Ancient Footsteps

Eleusis

Following the traces of the ancient Sacred Way from the Sacred Gate of Kerameikos to the Thriasian Plain and the Archaeological Site of Eleusis. The route begins on foot and then, after visiting the Archaeological Site of Kerameikos and the Technopolis of the City of Athens (Gazi) multi-space, continues by car (private or public transport), preferably outside rush hour. The route offers a multitude of monuments and archaeological sites for stops and/or visits. In addition, the visitor passes through modern urban neighborhoods of Attica, parallel to the industrial zones and shipping facilities of Aspropyrgos and Eleusis. The route is accessible to people with disabilities on condition that they use a private car.

Note: The orientation and safety of the walker/visitor is their sole responsibility. The present description, the related tracks (gpx) and the other informative material are simply a guide and do not in any way replace the personal responsibility of the visitor.

The route includes the following landmarks, the sequence of which also indicates the direction of the journey:

• Church of Agioi Asomatoi
• Museum of Modern Ceramic Art
• Archaeological Site and Museum of Kerameikos
• Church of Sotira (Russian Church)
• Technopolis City of Athens
• Ancient Iera Odos (Sacred Way)
• Sanctuary of Zeus Meilichios (currently Church of Agios Savvas Votanikos)
• Ancient Bridge of Kifisos
• Eleonas Metro Station
• Diomedous Botanical Garden
• Daphni Monastery
• Sanctuary of Aphrodite at Daphne
• Koumoundourou Lake
• Archaeological Site of Eleusis
• Archaeological Museum of Eleusis

Nestled between Ermou Street and Peiraeus Street lies the archaeological site of Kerameikos. The neighborhood’s name, which has remained unchanged since ancient times, is derived from the numerous pottery workshops that were once established here. Not surprisingly, the highly regarded Museum of Modern Ceramics is also located in this neighborhood. In Kerameikos, one can encounter the ruins of ancient Athens’ largest cemetery and a museum housing artifacts unearthed from the tombs.

Adjacent to Kerameikos lies the Technopolis of the City of Athens. This site was once the industrial facility of Athens Gasworks, which ceased operations on October 1, 1984. Today, it serves as a 30-hectare industrial museum and cultural hub. Each year, the venue hosts dozens of artistic events, including music, dance, cinema, theater, and temporary exhibitions. A visit to the Industrial Gas Museum is also worthwhile.

Next, we will traverse the Sacred Way, which in ancient times was the road that connected the city of Athens to the Demeter Sanctuary in Eleusis and the Thriasian Plain, where the famous Eleusinian Mysteries were held once a year. It spanned 22 kilometers. For the most part, it followed the route of today’s Iera Odos, starting from the Sacred Gate (behind Kerameikos) and cutting through the area between Mount Aigaleo and Mount Poikilon. Archaeologists believe that the Sacred Way (dotted with shrines and workshops, and roadside cemeteries have also been unearthed) served as a gathering place for male pilgrims on foot (according to tradition) who exchanged mocking banter, known as “gefyrismoi,” as they made their way to the Eleusis region.

The worship of the goddess Demeter in the region of Eleusis began around the 11th century BCE, and the Great Eleusinian Mysteries were officially established from the 8th century BCE onward. The Eleusinian Mysteries exert a captivating charm, perhaps because a part of them remains unknown to this day, or perhaps because they are associated with the immortality of the soul, symbolically represented by an ear of wheat presented at a moment of culmination during the mysteries.It all starts with the myth of the abduction of Persephone, the daughter of Demeter, who was picking carefree flowers when suddenly the earth opened, and Pluto appeared. Seizing her, he descended with her into the depths of the earth. When Demeter discovered that her daughter had disappeared, she began searching for her everywhere. For nine sleepless nights, she neither ate, nor drank, nor bathed, wandering with lit torches in search of her. Meanwhile, due to her grief for her daughter, she cursed the earth to not bear any fruits, causing suffering for both gods and humans. At the end, with the intervention of Zeus, Pluto allowed Persephone to return to her mother, but before leaving the Underworld, he offered her a pomegranate. She ate only a few seeds, and unknowingly, time was shared between her mother and her husband, the god of the Underworld. Demeter, joyful at the return of her daughter, allowed the earth to bear fruits again. As Persephone’s return occurred in Eleusis — hence the origin of the city’s name, which derives from “eleusis”(meaning arrival in Greek) — Demeter bestowed upon the rulers of Eleusis and, by extension, humanity, two great gifts. First, she taught us to cultivate the land, a knowledge for which we owe our transition from the animal to the human life, and second, she gave us the rituals of the Eleusinian Mysteries, which fill us with hopeful anticipation for life beyond death.

During the 4th century CE, with the prevalence of Christianity, the sanctuaries of Eleusis declined, and in 395 CE, they were plundered by the Visigoths under Alaric. However, the use of the Iera Odos – Sacred Way continued for many centuries later, as the road served to connect the settlement of Eleusis and the surrounding villages with Athens.

