroi and their place in Greek Christmas tradition.

Kallikantzaros on Mythical Encyclopedia: A summary of the Kallikantzaros and their significance in Greek mythology.

Greek Christmas Trolls: Kallikantzaroi on Helinika: An article exploring the Kallikantzaroi and their role in Greek folklore.

Related article: New Year’s Greetings for 2024

Images from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Public Domain

The Antikythera mechanism is one of the most remarkable objects ever recovered from the sea. It was discovered in 1901 by sponge divers off the island of Antikythera, among the remains of an ancient cargo ship filled with bronze statues, glassware, and ceramics.

What first appeared to be a lump of corroded metal turned out to contain gears – something no one expected from antiquity. Before long, the find would transform our entire understanding of ancient Greek engineering.

A computer from antiquity

Decades of research have made it clear that the Antikythera mechanism was no ornament, but an astronomical calculating device – in practice, the world’s first analog computer, constructed around 50 BC. The term refers to a device that performs calculations mechanically through a system of gears rather than through digital numbers and code. The mechanism could display the movements of the sun and moon, predict eclipses, and even track the cycles of the Olympic Games.

That something so advanced was built more than two thousand years before our own machines is difficult to grasp. Its gearwork was designed to mirror the rhythm of the heavens with a precision that suggests both scientific and artistic mastery.

On the front were dials with pointers moving at different speeds. On the back were complex scales and inscriptions to help the user interpret celestial motion. It was as much a model of the cosmos as an instrument for measuring it, an object that combined technology, philosophy, and belief in the ordered nature of the universe.

Traces of the masters behind the work

Since the mechanism was brought to the surface, researchers have tried to determine who built it. Was it the work of Archimedes or his students? Was it manufactured on Rhodes, where the astronomers Hipparchus and Posidonius were active?

X-ray studies have identified some thirty gears and Greek inscriptions that function as a manual – something unique in the ancient world.

These inscriptions suggest that the makers were not only skilled craftsmen but also deeply versed in the most advanced astronomical theories of their time. Some scholars believe the mechanism was intended as a teaching tool, a portable model of the cosmos showing how the heavens moved.

Others argue that it was created for a wealthy patron, perhaps a king or a naval commander who wanted to plan voyages and religious festivals according to the stars. Whatever its purpose, it testifies to a collaboration between science, art, and philosophy, where scientific thought met practical skill

Bringing the Antikythera mechanism back to life

In recent decades, research teams have greatly deepened our understanding of the Antikythera mechanism, not only by studying its fragments but by building models of how it may have looked and functioned.

Numerous physical and digital reconstructions have been published. A major milestone came in 2021, when researchers at University College London presented a model that aligns with both the mathematical and mechanical evidence from the original.

These reconstructions show how the gears and preserved dials could have fit together. They illustrate the movements of the sun, the moon, and even the planets, in mechanisms that match the inscriptions on the device.

Some models include more than 30 gears – parts that were corroded or partially lost, but reconstructed through CT scanning and advanced image analysis.

Despite the progress, many questions remain unresolved, for example, exactly how every pointer, disk, and scale interacted, and whether the mechanism displayed the planetary motions in full, or if certain components are missing. The different reconstructions highlight both the similarities and the variations in how scholars interpret the surviving fragments and text. They serve as valuable guides, but also as reminders not to assume more than the evidence supports.

Have you walked past it without knowing?

Many visitors to the Archaeological Museum in Athens have probably walked by the Antikythera mechanism without stopping. In its glass case, the small, corroded bronze fragments may not seem particularly noteworthy – green, eroded, almost silent.

Around it, the museum galleries gleam with gold, marble, and mosaics, while this small object lies there as if nearly forgotten. Yet these pieces of metal are something entirely different: the remains of the world’s first computer, created more than two thousand years ago, at a time when we believed antiquity mastered only simple tools.

But if you linger a little, its significance begins to emerge. The tiny gears, the nearly erased Greek inscriptions – they speak of a time when thought, craftsmanship, and cosmology were inseparable. The next time you walk through the museum’s halls, let your eyes rest on this modest artifact. Think of the hands that shaped its gears, the eyes that traced the stars – and of everything this mechanism still hides from us.

