Metropolitan Cathedral of Athens

The city’s cathedral is located, in the heart of Athens, on Mitropoleos Street, in the square of the same name, which is dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary and is one of the first most important monuments of Athens. The temple’s construction started in 1842 and it was completed in 1862 with some interruptions due to financial problems. It was inaugurated in 1862 and since then it has been a landmark of the history of the newest Greek state, since it has hosted all the official ceremonies.

The original design of the church, with Gothic and Renaissance elements, belonged to the Danish architect Theophilos Hansen, who had adapted them to the original location of its erection, on Panepistimiou Street, next to the Ophthalmology Clinic. Based on these, the lower part of the building was constructed, while the upper part was completed by the architects Dimitrios Zezos, the main exponent of the “”Greek-Byzantine”” style, Francois Boulanger and Panagi Kalkos. At the end of the 19th and until the middle of the 20th century, it experienced various conversions and additions both inside and outside, which altered its already special original style.

The church is a three-aisled basilica with a dome and is a combination of the neoclassical and Greek-Byzantine architectural styles, which is due to the changes in the designs during its construction. For its masonry, architectural material from 72 demolished temples of Athens has been used and its imposing dome is covered externally with copper sheets. Its central entrance is highlighted by an archway supported by Corinthian columns and pilasters, while the twin bell towers exude influences from Western church architecture. The interior of the church is decorated with works by well-known artists of the 19th century. The iconography is by the painters Spyridon Giallinas and Alexander Seitz, the decoration by Konstantinos Fanellis from Smyrna, and the sculptures by the sculptor Georgios Fytalis from Tinos. The sacred relics of Saint Gregorios V, Patriarch of Constantinople and Saint Philothei of Athens are kept in an underground crypt inside the church, in a marble urn.