The Dromokateio Foundation was established in 1887 by benefactor George Dromokateion on Iera Odos – Sacred Way. Following the Asia Minor Catastrophe, the Neofokaeans Refugee Settlement was built near Iera Odos. The settlement also includes a church dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos, which is located near the intersection of Iera Odos Street, Ilia Venezi Street, and Karaoli & Dimitriou Street.

Going along Iera Odos, we come across the Diomedous Botanical Garden of Athens University. A Garden of 1,500 acres, that not only serves educational purposes but also provides a valuable green space for the city. Next to the garden and adjacent to Iera Odos, on the foothills of Mount Aigaleo, lies the Byzantine Monastery of Daphni. According to Pausanias, the ancient sanctuary of Daphnios or Daphni Apollo was also located in this area. The monastery is protected by a particularly impressive, fortified square enclosure with towers and battlements, with two entrance gates, on the east and west sides. The katholikon (main church) of the monastery dates to the 11th century and belongs to the architectural type of the octagonal cross-in-square church. Its impressive architecture and the unique mosaic decoration of the monastery make it one of the most outstanding monuments of Byzantine art. In the katholikon of the monastery, there are preserved mosaics, the best of the first period (Komnenian dynasty, around 1100), which represent the strict and hieratic depiction of the Pantocrator Christ in the interior of the dome, a main characteristic of the Macedonian era. The Daphni Monastery has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1990.

Next, you will visit the sanctuary of Aphrodite in Aphaia Skaramagka, near of which it has been excavated an exceptionally well-preserved section of Iera Odos, approximately 200 meters long.In this area, wheel ruts from passing chariots and wagons have been preserved to this day. The sanctuary of Aphrodite is located roughly in the middle of the route to Eleusis and was in use from the classical to the Roman period. From this point to Eleusis, several smaller sections have been revealed. Along the Iera Odos, one could distinguish tombs of distinguished and prosperous citizens as well as several cemeteries with humbler graves. It was common in all Greek cities to use peripheral areas for tombs so that the deceased would be outside the walls but in accessible locations, visible to everyone. Along the road, there were small shrines and temples used for rituals during the Eleusinian procession as well as by travelers that needed to rest.

After passing through the industrial area of Aspropyrgos, we conclude the tour of the Iera Odos – Sacred Way by reaching the significant Archaeological Site of Eleusis. The Sanctuary of Eleusis for centuries was one of the most important religious centers of antiquity. In this area, the worship of the goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone was associated with the cultivation of the land, vegetation, fertility, and the rebirth of nature and life. The organized archaeological site extends today on the slopes of the ancient acropolis, dominated by the small church of Panagia Mesosporitissa.

The tour of the monuments begins at the Courtyard, where the faithful gather upon their arrival at the Sanctuary. The Sacred Way ended at its northern end. The Pompic Way was the continuation of the Sacred Way within the Sanctuary and led from the Small Propylaea to the Telesterion. In Roman times, this road was paved with marble slabs. On either side of the road there were bases bearing statues and other dedications, as well as a stepped exedra carved into the rock, where the faithful could watch some of the “acts” of the Eleusinian Mysteries. At the end of the Pompic Way is the Telesterion, where the worship ceremonies took place. The oldest remains date back to the Mycenaean era and belong to a rectangular megaron-shaped building. At the same place, in the second half of the 6th century BC, an almost square hall with three entrances and stepped exedras was built. During classical times, the size of the hall increased, which is estimated to have held 5,000 standing spectators. Almost at the center of the building, there was the “Palace” and the throne of the Hierophant. At the end of the 4th century BC, a Doric portico with marble columns (the Philonian Stoa) was added to the east facade.

The Great Propylaea is a magnificent entrance built during the Roman imperial period, defining the southern side of the Courtyard. It closely resembles the central part of the Propylaea of the Acropolis. It consists of two propylaea with six Doric columns on the facade, as well as a colonnade along the longitudinal axis with six Ionic columns. The tympanum of the northern facade was decorated with a relief portrait of an emperor, possibly Marcus Aurelius, to whom the completion of the structure is attributed. A Gamma (Γ)-shaped colonnade defined the western and northern sides of the Courtyard up to Iera Odos – Sacred Way, while a smaller colonnade closed the courtyard on the eastern side. Next to the smaller colonnade, a fountain (Krene in Greek) was built. From this building that dates to the 2nd century CE, only the basin of the cistern in a Pi (Π)-shape and the marble pavement with eight basin-like hollows, into which water fell from eight spouts were preserved. In the middle of the Courtyard, the base of the Roman temple of Propylaea Artemis and Father Poseidon is preserved, along with remnants of two altars dedicated to them, and remains of a pedestal for the statue of Poseidon. In the auxiliary area of the Sanctuary, there was the House of the Ceryces (Heralds), an underground cistern from the Roman times as well as the Siroi, warehouses where the “first fruits” of agricultural production were collected and offered as tax.

Within the archaeological site stands the Archaeological Museum, designed by architect Ioannis Moussis, completed in 1890. It houses significant findings from excavations at the Sanctuary and the necropolises of the ancient city of Eleusis. After the tour of the archaeological site and the museum, the journey concludes with a visit to the city of Eleusis, which served as the cultural capital of Europe in 2023. The city features well-designed pedestrian zones, numerous preserved buildings, and beautiful restaurants.