A timeless enigma from the depths of the sea

Only one-third of the original mechanism survives. Yet for more than a century, researchers have tried to reconstruct its complete design through models and digital renderings. No one knows whether more examples once existed or whether it was a solitary masterpiece that sank with its ship. Even today, underwater excavations off Antikythera continue to reveal new fragments and clues, as if the sea were slowly trying to tell the rest of the story.

In its silence, however, the Antikythera mechanism reminds us of something enduring: humanity’s desire to understand the heavens and to build tools capable of reading the cosmos. Several scholars have even called it one of antiquity’s true wonders – a masterpiece of lost knowledge, as enigmatic as the greatest monuments on land.

The Antikythera mechanism – in brief

• Discovery: 1901 by sponge divers in an ancient shipwreck off Antikythera, dated to the 1st century BC
• Date: ca. 150–100 BC
• Materials: Bronze and wood (mechanism and casing)
• Components: At least 30 gears, pointers, dials, and Greek inscriptions
• Function: Mechanical calculation of the movements of the sun, moon, and planets; eclipse prediction; calendar cycles, including the Olympic Games
• Dimensions: Approx. 13 × 7 × 3.5 inches
• On display: National Archaeological Museum of Athens
• Significance: The oldest known analog computer – an outstanding example of Hellenistic science and engineering
• Research: Studied since 1902; modern X-ray and 3D scanning have revealed new details about its gear system

Källor

• Greek Wikipedia – Μηχανισμός των Αντικυθήρων
• UCL Antikythera Research Project
• Nature (2021): Decoding the ancient Greek astronomical calculator
• LIFO.gr – Η συναρπαστική ιστορία του ναυαγίου των Αντικυθήρων
• UCL Discovery – Research Paper PDF
• National Archeological Museum of Greece

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❄️ Frost on the railing, lanterns swaying in the cold November breeze – the Greek Expedition lies in dock for the winter. The crew is busy mending the hull and setting new sails for the journeys ahead.

Winter is softly settling around the shipyard. The timbers creak with each gust, and the scent of tar, hemp, and wet planks drifts through the stillness.

Below deck, hammers ring faintly against the ribs of the vessel as old fittings are replaced and new ones take their place.

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Across the captain’s table, charts lie open with pencil lines tracing routes not yet taken. Every corner of the ship hums with quiet preparation – a season of repair, reflection, and renewal. It is a time when sails are folded and the mast stands bare, yet the promise of distant shores stirs beneath every bolt and beam. The Greek Expedition rests, yes – but it rests only to gather strength for what is to come.

But while the ship lies in harbor, you don’t have to be idle. There are still journeys to embark on, waiting just beyond the horizon of your screen.

Explore the Secret Athens from wherever you are!

With our brand new tour on VoiceMap, you can explore the city through your phone, tablet, or computer, right from your home, for less than $10.
Just sit back, press the Virtual Playback button, and follow the journey as if you were walking through the streets yourself 👇

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🧩 Quiz about Greece -advanced

And if you’d like a small challenge while waiting for the next journey, try our latest quiz. This time it is a trickier one, to keep the mind traveling while the sails are down. Step into the Greek quiz labyrinth – click the image below to begin:

❗ Note: The quiz above is in Swedish. English version here 👉

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🧭 The Expedition is expanding – but needs more wind in its sails 🌊

For two years, Greek Expedition has explored and shared a different Greece – through stories, guides, and insights created without ads, sponsors, or paywalls.

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Autumn deepens around the harbor, and as the lamps dim for the night, the ship settles into its quiet rhythm. From the deck comes the faint creak of timber in the breeze. Outside, the frost thickens on the railing and the lanterns sway with the tide’s slow breathing.

But life on board never truly sleeps. We stay at work below deck, where plans are drawn, ideas tested, and stories gathered and retold as we chart the course toward the horizons waiting in the spring light. The crew keeps preparing, mending, dreaming — shaping the new great journeys soon to come. We can hardly wait to share them with you.

Until then, thank you for keeping the Expedition afloat! ⛵

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It’s time for a new quiz about Greece – the third in our series. The previous ones have been much appreciated, and now we’re back with a fresh round of ten brand-new questions.

