Dedicated to the Annunciation of the Mother of God, the three-aisled, domed basilica of the Athens Metropolitan Cathedral sits a short distance from Syntagma Square. Constructed between 1842 and 1862, the church enjoyed the participation of many prominent architects, including Hansen, Zezos, Boulanger and Kalkos.
The decorative aspects are no less impressive, incorporating pieces from derelict Byzantine churches and churches razed for archaeological reasons. The Cathedral also houses marble shrines containing the holy relics of Agia Filothei and the Patriarch Gregorius V.
Since opening, the Athens Metropolitan Cathedral has hosted a number of significant ceremonies, from royal weddings to funerals of important political and social figures. After the massive earthquake that shook Athens in 1999, the Cathedral began a series of maintenance and restoration projects. Services are temporarily being held in the Church of St. Dionysius, in Kolonaki.
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