This quiz offers a real challenge. The questions are more advanced than before and call for not only knowledge, but also curiosity and a sense of Greece beyond the obvious. We dive deep into the country’s history and the present day – from politics and culture to music, film, nature, and food.

10 fresh questions

You’ll be presented with ten multiple-choice questions, each with only one correct answer. After selecting your choice, you’ll see the right answer along with a short explanation. Once you’ve completed all ten, you’ll get a summary of your score – and perhaps a spark of inspiration for your next journey south.

Join us on another small voyage of discovery through Greece and see how much you really know about the country, its people, and its culture. You might learn something new – or simply confirm that you’re already a seasoned Greconaut!

Quiz about Greece no. 3 – Epilogue

Thank you for once again testing your knowledge about Greece with us! We hope you’ve learned something new and had fun along the way. The country’s rich culture and history are always worth exploring.

We hope this quiz has inspired you to discover even more. Keep following our blog >> for new journeys beyond the usual paths and become a true Greconaut! You can also join the expedition for free through the form on our website.

Remember – there’s always more to discover and learn!

Feel free to leave a comment below with your result and tell us what you thought of the quiz.

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Today, most of them are invisible – diverted into underground channels or filled in – but their traces remain beneath the city’s streets, in archaeological remains, and in place names that carry the memory of flowing water.

Attica, a plain surrounded by mountains, was historically a place where waters converged. Mile after mile of brooks, streams, and rivers crossed the area between Parnitha, Penteli, and Hymettos. Then came the concrete and the asphalt. It is estimated that more than 300 miles of waterways have been diverted underground to the present day.

Rivers that turned into streets

Many of today’s central streets and avenues in Athens were laid out along the natural courses once carved by rivers and streams. Excavations have shown that most of the city’s modern streets conceal a filled-in streambed or an underground river. Studies indicate that in 1945, the open waterways had a total length of about 800 miles. Toda,y only 270 miles remain – a dramatic decline.

Yet, despite so much having been lost, traces of old Athens still endure – and some can still be experienced. The hidden rivers are only one part of the city’s many secrets:

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In the 1950s, during the era of the so-called antiparochi, and later for the sake of car traffic, rivers were treated as obstacles rather than as parts of the Attic landscape.*

* Antiparochi (αντιπαροχή): the post-war system that shaped Athens, in which landowners allowed developers to build apartment blocks on their plots in exchange for a number of the finished flats.

According to figures often repeated in the Greek press, the numbers speak for themselves: after World War II, about 25 percent of the Athens basin was covered by roads and buildings. After 1975, that share had risen to 75 percent.

Kifissos – from myth to motorway

Kifissos, flowing west of Athens, is the largest and best-known river of Attica. Ancient authors mentioned it more than two thousand years ago. For the Athenians of antiquity, Kifissos was sacred – a source of life for the great, fertile plain.

Like several other rivers, Kifissos was personified in mythology by a god of the same name. He was counted among the lesser deities of Attica, an allegorical figure of the river itself – at times praised for the water he brought to the fertile plain, at other times feared for the floods he could unleash.

Along its course also lay Elaionas, the wide area of Athenian olive groves, where the waters of Kifissos irrigated the trees that produced the highly prized local olive oil, one of the city’s most important exports in antiquity.

The Sacred Way, Iera Odos, crossed the Kifissos on its route to Eleusis, and several remains from antiquity can still be seen today – now wedged in between industrial complexes, warehouses, and busy highways.

In modern times, Kifissos has become associated with the motorways and industrial zones that follow its course. Large sections of the river have been channelled, and its waters are burdened by the city’s pollution. Today, the Kifissos riverbed is considered one of the major open environmental problems of the Athens basin.

Ilissos – the stream of philosophy and nymphs

The Ilissos rises on Mount Hymettus and flows along the eastern edge of Athens. Its current is at its strongest in winter and spring. For the Athenians of antiquity, it was a sacred river. Along its banks stood altars dedicated to many gods. Here, the Lesser Mysteries (Mikra Mysteria) were held – sacred rites connected both to the Great Mysteries of Eleusis and to Dionysian ceremonies. By the Ilissos were also sanctuaries of the Nymphs and of Pan, and Plato has Socrates hold dialogues by the stream.

Ilissos, the largest of today’s hidden rivers of Athens, once flowed outside the ancient city walls and was crossed by several bridges, of which only one survives today. The others were destroyed when the Ilissos was led underground in the 1930s. This took place under the dictatorship of Metaxas, who is said to have marked the beginning of the covering with the symbolic words: “Here we bury the Ilissos.”

Yet traces of the river remain in the urban landscape. The arched bridge built by King Otto still stands, even though it is now itself overbuilt by busy motorways.

Right next to King Otto’s bridge stands a well-preserved rock relief of the god Pan. Here, too, the church of Agia Foteini was built, beside the ancient spring of Kallirrhoe. On the small island of Vatrachonisi – the “Frog Island” – where the river splits into branches, the vegetation still grows thick, a last glimpse of the green belt that once lined the stream. It was at Vatrachonisi that the Ilissos formed rapids and small waterfalls, sacred and widely celebrated in antiquity. We have written about these places in our series The Secret Athens →

But the stream is not entirely lost: today it can still be followed underground. Together with the Alter Exploring Team, we have walked through the subterranean passages of the Ilissos, all the way down towards Kallithea.

Eridanos – a small stream with a long history

Eridanos is a relatively small stream, but it has played an important role in the history of Athens. Its source lies on Mount Lycabettus, and it crosses the city on its way to Kerameikos, where it can still be seen above ground. From there, it follows the Sacred Way, Iera Odos, before eventually joining the Kifissos. Along its course in antiquity, both houses and workshops developed, and the stream soon became an integral part of everyday life in Athens.

Gradually, the Eridanos disappeared beneath fill and construction. However, today it can still be seen in two places: in the archaeological site of Kerameikos, where a two-meter-wide stretch of its bed has been uncovered, and at Monastiraki. There it first appears outside on the square, somewhat inconspicuously behind a fence, and then inside the station behind a sloping glass wall. Here, other finds are also displayed, brought to light during the construction of the new Metro station in the 1990s.

Forgotten streams with peculiar names

In addition to the Kifissos, Ilissos, and Eridanos, the city was historically crossed by many other waterways. Some had their sources on Lycabettus, others in the Tourkovounia hills to the northeast, and they carried their waters through the areas that today form the very heart of the city.

One of these streams is the Podoniftis – the “Foot Washer” – with its sources on Mount Penteli, north of Athens. It still flows above ground for about four kilometers. We have traced the Podoniftis before in our own explorations →

Other ancient streams included the Voidopniktis – literally the “Ox Drowner” – and the Kyklovoros, whose peculiar name still puzzles linguists. They once flowed where we now walk along well-known streets such as Stadiou and Akadimias, or through today’s densely built-up districts like Patisia and Kypseli. The names that remain are reminders that Athens was once a network of rivers, brooks and streams that gave life to the Attic landscape.

Uncovering – visions and risks

There is sometimes talk of Athens reclaiming its rivers, of freeing them from the concrete and making them visible again. Advocates point out that reopening waterways could reduce the risk of flooding, create new green recreational spaces, and restore access to a more natural urban environment.

According to the European Environment Agency, restored urban streams can strengthen biodiversity and improve water quality. They can also help lower temperatures in densely built-up areas – the so-called urban heat island effect, when the city becomes warmer than its surroundings due to asphalt and concrete. At the same time, they can bring social and economic benefits – from health and quality of life to investment, tourism, and rising property values.

But behind the vision of open waterways lies an inconvenient reality that cannot be ignored. Many of Athens’ streams were covered over to protect the public from sewage and other sanitary risks. According to serious voices in the debate, these problems must be solved first – otherwise reopening risks becoming a danger rather than a gift.

The river network of Attica

Sources

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Hidden attractions in Athens

Athens is a city built in layers – marked by ancient civilizations, hard-won conquests, shifting beliefs, and the daily rhythms of life that still pulse through its streets today. Its buildings and alleys echo with the presence of many eras: Archaic and Classical Athens, the Hellenistic period, Roman occupation, a thousand years of Byzantine rule, Ottoman domination, Frankish control, the 19th-century War of Independence, and finally, the formation of the modern Greek state.

Sometimes, these layers are easy to spot – a marble column built into a later wall, a hidden courtyard tucked behind a noisy street. Other times, they lie buried, waiting to be uncovered by those who know where to look.

But Athens is not a museum. It is a living city, where past and present continuously intertwine. The same streets once walked by philosophers and revolutionaries now bustle with cafés, shops, and everyday Athenian life. Every step through Athens is a step across centuries.

Ancient aqueduct in the National Garden

Our first stop today, through lesser-known attractions in Athens, is the aqueduct of Pisistratus, built in the 6th century BCE, which still irrigates the central city park – the National Garden. We begin our walk at the park’s northern entrance, along Vasilissis Sofias Avenue.

Just a few steps from the park’s northern entrance on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, you’ll find a small pond after roughly 65 feet. It may look quiet and unassuming, but it holds a fascinating secret: this is where water from an ancient aqueduct gathers before flowing onward to nourish the garden’s lush greenery.

This remarkable structure, known as the Peisistratos Aqueduct, dates back to the 6th century BCE and remains in operation today. It runs underground for about 4 miles at a depth of 30 – 40 feet. The aqueduct begins at the base of Mount Hymettos, the striking mountain range east of Athens, and follows the natural contours of the land toward the city center.

The pond also marks the garden’s highest point. From here, the water is directed into a branching system that irrigates the park’s trees and vegetation. It’s a quiet yet tangible link between ancient Athens and the modern metropolis.

Ancient remnants in the National Garden

The National Garden is truly a peaceful green space amid the city’s bustle – an oasis and a place to breathe in modern Athens. But the site also has deep historical roots. Already in antiquity, the philosopher and botanist Theophrastus had a private garden here. In the mid-19th century, a royal park was established on the same site at the initiative of Queen Amalia. At that time, it was known as the Royal Garden.

Today, known as the National Garden, it is a lush public refuge filled with winding paths, tall palm trees, and an unexpectedly rich birdlife – open to all, every day of the year.

To reach the next stop on our tour, we need to walk through the entire garden, from the northern pond to one of the southern exits. There, in a somewhat hidden corner, nestled among several other Roman remnants, lies a rather overlooked monument.

It is a massive architrave, a marble beam that for centuries adorned Hadrian’s great reservoir at Dexameni Square in Kolonaki. In the first part of our series, we explored the area around Dexameni, where this architrave once stood in its original place.

At the end of the 18th century, it was removed from its original location by the Ottoman ruler Hatzis Ali Haseki, who used parts of ancient monuments as building material for his defensive wall.

This particular marble block was then installed as a decorative top element above one of the wall’s seven city gates – the so-called Boubounistra Gate. After the Greek War of Independence, when the wall was torn down, it was eventually placed in its current location in the National Garden, without any form of signage. In the 19th century, it was common for ancient fragments to be reused as ornamental features in gardens, in a spirit of romanticism and decoration.

The marble architrave bears a Latin inscription stating that the aqueduct in Athens was begun by Emperor Hadrian and later completed and inaugurated by his adopted son, Antoninus Pius.

Hadrian’s Athens

Nearly two thousand years ago, Athens stood at the threshold of a dramatic transformation. The city was already ancient, but Emperor Hadrian sought to breathe new life into it. A devoted philhellene – a lover of Greek culture – Hadrian, though a conqueror, saw Athens as the cultural capital of the East, a place where Roman power and Hellenic heritage could converge.

During his reign, a new district rose in Athens, filled with monumental buildings, libraries, and grand residences for the city’s aristocracy. The era of Pax Romana became a golden age of architecture for the city, and no one played a greater role in reshaping it than Hadrian himself. He financed and oversaw many of the major projects – among them Hadrian’s Arch and the long-delayed completion of the great Temple of Olympian Zeus.

We’ve explored the temple and shared some of the lesser-known stories of the Olympieion in a previous article.

Now, we leave those iconic landmarks behind and make our way toward our next stop: King Otto’s arched stone bridge over the Ilisos River, today hidden beneath one of the busiest intersections in modern Athens.

The arch bridge over Ilisos

If you walk around the entire archaeological site of the Olympieion and follow the fence along its southern side, you’ll come out onto Athanasiou Diakou Street. Continuing along that road, you’ll soon reach one of the city’s busiest intersections, where several major thoroughfares converge.

Well hidden beneath the busy traffic of this intersection lies a stone arch bridge, built in the mid-1800s on the initiative of King Otto, Greece’s first monarch. It once spanned the Ilisos River – one of Athens’ largest waterways.

Today, the river runs underground, but the remaining channel has been overtaken by nature: dense, almost impenetrable vegetation spreads like a small, tangled jungle in the heart of the city. The central section of the riverbed is still known as Vatrachonisi/Frog Island – even though it’s no longer an island in the true sense. In ancient times, Frog Island was a sacred place where many gods, demigods, and nymphs were worshipped.

Relief of the God Pan

Just past the bridge, a small paved walkway branches off to the left, leading down into the overgrown riverbed. The small Orthodox chapel located there today is dedicated to Saint Photini. In ancient times, the sacred spring of Kallirhoe flowed nearby – its waters believed to be holy. The courtyard in front of the chapel is a great place to sit for a while and escape the roar of traffic just above.

About halfway down the walkway toward Agia Foteini, a barely visible path breaks off to the right, cutting through the vegetation and heading straight toward the cliff face. A sign indicates that the hollow in the rock was once a cult site dedicated to the god Pan. Numerous artifacts have been found here to support that interpretation.

Carved into the rock face is an ancient relief of the god Pan – still visible today, though hard to spot unless you know exactly where to look. In my experience, it’s easiest to make out when the afternoon sun hits the cliff from the west, casting shadows that bring out the contours. Time and city pollution have worn heavily on the original carving, and it’s worth noting that the entire cliff was once nearly demolished to widen the road above. It was only thanks to the persistent efforts of local archaeologists that the decision was reversed at the last moment.

To reach the next stop on our route through lesser-known attractions in Athens, we’ll need to cross over to the other side of the city center. We’ll walk through Plaka and Monastiraki, then follow Athinas Street toward Omonia Square – until we reach Athens’ Central Market.

Varvakios Agora – Athens Central Market

Athens Central Market, known as Varvakios Agora, is a bustling hub of commerce in the heart of the city. It first opened in 1886 and has been operating ever since. The air here is thick with the scents of spices, fresh fish, meat, cheese, fruit, and warm bread, blending with the shouts of vendors and the chatter between loyal customers and curious passersby.

During holidays – especially Easter – the market teems with Athenians stocking up for celebratory meals, reflecting the city’s vibrant food culture. The area around the market is equally lively, with small shops and stalls selling everything from dried fruit and nuts to soaps, baskets, and kitchen tools – offering an authentic glimpse into everyday life in Athens.

St. John on the Column

Not far from the meat and fish halls, right in the heart of the market district on Evripidou Street, stands the small chapel of Agios Ioannis tis Kolonas – St. John on the Column. A single ancient Corinthian column rises straight through the roof, making this spot a truly unique feature in the cityscape.

The chapel is believed to be around 1,500 years old, built on the ruins of an earlier temple dedicated to Asclepius, the god of healing. Even into modern times, visitors have tied colored threads around the column, secured with wax – a ritual performed in hope of relief from fever and illness. A hidden, sacred little chapel nestled in an area that, until the 19th century, was mostly farmland and open fields.

Beyond the city center

From King Otto’s stone bridge, the Ilisos River continues its journey underground all the way to its mouth in Faliro, near Piraeus. As shown in the video below, the Greek Expedition joined a striking and thrilling exploration beneath the Greek capital’s roads and buildings. The underground tour was organized in collaboration with the Alter Exploring Team, led by speleologist and civil engineer Panagiotis Deuteraios.

Athens behind the facades

The Ilisos River may be hidden today, but it still whispers beneath the city – quietly, unnoticed, yet never entirely silent. Like other traces we’ve followed on this tour, it remains beneath the surface – a reminder that Athens isn’t just something you see, but something you gradually uncover, layer by layer.
And perhaps it’s in the quiet in-between spaces – where history isn’t marked or signposted – that you come closest to the city itself.

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